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Why John Little Should Appeal to College Coaches
Finally, we’ve reached the point in the high school season when things begin to shift. Despite all the preseason competition, holiday showcases, and subplots throughout, this time is arguably as exciting as any period in the year. Each game has playoff implications. All kinks should be figured out and teams should be hitting their stride. However, this is also the stretch when college coaches...
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Unlimited Energy: Luca Sarnowska
Finally, we’ve reached the point in the high school season when things begin to shift. Despite all the preseason competition, holiday showcases, and subplots throughout, this time is arguably as exciting as any period in the year. Each game has playoff implications. All kinks should be figured out, and teams should be hitting their stride. However, this is also the stretch when college coaches...
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Not So Little: Bryan Little is a Double-Double Machine
Finally, we’ve reached the point in the high school season when things begin to shift. Despite all the preseason competition, holiday showcases, and subplots throughout, this time is arguably as exciting as any period in the year. Each game has playoff implications. All kinks should be figured out and teams should be hitting their stride. However, this is also the stretch when college coaches...
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Goldsboro Flourishing in Conference Play, Continuing Strong Season
Team: Goldsboro Cougars As of 1/23: 13-3 on the season overall, and 6-0 in the Swine Valley 2A/3A Conference As the high school basketball season across North Carolina moves deeper into its schedule, teams are beginning to separate themselves and establish identities as true contenders. Wins are stacking up, momentum is building, and programs around the state are making noise with their sights...
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National Prospect Watch for Class of 2029: 2029 6’10 Mamadou Issa Sow
Player: Mamadou Issa SowClass: 2029Height: 6’10School: CIA Bella Vista Prep As the Class of 2029 continues to take shape nationally, there are prospects already making a name for themselves with size, tools, and long-term upside. In this edition of National Prospect Watch, we take a closer look at 2029 6’10 Mamadou Issa Sow, a young big man whose physical profile and emerging skill set are...
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Soaring Under the Radar: Khaleil Walters Having Breakout Season
Finally, we’ve reached the point in the high school season when things begin to shift. Despite all the preseason competition, holiday showcases, and subplots throughout, this time is arguably as exciting as any period in the year. Each game has playoff implications. All kinks should be figured out, and teams should be hitting their stride. However, this is also the stretch when college coaches...
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Josiah Guyton Solidifying Himself as a College-Level Talent
Finally, we’ve reached the point in the high school season when things begin to shift. Despite all the preseason competition, holiday showcases, and subplots throughout, this time is arguably as exciting as any period in the year. Each game has playoff implications. All kinks should be figured out, and teams should be hitting their stride. However, this is also the stretch when college coaches...
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No Gimmicks, Just Creditability, Results, and Exposure
It’s that time of year again—youth travel basketball season is officially here. Teams and organizations face an overwhelming number of options, tournaments, and opportunities. For event operators, the objective is simple: fill court inventory and host competitive events. Some will give a sales pitch that often begins with “free this” or “free that,” but...
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2026 Oshauna Holland Shows Complete Offensive Package
Player: Oshauna HollandClass: 2026School: Stuart CramerCommitted to Wake Forest 2026 guard Oshauna Holland (Stuart Cramer) has put together an impressive senior season campaign, once again showcasing why she is regarded as one of the top guards in her class. On the season, Holland is averaging 33.4ppg, 8.8rpg, 6.9apg, 7.5spg, and 1.6bpg, clearly leading her team all over the court. And even with...
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Kingsley Donaldson Continues to Produce at a High Level
Finally, we’ve reached the point in the high school season when things begin to shift. Despite all the preseason competition, holiday showcases, and subplots throughout, this time is arguably as exciting as any period in the year. Each game has playoff implications. All kinks should be figured out, and teams should be hitting their stride. However, this is also the stretch when college coaches...
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Don’t Forget About Toot Clay
Finally, we’ve reached the point in the high school season when things begin to shift. Despite all the preseason competition, holiday showcases, and subplots throughout, this time is arguably as exciting as any period in the year. Each game has playoff implications. All kinks should be figured out and teams should be hitting their stride. However, this is also the stretch when college coaches...
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Da’Qavis Greene Taking the Next Step
Finally, we’ve reached the point in the high school season when things begin to shift. Despite all the preseason competition, holiday showcases, and subplots throughout, this time is arguably as exciting as any period in the year. Each game has playoff implications. All kinks should be figured out, and teams should be hitting their stride. However, this is also the stretch when college coaches...
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Farmville Central Basketball: A North Carolina Powerhouse Built on Sustained Success
Year after year, Farmville Central continues to set the standard for excellence in North Carolina high school basketball. Built on consistency, accountability, and a relentless winning culture, the Jaguars have established themselves as one of the most dominant programs in the state, regardless of roster turnover or graduating talent. Under the leadership of head coach Larry Williford, Farmville...
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2028 Kenyon St. Louis Taking his Game to Another Level, Earning New Offers
Player: Kenyon St. Louis Class: 2028 School: Winston-Salem Christian The guard play here in North Carolina for the Class of 2028 has been incredible, as players continue to elevate and develop their game and should be seeing their stock rise quickly. One of those guards has been 2028 Kenyon St. Louis from Winston-Salem Christian, a new name that came to NC this past offseason and has been...
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Lady Phenom Spotlight: 2028 Ava Anderson
Player: Ava AndersonClass: 2028School: Maiden Lady Phenom continues to highlight players around the state of North Carolina, this time heading out west and rolling back to our event at Maiden High School. We had a chance to learn a bit about an intriguing Maiden team at the Phenom 828 Showcase, and one of our favorite players to watch was 2028 Ava Anderson. “2028 Ava Anderson (Maiden)...
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Grace Christian Freshman Trio Showcasing a Lot of Ability
The high school basketball landscape is in a good place right now. Several noteworthy seniors (Jyi Dawkins, Dionte Neal, Cam Newman, Kobe Edwards, etc.) are riding off into the sunset in an incredible fashion. The junior class has seen multiple top kids exit the state, but still has a ton of exciting pieces. The sophomore class has the chance to be one of the top groups of the last decade....
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Three Important Things to Remember Entering the Travel Ball Season
Although we haven’t even reached February yet, there’s no better time to start discussing the dos and don’ts of travel basketball. This is the period when real hysteria starts. The majority of programs are looking to bolster their roster or are scrambling to pick up the pieces. Either way, calls are happening, promises are being made, and situations are getting ironed out as we speak. While...
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2027 Nylan Rush (Leesville Road) Is Turning Heads as His Stock Continues to Climb
Player: Nylan RushClass: 2027Height: 6’3School: Leesville Road Continuing to find gems around the state of North Carolina, we turn our attention towards Leesville Road and a highly intriguing guard who is leading the charge. 2027 6’3 Nylan Rush has been raising a few eyebrows of interest with his play over the last year or so, and he continues to shine this high school season. Our scout, Patrick...
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Constantly Improving: Ambassador Christian Hitting Its Stride
Coming into the season, there’s no doubt that folks had lofty expectations for Ambassador Christian’s potential success—both internally and throughout the state. However, things did not start as the masses expected. Although they faced stiff competition and didn’t have a lot of time to iron out the cohesion, the Lions started the season 1-3. They fought to get to 5-5, but then suffered a...
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Depth, Leadership, and Balance: Ardrey Kell Keeps Rolling
With the season well over halfway, many teams are putting together impressive resumes and creating storylines to watch. One out in the Charlotte area has been Ardrey Kell, a team that had a few question marks coming into the season but is now riding a 12-game win streak and proving to be a top team in the area. The Knights started off the season 2-2 but have now won 12 games in a row, and it...
