Phenom Hoop Report opened up the 2015-16 basketball season with open gym with Coach Brandon Clifford and the High Point Christian Cougars. Coach Clifford has done an tremendous job at High Point Christian. He has a no nonsense hard nosed approach to the game. His teams are highly disciplined, play excellent team defense, and has always played with passion and purpose. Coach Clifford has had more than his fair share of D1 prospects, but never had the “high major” prospect that allowed his team equal footing with cross town rival Wesleyan Christian Academy and legendary high school coach Freddy Johnson and Greensboro Day School.
That will quickly change this season as High Point Christian has an influx of new players. Joining Coach Clifford’s team is 6’10 ’16 Edrice Adebayo, 6’5 ’17 Jalen Seegars, 6’3 ’17 Michael Hueitt, and 6’0 Boston College commitment Ty Graves. These four will join returning senior 6’5 Ben Robertson, 6’8 senior Amidou Bamba, , 6’2 ’17 Reece Boogan, and 5’10 ’16 Michal Seals. High Point Christian has eight D1 prospects and one future lottery pick on his roster. However, the addition of 6’10 Edrice Adebayo is definitely the difference maker. He is simply a man among boys on the court and few players in the country can match his competitive nature and high level motor. Down the road, just be surprised if Adebayo ends up being the most productive player at the next level in the North Carolina 2016 class.
On paper, High Point Christian has unbelievable depth and talent. They have the inside presence that few teams in the area can match, but has ample number of outside shooters to keep defenses honest from doubling down on Adebayo. Without question, Coach Brandon Clifford has all the pieces to make a serious run a the prestigious NCISAA 3A championship and should be the head’s on favorite to capture this crown jewel. In addition, don’t be surprised if High Point Christian isn’t playing in the Dick’s National High School Championship at the end of the basketball season. Yes, they have that potential. Expect High Point Christian to crack the top 10 national polls when the season opens!
While Coach Clifford has put together an unbelievable amount of talent on the basketball court, these young men are far from being just “jocks” on the basketball court. In all honesty, there may not be another team in the country that has this much quality talent that also excel in the classroom. 6’5 senior Ben Robertson leads the way with a 4.2 GPA while 6’8 senior Amidou Bamba, 6’2 junior Reece Boogan, and 6’0 Ty Graves all sport a perfect 4.0 GPA. 6’3 junior Michael Hueitt comes in with a 3.52 GPA, 5’10 senior Michal Seals 3.2 GPA, while Jalen Seegars and Edrice Adebayo are also over the 3.0 GPA barrier.