EVENT NEWS
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2025 6’10 Nate Ament continuing to prove to have the pedigree of a future pro
The Phenom PG Nationals has come and gone, but we are just starting our coverage of the event and the talent we saw on display throughout. Though there were plenty of players of interest that you will be seeing at the next level, 2025 6’10 Nate Ament came in on top of the list of must-see prospects. Regarded by nearly everyone as a Top-5 prospect in the country, and a highly sought-after...
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: Joel Deigna
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned prospects in the senior class. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels (with several others exploring the JUCO path). That number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class....
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Prospects Due for a Big Summer Season
Each spring, we see a slew of prospects who enter the travel ball season with a disconnect between their ability and offer sheet. Some cases are purely due to a player not being seen by the appropriate level of coaches while others are sheer oversights. Regardless, this exercise allows us to see where we identify deserving players prior to the summer and how things unfold for each individual...
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College-Worthy Prospects: Phenom PG Nationals (Part 1)
2025 6’7 Jemeh Jones (DME Academy) This was the first time I watched Jones in action and though schools are showing interest, I do believe that he proved he is a for-sure next-level type prospect. D1/D2 schools should be taking a look his way, as he is one that brings intrigue with his 6’7 frame, his overall feel and vision, his ability to score in many ways, and his overall presence on the...
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Instant Offense: Players that put on an offensive show at #PhenomPGNationals
2025 Brycen Redmon – Moravian Prep Regional We knew about Redmon coming into the event and what he could provide; we watched him go for 37 points earlier in the season on the Phenom Hoops platform. So, we were interested in seeing what he could show on the big stage again, and we weren’t disappointed. Redmon ended the event averaging 37.3 points per game and showing that he is a college-worthy...
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Is Dionte Neal the Most Accomplished Player in North Carolina?
The term “loss aversion” defines the infamous quote “losing feels worse than winning feels good.” We have become so accustomed to the lengthy, seemingly never-ending basketball season and can forget to properly bask in the moments of greatness. The current times have created shorter memories because there is always another “meaningful” game on the horizon. While it would be unfair to say Dionte...
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Lab U Regional makes a statement on its way to a title in Varsity Prep Division at Phenom PG Nationals
The Phenom PG Nationals brought some of the best teams from around the region to come compete for a championship, as the Varsity Prep Division had elite talent all over the place. Lab U Regional came in ready to rock and roll, and they did as they put on an offensive show in each game and really made a statement, cruising their way to a championship weekend. vs. Combine Varsity: won 78-48vs....
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Calusa Basketball secures another title in Bronze Division at Phenom PG Nationals
The Phenom PG Nationals brought some of the best teams from around the region to come compete for a championship, as the Bronze Division had elite talent all over the place. Calusa Basketball Academy though clearly made it a mission to walk away with another title and they did just that at the Phenom PG Nationals. vs. Combine Regional: won 93-80vs. New Rock Prep: won 76-64vs. Thomas Ridge...
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The Academy Prep battles through and comes away with a title in Silver Division at Phenom PG Nationals
The Phenom PG Nationals brought some of the best teams from around the region to compete for a championship, as the Silver Division had elite talent all over the place. In the end, we had a tremendous battle between two teams that left it all out there, with The Academy Prep coming away with a 69-68 victory against Moc Valley. Let’s dive into their run. vs. Moravian Prep Regional: Won 84-74vs....
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Combine Academy finishes the season with a Phenom PG Nationals Gold Championship
The Phenom PG Nationals brought some of the best teams from around the region to come compete for a championship, as the Gold Division had elite talent all over the place. But in the end, fans got a great championship game between Highland School and Combine Academy, with the Goats taking home the championship. vs. Huntington Expression Prep: Won 107-91vs. Our Saviour Lutheran: Won 83-69vs....
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Player Standouts at Phenom Virginia Tip Off (Part Three)
5’5 ’29 Alex Worsham (Virginia Havoc) Some young players simply see the game ahead of their peers, and Worsham certainly fits the bill. He’s still just scratching the surface of his physical development, but already sports a very high IQ with an advanced blend of pace, poise, and instincts on both ends of the floor. Worsham is a crafty ball-handler and sharp passer who can apply scoring pressure...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Virginia Tip-Off (Part Two)
6’6 ’28 Baganley Donzo (Carolina Culture) There are a lot of quality athletes in the building, and Donzo is arguably the most physically imposing player on display. He’s an incredibly strong, explosive big man with the ability to reliably anchor the paint on both ends of the floor. Donzo is a tremendous rebounder who clears out space extremely well and secures seemingly every available loose...
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Player Standouts at Phenom Virginia Tip-Off
6’0 ’30 Zyire Howard (Juice Crew) Although several guys were difference-makers in this contest, Howard was undoubtedly the focal point and two-way leader of this group. He did legitimately everything. Howard controlled the glass, defended multiple positions, and operated as the primary hub offensively. In addition to being physically overwhelming, he understands how to consistently outwork...
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Sad Sam’s Regional Recap and State Title Picks
Greetings HS hoops junkies from across the spring-is-springing Piedmont! The Fabulous One is here to recap his Regional Finals picks and give you who will be getting sized for rings and who will dream of what could’ve been. The Great One posted a 7-1 mark in the Regional Finals, or 87.5% bringing his overall states record to 204-43, or right at 83%. His only loss was...
