Phenom Open Gym Tour “Concord First Assembly”
Phenom Hoop Report travelled to Concord, North Carolina to cover open gym at Concord First Assemly. Head coach Frank Cantadore is entering his ninth season at Concord First Assemly and is quietly building a basketball dynasty in the area. Coach Cantadore has led Concord First Assembly to an impressive 185-62 record during his tenure and won the NCIAA 2015 State Championship. In addition, they have been runner-ups twice and made it to the state semi-finals three times, not to mention they have won 22 plus games the last seven years.
Last season, Concord First Assembly lost a hearbreaker in the semi-finals to Village Christian by two points. That being said, they have a lot to look forward too and could be the odds on favorite to win the NCIAA 3A championship this season. They return the nucleus of their line-up and have also added some nice pieces to the team. Now, let’s take a closer look at the impact players.
6’9 2020 Garrett Hien (Furman)
When Garrett Hien entered high school, he was only 6’2. Since then, he grew to 6’7 last year and is now pushing a legit 6’9. Playing the majority of his middle school career as a wing, Hien picked up a lot of perimeter skills such as ball handling, court vision, passing and shooting which explains why he is such a tremendous player at his current height. Hien is so fundamentally sound, has a high basketball IQ and just has an outstanding feel for the game. He has terrific range and touch from the 3-point line and has an exceptional mid-range game as well. To put it simply, Furman got an absolute steal in the talented young hybrid forward and will be a perfect player in their “four out” offense. (Hien averaged 12.3 PPG as a junior)
6’9 2020 Cheick Traore
What an amazing story about an amazing young man. Cheick Traore has been in the United States for three years.Traore grew up on the Ivory Coast of Africa and his journey has not been an easy one. He entered Concord First Assembly as a sophomore and spoke little to no English. Growing up as a soccer player, he was learning the game of basketball and he has continued to get better and better with each passing year. Now, Traore sports four D1 offers from Wintrhop, Presbyterian, UNC-Asheville and Youngstown State. Youngstown State was two deep for open gym and has clearly made his a major priority. Playing the 2018-19 season with a nagging groin injury, look for Traore to be a double double guy in points and rebounds for the upcoming season. (Traore averaged 8.8 PPG in the 2018-19 season)
6’2 2021 Trae Benham
The 6’2 southpaw has the ultimate shooters mentality. Trae Benaham is a confident shooter with range and touch. He has gotten physically stronger over the summer and looks to have a break out season. Last season, Benham was the team’s leading scorer averaging 15.1 PPG and again will be looked upon as the team’s go to perimeter shooter. Shooters transfer and his ability to knock down 3-pointers with consistency and thus picked up his first D1 offer in North Florida. That being said, look for more regional schools to get involved with as he will be one of the state’s top pure shooter.
5’11 2020 Isaac Boothe
To put it mildly, Isaac Booth is the straw that stirs the drink for Concord First Assembly. We’re talking about a cerebral, high IQ and fundamentally sound point guard that sports excellent quickness and savvy. Although, Booth is a “pass first” point guard, he did manage to average 9.5 PPG. In addition, Booth is a coach on the floor and will be looked upon to provide that senior leadership that will enable them to compete for the NCIAA 3A championship. One thing is for certain, when the ball is in his hands, he controls the tempo and limits the amount of mistakes. He’s a low risk, high return player that may just be the team’s most valuable player.
6’4 2020 Ambaka LeGreham
Ambaka Le Greham transferred in from Fayetteville and will bring another option to a roster of returning veterans from a team that lost in the state semi-finals by two. Le Greham will bring size, good athleticism and another viable scoring option from the wing position. Le Greham currently sports offers from Presbyterian, Radford, and Wintrhop.
Best of the Rest
5’9 2020 Lloyd Latta
Latta will serve as the team’s backup point guard and will play a valuable role for Coach Cantadore. