Phenom Hoops travelled to Granite Falls, North Carolina to watch Moravian Prep’s open gym. Three years ago, Moravian Prep was a relative unknown among the basketball community, however that has quickly changed. Two years ago, Moravian Prep won the inaugural Phenom Hoop State Championship featuring players like Josh Hall, Shakeel Moore and Jamahri Harvey. Now, coach and owner Jeremy Ellis has built Moravian Prep into one of the top teams and programs in the state.
This year’s team features a blend of size, skill and athleticism and will be an extremely difficult and dangerous team to play this season. Coach Ellis has added key pieces to his roster especially in the frontcourt. 6’10 senior Thomas Hut has length, athleticism plus a matching skill set. He is very mobile, fluid and runs the floor with purpose which results in transition points. 6’8 junior Mayar Wol is long, bouncy and simply oozing with upside and potential, while 6’8 Justin Banks will be a key utility player that can help anchor down the defense on the interior.
The backcourt may not be the most athletic, but it will be one of the toughest in terms of pure grit, “know how” and may be the best combination of pure shooters in the state. The heart and soul of the team will be 6’1 freshman Eli Ellis and 6’3 senior Jackson Holt may just be the best 3-point shooter in the state of North Carolina. The backcourt has many interchangeable pieces and expect guys like 6’3 senior Sam Cogan, 6’5 senior Ryan Roberts, 6’5 senior Yohann Sam, 6’0 senior Hamilton Campbell, and 6’6 senior Lane Lauderbaugh all to make significant contributions during the course of the season.
One thing is for certain, Coach Jeremy Ellis will push the tempo at every opportunity and don’t be surprised if Moravian Prep breaks the state’s scoring record (147 points) and the 3-point record for one game (28). In addition, Coach Jeremy Ellis brings a no “non-sense” approach to the game. They practice with purpose, gives maximum effort, and will be one of the more exciting teams to watch this season. Now, let’s take a closer look at the players that made an impression.
6’3 ’25 Eli Ellis
Without question, Ellis is one of the top players in the loaded North Carolina 2025 class, if not the best. It’s really hard to believe he’s only a freshman, especially since he has been playing on the varsity level since he was in the seventh grade. His maturity, skill set is advanced beyond his years. Ellis is a smart, crafty point guard that plays with a ton of confidence. He has the ability to create his own shot off the dribble or create ample scoring opportunities for his teammates. While only a freshman, we were impressed with his maturity and leadership on the court. He leads by example. That being said, his toughness and competitiveness may be his strongest attributes. Ellis has already produced on some of the biggest stages and we honestly believe he will take his game to another level this season.
6’3 ’22 Jackson Holt
Jackson Holt is one of the best pure shooters in the country, hands down! He has a beautiful shooting stroke and stays balanced on all of his shots. He has the ability to really fill it up from the perimeter. At the Mars Hill team camp, Holt lit it up and knocked down 18 3-pointers in one game and don’t be surprised if Holt has numerous double digit 3-point games this season. While being an outstanding perimeter shooter, Holt is a player that gives maximum effort every outing. He’s your “everyday guy” that quietly goes about his business on the court, but more importantly, he leads by example and may be one of the most coachable players you will watch this season.
6’10 ’22 Thomas Tut
Thomas Tut will be one of the most interesting players in the Hoop State this year. He has the ability to impact the game in a lot of ways with his length and overall skill set. Tut has tremendous upside and excels in transition where he “rim runs” extremely well and has the ability to finish with excellent body control and athleticism. The versatile, mobile and athletic forward will help Moravian Prep win a lot of games this season. He will need to continue to add strength and utilize his size and length on the interior.
6’8 ’23 Mayar Wol
Mayar Wol should be on a lot of colleges radar. At his size, he has the ability to impact the game both offensively and defensively. His versatility was on full display at practice on Tuesday. He has the ability to guard multiple positions and uses his length to get deflections and blocks. He is a really good shot blocker both guarding on the ball or coming from help side. Mayar has improved his offensive skill set as well making plays off the bounce and finishing above the rim in both the half court and in transition.
6’0 ’22 Hamilton Campbell
Hamilton has tremendous court vision and plays with a lot of savviness on the court. He does a tremendous job getting into the lane and creating plays for his teammates. He has really improved his outside shot and knocked down multiple outside shots in their practice. He will have to continue to learn that the home run play isn’t always best basketball play but he is a really fun player to watch especially with the basketball in his hands.