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Big-Time Performances from #CarmelTipOff
2026 AJ Washington (Davidson Day): Washington came up big for his team on Day 1, scoring 26 big points in what was an overtime thriller for Davidson Day vs. TBS. Washington is a big-bodied guard who shows his comfort level from behind the arc. He does a great job in finding the open spots on the court, and he doesn’t lack confidence in rising up and knocking them down from behind the arc. But...
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Carmel Tip Off Game Recaps (Saturday)
Check out all the game recaps and stats from Saturday at the #CarmelTipOff with #PhenomHoops Westminster Catawba vs. Asheville School Day 2 got underway with Westminster Catawba and Asheville School, and both teams brought intriguing prospects to watch out for. Asheville School got things going early on and stayed consistent throughout, as 2025 Miki Gacic had things rolling all throughout while...
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Carmel Tip Off Game Recaps (Friday)
Check out all the recaps and stats from Friday night at the #CarmelTipOff with #PhenomHoops. Davidson Day vs. Burlington School It was a tremendous matchup to start the event, with two teams that have proven before the be title contenders. They also brought two big-time talents to the court in 2025 Isaiah Denis and 2027 King Gibson, as they proved that throughout the game. Gibson started off...
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North Carolina Sophomore Forty Camp Evaluations: Team 11
Team 11 Coach: Jay Anderson/Dree Phillips #53: 5’11 ’27 Daniel Wright (JF Webb) Starting off, we look at a player who showcased his ability to run a team as a leader, Daniel Wright. He’s a smart, high-motor guard prospect with a tight handle and sharp playmaking sense. Wright touches the paint at a high volume, where he’s able to finish or effectively set up others. That being said, he also...
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North Carolina Sophomore Forty Camp Evaluations: Team 10
Team 10 Coach: Curtis Patton #16: 5’9 ’27 Nathan Jones (Grace Christian) Starting off, we look at a player who simply knows how to run a team and lead by example, Nathan Jones. He’s a smart, crafty point guard prospect with a polished scoring arsenal and reliable playmaking sense. Jones shoots the ball at a high level and applies consistent pressure as a downhill threat. He looks to set up...
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North Carolina Sophomore Forty Camp Evaluations: Team 9
Team 9 Coach: Jamal Mitchell #6: 5’8 ’27 JR Adams (Forsyth Country Day) Starting off, we look at a player who understands how to set the tone on both ends of the floor, JR Adams. He’s a smart, tough, scrappy point guard prospect with the ability to dictate the action or find opportunities as an off-ball option. Adams handles the ball with care, sets up others, and scores at an efficient rate....
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North Carolina Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 8
Team 8 Coach: David Robinson #1: 5’10 ’26 Beckett Coon (Wake Christian) Starting off, we look at a player who offers an appealing blend of scoring and playmaking, Beckett Coon. He’s a smart, crafty point guard prospect with a tight handle, reliable creation skills, and polished shot-making ability. Coon utilizes his quick first step to break down opponents and touch the paint at a consistent...
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North Carolina Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 7
Team 7 Coach: Whit Holcomb-Faye #4: 5’10 ’27 CP Perry (Carson) Starting off, we look at a player who showcased a strong combination of shooting and unselfishness, CP Perry. He’s a smart, crafty point guard prospect with a polished skillset and reliable scoring arsenal. Perry is a quality creator who can consistently generate clean looks for himself and others. He scores from all levels and is...
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North Carolina Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 6
Team 6 Coach: Gerroid Doughty #14: 6’1 ’26 Darius Whitner (Garner) Starting off, we look at a player who knows how to consistently set the tone on both ends of the floor, Darius Whitner. He’s a smart, unselfish point guard prospect with a high motor and balanced approach to the game. Whitner is a reliable playmaker who scores effectively from all levels. He takes care of the ball, makes quality...
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North Carolina Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 5
Team 5 Coach: Brandon Baker #7: 5’11 ’26 Drew Johnson (The Burlington School) Starting things off, we look at a player who looks increasingly likely to have a breakout season, Drew Johnson. He’s a crafty, heady point guard prospect who knows how to run a team while maintaining balance between scoring and playmaking. Johnson utilizes his quickness to break down opponents and touch the paint at a...