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Dory Hines: The Journey of a Small Town Hero
Dory Hines: The Journey of a Small-Town Hero Myers Park head boys’ basketball coach Dory Hines has carved out an impressive basketball journey—one rooted in small-town beginnings and built through dedication, consistency, and a deep love for the game. A native of Kinston, North Carolina, Hines was a standout performer at Eastern North Carolina powerhouse Kinston High School. During his time...
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Elevating to Another Level: Queens Grant Shaping Up as Title Favorites
The high school basketball season always has so many different teams, individuals, and subplots worth following, and some topics naturally receive more attention than others. However, it feels like not enough people are talking about Queens Grant and their utter dominance over the last few months. The Stallions sat at 4-3 on November 22….and haven’t lost since. Although they suffered losses to...
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Player Standouts at Carmel MLK Showcase (Part Two)
5’11 ’27 Preston Scott (Queens Grant) Although other players on this roster tend to receive more attention, Scott brings so much value to this group. He’s a natural leader by example, setting the tone with his high IQ, unselfishness, and rugged defense at the point of attack. Scott simply knows how to run a team. He calmly dictates the offense, breaks down defenders to touch the paint at a high...
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Player Standouts at Carmel MLK Showcase (Part One)
6’3 ’26 Jayden Parks (Clover) After watching Parks several times over the years, it’s easy to see how much his game has evolved over the last few months. He’s strong, skilled, and knows how to reliably lead a team as the focal point. Parks showed the ability to carry the offense for extended stretches while regularly operating as the main creator and source of scoring. He’s a willing passer who...
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Sad Sam’s Weekly Furious 5 for Week Ending 1/17
Greetings HS hoops junkies from across the not-very-snowy Piedmont! The Great One is here to once again release his latest rankings. Last week was exam week so there was limited action but there was one unexpected change. #2 North Meck was shocked at home by DSO list member Hough for the Vikings’ first home loss in 3 years. Then #4 Ardrey Kell outlasted former “Hot Seat”...
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Beau Maye, “The Right Place at the Right Time”
There’s an old saying, “Timing is everything,” a reminder that success often hinges not just on ability, but on preparation meeting opportunity. Acting too early—or too late—can change outcomes in life, business, relationships, and in this case, basketball. For Beau Maye, his first year as a head coach could easily be summarized as being “in the right place at the right time.”...
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Carmel MLK Showcase Scores, Stats, and Standouts
FinalEast Mecklenburg 53 – Clover 38EM: Jordan Buzzard 12pts, Nixon Wright 11pts, Zavion Funderburk 12pts, Braylen Cladwell 9ptsClover: Jayden Parks 11pts, Najeh Potts 9pts, Ashtin Feemster 7pts Standouts: 2026 Braylen Caldwell (East Meck): Caldwell is an underrated guard here in North Carolina, but he brings such value every time I watch him on the court. The senior guard provides such an...
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Carmel MLK Game Previews: The Host and The Underdog
This upcoming Saturday, Phenom Hoops will travel to Carmel Christian School in Matthews, North Carolina, for our annual Carmel MLK Showcase. The one-day event will feature four games with plenty of intrigue throughout the slate. As teams enter the second half of their season, each game carries that much more weight. This will be one of the last stretches before the start of conference play, so...
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Carmel MLK Game Previews: 704 Showdown
This upcoming Saturday, Phenom Hoops will travel to Carmel Christian School in Matthews, North Carolina, for our annual Carmel MLK Showcase. The one-day event will feature four games with plenty of intrigue throughout the slate. As teams enter the second half of their season, each game carries that much more weight. This will be one of the last stretches before the start of conference play, so...
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Shining as an X-Factor: Dashaun McKoy
It feels like we’ve reached the most difficult time for high school players to get recruited by the appropriate level. Money has taken over the sport in such a unique way that plenty of coaches are prioritizing unsuccessful college players over better, more productive high school players. While this is aimed towards job security, there are no guarantees in either direction. There are several...
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