Phenom Hoops College Basketball Coverage
American University building with North Carolina talent
The recruiting world has been heating up in the last few months, as players from the Class of 2025 have been making their announcements around the country. American University has been a hot topic here in North Carolina, as they have targeted and been able to secure multiple commitments from the state. 2025 Chris Eagan, 2025 Madden Collins, and 2025 Kamran Prince have all committed from North...
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Phenom CBB Preview: Charlotte 49ers
Phenom Hoops continues to preview the landscape of college basketball, as the season is coming fast and there is plenty to talk about. We have amped up our coverage for college ball, as talk about teams, players, and programs around the country. Check out our latest preview for the upcoming season and the topics we are focusing on. Charlotte 49ers Last Year’s Record: 19-12Conference...
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Preparing to Take Flight: Will James Headed to Toledo
On Saturday, Will James announced his commitment to Toledo University. This was a proud time for all his supporters and a devastating moment for all the schools who crossed their fingers in hopes of securing the 6-foot-4 guard. It’s been a long, taxing journey for James, but his mentality and approach never wavered. The first three years of his high school career consisted of solid team success...
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Appalachian State looking a bit different but hoping for the same success
College Basketball will be quickly approaching, and Phenom Hoops simply can’t wait as we continue to talk about teams around the country and of interest here locally. The Mountaineers were the talk of the state last year here in North Carolina, as they finished the season 27-7 overall, they went 15-0 at home and made an appearance in the NIT against Wake Forest before falling. This was a...
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The Newest Redbird: Isaac Ericksen Calls it for Illinois State
On Monday, Isaac Ericksen announced his commitment to further his playing career at Illinois State—choosing them over the likes of Mercer, Arkansas State, Furman, Eastern Kentucky, UNC Asheville, and UMass Lowell. The move is significant for a myriad of reasons. On one hand, it removes one of the top available prospects from the recruiting board. However, it also provides the Redbirds with a...
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Breakout Players in the ACC (Sophomores) (Part 3)
Derin Saran with Phenom Hoops 6’4 Derin Saran – Stanford Saran is a very familiar name with Phenom Hoops and one of the few sophomores on the roster, Saran is certainly one that I will have my eyes on. As a freshman at UC Irvine, he played in all 32 games and really flourished with his IQ and feel, his ability to score and facilitate, and he has really good size at 6’4 as a guard. Saran was able...
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Defending the Title: Can Boston Repeat as Champions'
Despite being one of the most successful franchises across all major sports, the Boston Celtics face constant scrutiny. The Jaylen Brown max extension was polarizing to many, Derrick White’s status as an unsung hero received pushback, and the trades to acquire Kristaps Porzingis/Jrue Holiday weren’t necessarily viewed as surefire home runs at the time. Even after winning the title, there have...
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Post-Olympic Thoughts: USA Earns Gold
Despite a major scare against Serbia in the semifinal contest, Team USA escapes France to win gold at the Paris Olympics. Although the United States has won each of their last five trips, this was arguably the team’s biggest challenge in recent history. They rolled through pool play and beat opponents by at least 17 points in that three-game stretch. After thwarting Brazil in the opening round...
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NBA Team Previews: Battered Hawks Seeking a Fresh Start
For the most part, every NBA team tends to have steady ebbs and flows of success. Organizations rarely dominate the league or dwell in disparity for extended periods. Rather than reaching massive heights or being consistently terrible, the Atlanta Hawks have basically wallowed in mediocrity during the Trae Young era. Since drafting their franchise cornerstone in 2018, the Hawks have gone 210-257...
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Breakout Players in the ACC (Sophomores) (Part 2)
College Basketball will be quickly approaching and Phenom Hoops simply can’t wait, as we are already talking college ball on our platform. There are plenty of players that you will want to watch out for this upcoming season, as we dive into some of the sophomores that could be in for a breakout-type season. We first start in the ACC as these sophomores could make a bigger name for themselves in...
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Breakout Players in the ACC (Sophomores) (Part 1)
College Basketball will be quickly approaching and Phenom Hoops simply can’t wait, as we are already talking college ball on our platform. There are plenty of players that you will want to watch out for this upcoming season, as we dive into some of the sophomores that could be in for a breakout-type season. We first start in the ACC as these sophomores could make a bigger name for...
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UNCG continuing to make North Carolina a priority in recruiting
The Spartans are making a lot of noise this week, as they have been hitting the recruiting trail and securing some big commitments. As of late, UNCG has been able to pick up three big recruits, all of which recently played here in North Carolina. 2024 Sean Birmingham2024 Isaiah Washington2024 Clinton Efinda (formerly at Ellsworth Community College) All three should be big pieces in the...
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Positioning, Producing, and Portal-ing: Five Guys Who Transferred Up
It’s pretty clear that things within college basketball have changed over the last few years. Between NIL, the Covid year, and looser restrictions surrounding transfers, it’s become a situation where kids are forced to adapt. “Positioning” refers to guys putting themselves in the right spots to be successful. “Producing” is self-explanatory and “Portal-ing” is the method in which kids are...
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The Tigers Strike Again: Santana Lynch Calls it for Hampden-Sydney
It probably goes without saying, but the recruiting landscape is drastically different than it was pre-Covid. The introduction of NIL coupled with seemingly every player testing the portal has led to somewhat of an unpredictable situation. Not only has it become a more intense job for coaches, but there are more questions surrounding high school prospects than ever before. Regardless, these...
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Analyzing 2024 NBA Draft Prospects: 6’6 Dalton Knecht (Tennessee)
Being 23-years-old is the truly the only thing preventing Knecht from being considered for the top overall pick, especially in such a weak draft class. The concept of an athletic shot-maker with size and the ability to create for himself has obvious appeal. However, Knecht is one of the five oldest players in this draft and already surpasses over 100 current NBA players in age. If he were three...
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