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NCHSAA 2A Girls Championship Preview
Southeast Alamance vs. North Wilkes SE Alamance continues its run, taking down Seaforth 48-45 while North Wilkes took down East Burke 60-36 North Wilkes continues its run this season, as they had a strong battle early on against East Burke but they were able to lock in defensively in the second quarter to ultimately help put that game away. Sitting at 30-1 on the season and winning 23 games...
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Players to Watch at Phenom PG Nationals
We are super excited about this upcoming weekend, as the talent will be running deep in Rock Hill SC for another year of Phenom PG Nationals. We just have a few players that we will have our eyes on this week, but we will also be learning several other names. Here is a quick list of players to keep an eye on. 2025 Jordan Rusell – Andrews Osborne Academy2026 Loic Kalau – Andrews Osborne...
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: Miles Leaks
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned prospects in the senior class. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels (with several others exploring the JUCO path). That number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class....
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2025 Kate Sears wins NC Gatorade Player of the Year
What Has Been Said by Lady Phenom: “Watching her on the court, one can’t simply be mesmerized by her impact and play on the court as it is easy to see why she is regarded as a Top 100 talent in the Class of 2025. Sears has one of the most complete games in the state, showing that she can impact the game in so many ways and does it all. Her ability to score whether it is creating and...
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Did Jaleel Smith Get Snubbed?
Yesterday, the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association announced their annual All-District Teams. The 36 total teams across 12 districts, meaning 180 players were recognized for their notable production and efforts throughout the high school season. Naturally, it’s almost an impossible task to try and get everything “correct” in a process with so many different variables. If the NCBCA were...
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NCHSAA 4A Girls Championship Preview
Wakefield vs. Lake Norman Wakefield won a defensive battle vs. Hoggard 31-23, while Lake Norman was able to take down Hoggard Two very good teams will be meeting up for the championship in the 4A Division, as Lake Norman continues to show why they are regarded as one of the top teams in the state and Wakefield continues its strong season in hopes of a title. Starting with Lake Norman, this is a...
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The Dog Pound: Carolina Bulldogs Rapidly Becoming a Top Program
Despite being the first year of operation, there’s an abundance of highly talented teams across all age groups in our Phenom Hoops League. College coaches will likely prioritize 17U prospects while taking some glances at the 16U and 15U divisions throughout the summer. That being said, the Carolina Bulldogs 15U (2028) is already shaping up as one of the top teams in North Carolina. In addition...
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NCHSAA 1A Girls Championship Preview
East Bladen vs. Cherokee East Bladen advances after taking down Perquimans 77-63, while Cherokee knocked off Bishop McGuinness 65-61 Two very hot teams come into this one, as East Bladen has won 14 in a row and Cherokee is riding a 16-win ride towards the end of the season. Both have racked up the wins all season long and has proven to be two strong teams, but only one will be able to walk away...
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: Devin Sims
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned prospects in the senior class. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels (with several others exploring the JUCO path). That number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class....
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NCHSAA 3A Girls Championship Preview
Western Alamance vs. Stuart W. Cramer Western Alamance took down Terry Sanford 64-48, while Stuart W. Cramer knocked off North Lincoln 62-38 Two of the top teams will meet up for the 3A championship as Western Alamance and Stuart W. Cramer will take the court for all the marbles. Stuart W. Cramer has been impressive all year long and they showed that once again vs. North Lincoln as 2025 Hadley...
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Who Will Emerge Victorious: Corvian Community and Southern Wake Academy
On Tuesday, the NCHSAA 2A Classification played their semifinal games to determine who will ultimately make the championship contest. Corvian Community and Southern Wake Academy each advanced and will now battle for it all in the title game. Although they’ve been here before, Corvian’s utter dominance against Queen’s Grant was largely unforeseen and unexpected. Predicting the Cardinals to win...
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Unsigned Senior Spotlight: Gabe Erbeck
At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned prospects in the senior class. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels (with several others exploring the JUCO path). That number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class....
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Sad Sam’s Weekly Furious 5 for Week Ending 3/8
Greetings HS hoops junkies from across the playoff watching Piedmont! The Great One is here to release his latest F5 rankings. States are winding down to the Ring Round later this week and as usual the West Regional Finals is doubling as the Furious 5 Championship game. Several games last week featured F5 members playing knockout with each other as Chambers took out both Myers...
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High-Upside Names to Know from Phenom March Showcase
6’6 ’29 JT Tuck (Team CP3) It doesn’t take more than a quick glance to see the obvious appeal of someone like Tuck. He’s already incredibly long and fluid with tons of upside on both ends of the floor. Right now, Tuck primarily impacts the game through finishing around the basket, battling for rebounds, and blocking shots defensively. He displays quality two-way instincts and will be even more...
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Returning to Full Health: Donyeh Baird
This past weekend, Phenom Hoops hosted our annual March Showcase at Rise Indoor Sports in Bermuda Run, North Carolina. Although we’re still in the early stages of the travel ball season, there were still several noteworthy takeaways from the event. Teams like NLPB, Carolina Bulldogs, and Team FLY were among the several standout groups on display. The NLPB squad has an intriguing mix of unsigned...
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Sad Sam’s Regional Semi-Recap and Regional Picks
Greetings HS hoops junkies from across the springlike Piedmont! The Sadster is here to recap the Regional Semis and let you know who will be playing in the Ring Round. The Great One posted, what for him, was a lackluster 12-4 record, bringing the is overall mark to 197-42 or +/- 83%. He went 3-1 in every category, with 2-0 sweeps in the 4A and 2A West, and in the 3A and 1A East brackets. He...
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