Last Wednesday, Phenom Hoops made it out to Greensboro to watch the Bengals of GDS have Open Gym. They’re two years removed from their last state championship and are coming off a season where they went 24-13 and made an appearance in the NCISAA 3A Quarterfinals. They come into this season with arguably the deepest rotation in the state, thus requiring this article to be split into two parts. Part one will include their upperclassmen, while part two will include the lowerclassmen.
6’6” 2025 Addison Newkirk
Newkirk is the leading returning scorer for the Bengals and will be the heart and soul of this team. His ability to adapt and contribute within a variety of different roles will be absolutely vital to the team’s success this year, as he’s able to play 2-5 and can handle scoring, playmaking, or dirty work assignments with consistency. He’s slowly developed into a mid to high 30s shooter from three, something that should help alleviate the pressure from their deep crop of post talent. Newkirk’s willingness and proficiency in impacting winning should be on full display this season.
6’7” 2025 Ace Flagg
Flagg’s transfer into North Carolina was one of the hottest offseason conversation pieces and he’ll bring an interesting skill set to the Bengals rotation this year. He’s a skilled, inside-out forward who can move well for his size and create mismatch problems all over the court. He’s a smart passer, crafty finisher, and quality shooter. The GDS coaching staff should be able to use him in a wide variety of ways which should hopefully lead to some interesting lineups and matchups this season. Maine and Davidson were in to see him when I was there and it seems as though Flagg will have an array of D1 options come decision time.
6’1” 2025 Jaden Palmore
Palmore will provide a steady, veteran presence at the lead guard spot for the Bengals. He’s a leader who doesn’t need many shots or touches to contribute towards winning. Given how many wings and forwards in their rotation, Palmore’s ability to handle pressure, distribute effectively, and act as a senior leader will be crucial in their team success this season. Lenoir-Rhyne was in to see him when I was there and he subsequently visited the bears the following weekend.
6’4” 2025 Trace Moffitt
Similar to Palmore, Moffitt will provide a steady, experienced hand within his role this season. He’s a great shooter with positional size and athleticism. He guards well enough to prevent mismatches and can really stress defenses out with his ability to shoot off the catch and with a quick release. With all of the athleticism and size that surrounds him, Moffitt’s role as a shooting threat should prove vital to unlocking the highest upside outcomes for this unit.
6’3” 2026 Marty Giant
Giant should prove to be an X-factor of sorts this season, as he’s the most athletic backcourt member in their rotation. He’s dynamic and versatile enough to play the 1-3 on both ends and he’s grown tremendously as a playmaker over the past couple of years. He’s athletic enough to where he should make a serious impact defensively, both on and off the ball. Similar to his senior teammates, his versatility will allow the coaching staff to put him in a wide array of positions and roles, something that should pay dividends for his future development. Giant is one to monitor closely as he projects to be the main option on this team in 2025-26.
6’10” 2026 Julian Adigun
Adigun is one of the more overlooked prospects in North Carolina, mostly due to his injury history. Despite that, he’s carved out a nice reputation for himself as a mobile, relatively athletic, and skilled big man who should have a bevy of suitors knocking down his door next summer. He should provide a much needed rim protection and floor spacing presence from the 5 spot for the Bengals. His 6’10” frame will only continue to fill out and the coaching staff doesn’t believe that he’s done growing yet either. He’s one of the more intriguing prospects in 2026 and will have a lot of eyes on him this winter.
6’8” 2026 Pierce Bowman
Bowman is one of my personal favorites on this roster thanks to his size, mobility, and development track. He should provide great value in his minutes this year as he understands how to play hard, finish through contact, and rebound at a high rate. He’s skilled enough to initiate offense from the perimeter and hit open jumpers. He’s greatly improved since last year and has grown into someone who will be an intriguing diamond in the rough for college coaches to find.