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Bendel’s Best: Underrated Athletes Middle School Expo Camp
On Saturday, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Valor Prep in Concord, North Carolina for the fifth-annual Middle School Expo Camp hosted by Chris Ewell/Underrated Athletes. This is our third opportunity to attend the event; per usual, several names were worth noting. Multiple immediate varsity contributors seem to emerge from this camp each season, and this edition was no different. Various prospects...
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North Carolina Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 3
Team 3 Coach: Ty Walker #5: 5’10 ’25 Rodmik Allen (New Hanover) Starting off, we look at a player who consistently stood out as one of the top floor generals on display, Rodmik Allen. He’s a smart, heady point guard prospect with a terrific blend of quickness, vision, and scoring instincts. Allen plays with great pace and possesses a tight, crafty handle. He’s able to break down defenders and...
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North Carolina Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 2
Team 2 Coach: Lucas Hunter #3: 5’10 ’26 Ayden Johnson (Caldwell Academy) Starting off, we look at a player who is easily among the best shooters in the state, Ayden Johnson. He’s a smart, quick guard prospect with the ability to cause problems for opponents with or without the ball in his hands. Johnson is a lethal marksman from the perimeter. Although he attacks the basket and converts in the...
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North Carolina Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 1
Team 1 Coach: Jordan Paris #2: 5’9 ’26 Dionte Neal (Reidsville) Starting off, we look at a player who consistently propels winning in all possible settings, Dionte Neal. He’s a smart, unselfish point guard prospect with toughness, quickness, and a polished skillset. Neal is a natural leader by example and someone who visibly understands how to dictate the action as a primary creator. He touches...
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Lady Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 8
Team 8 Coach: Chris Goodman #18: 5’5 ’27 Rubi Davila (Clinton) Starting off, we look at a player who did a lot of things well despite being the smallest camper on this team, Rubi Davila. She’s a scrappy, unselfish guard prospect with a high motor and excellent penetration sense. Davila is able to break down opponents, touch the paint, and finish or set up others. She utilizes her quickness well...
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Lady Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 7
Team 7 Coach: Colby Lewis #16: 5’5 ’27 Leia Rios (Knightdale) Starting things off, we look at a player who consistently stood out through her shooting ability, Leia Rios. She’s a smart, balanced guard prospect with an understanding of how to make an impact with or without the ball in her hands. Next in her development process is working to become a craftier ball-handler, as it would make her a...
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Lady Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 6
Team 6 Coach: Kelvin Mills #12: 5’5 ’27 Faith Yon (Durham School of the Arts) Starting off, we look at a player who did a lot of things well despite being the smallest camper on this team, Faith Yon. She’s a smart, unselfish guard prospect with a polished skillset and scrappy defensive nature. Yon creates well for herself and others, and is comfortable without the ball in her hands. Yon is a...
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Takeaways from South Carolina Top 80
Josh Leonard is Special Anyone who attended the camp knows that Josh Leonard’s pure dominance was the primary takeaway. There’s something so unique about the calm manner in which Leonard is able to lead a team, dictate the action, and legitimately destroy opponents at a moment’s notice. It’s been this way for quite a few years, but his feel and skillset (particularly at his size) are truly...
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Lady Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 5
Team 5 Coach: Chris Ewell #11: 5’4 ’27 Zaniya Reddick (Terry Sanford) Starting off, we look at a player who highlighted a polished skillset and variety of positive intangibles, Zaniya Reddick. She’s a smart, rugged, high-motor guard prospect with an unselfish mentality and the ability to score from all levels. Reddick sets the tone in several ways. She’s a tough defender with the quickness,...
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Lady Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 4
Team 4 Coach: Ethan Reece #9: 5’4 ’26 Stephanie Mobley (North Mecklenburg) Starting things off, we look at a player who simply knows how to set the tone on both ends of the floor, Stephanie Mobley. She’s a smart, quick, heady guard prospect with excellent vision and a lethal penetration sense. Mobley handles the ball with care, creates opportunities for others, and finishes well around the...
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Lady Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 3
Team 3 Coach: Bobby Thompson #1: 5’0 ’28 Alaya Clemons (JH Rose) Starting off, we look at a player who did a lot of things well despite being the smallest camper on display, Alaya Clemons. She’s a tough, scrappy, high-motor guard prospect who consistently competes on both ends of the floor. Clemons is a lethal shooter from beyond the arc and excels in spot-up situations. She’s a willing passer...
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Lady Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 2
Team 2 Coach: Tyler Lewis #3: 5’2 ’27 Naija’alia Blake (North Mecklenburg) Starting off, we look at a player who consistently stood out through her energy and scrappy nature, Naija’alia Blake. She’s a smart, tough guard prospect with nice creation instincts and the ability to score in various ways offensively. Blake is a scrappy defender at the point of attack. Next in her development process is...
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Lady Top 80 Camp Evaluations: Team 1
Team 1 Coach: Jennifer Baker #2: 5’2 ’27 Izabella Hernandez (Jacksonville) Starting off, we look at a player who impacted the game extremely well despite her lack of size, Izabella Hernandez. She’s a smart, tough point guard prospect who can run the offense or play without the ball. Hernandez is a reliable playmaker and finisher who can knock down jumpers along the perimeter. She utilizes her...
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What We Learned from the North Carolina Freshman 40
Point Guards Leading the Way Although several wings, forwards, and big men warrant attention from the masses, this class is clearly headlined by guard play. Having the best of the best compete in notable matchups certainly made for an entertaining slate of competition. Various names could be mentioned, but the MVP award ultimately came down to AJ Morman, Jaleel Smith, and JJ Sati-Grier. All...
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Who is the Top Tandem in North Carolina'
Noteworthy duos have long been a major part of building successful basketball teams. Even after the establishment of a “Big Three,” we still see a lot of teams at every level who excel with two star-like talents surrounded by complementary pieces. While this is obviously more challenging at the high school level, plenty of examples exist—especially in North Carolina. For the purposes of this...
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Open Gym Takeaways from Caldwell Academy
Recently, we attended Caldwell Academy’s open gym to get an updated look at their individual pieces and overall team makeup. Coach Clifford is entering his third year at the helm, and this is clearly the most talented roster throughout his tenure. The core of Jaylen Cross, Cole Cloer, King Kendrick, Neal Swindell, Ayden Johnson, Mac Atkinson, and Trevor Holland give them a legitimate rotation of...
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Why Alex Pissis Should Be a Priority for Division I Coaches
There are so many attributes that define a basketball player. Whether size, shooting, defense, rebounding, or various other traits, there are several things coaches desire and choose to pursue. However, a player’s mentality is arguably as significant as anything. Certain players are simply wired different, and that can usually be seen on the court. Take Alex Pissis, for example. He’s a new name...
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Phenom Exposure Camp Evaluations: Team 14
Team 14 Coach: Dre Simmons #4: 5’0 ’30 Lawrence Rouse (Hickory Ridge) Starting off, we look at a player who consistently made the most of his opportunities on the court, Lawrence Rouse. He’s a young, scrappy guard who plays with a high motor and operates within the flow of the action. Rouse defended with energy, pursued loose balls, and knocked down open jumpers. Next in his development process...
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Phenom Exposure Camp Evaluations: Team 13
Team 13 Coach: Ethan Reece #3: 4’11 ’30 Liam Primus (Franklin Academy) Starting off, we look at a player who made a quality impact despite being one of the smallest campers on display, Liam Primus. He’s a skilled, unselfish guard prospect with quickness and smooth perimeter shooting ability. Primus was able to attack off the dribble and finish around the basket, but was arguably at his best in...
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Phenom Exposure Camp Evaluations: Team 12
Team 12 Coach: Kelvin Mills #2: 4’6 ’31 Landon Norman (Elkin) Starting off, we look at a player who found ways to make an impact despite being the smallest camper in attendance, Landon Norman. He’s a young, scrappy guard prospect with a high IQ and unselfish approach to the game. Norman hit shots, battled defensively, and attacked closeouts as needed. Next in his development process is working...
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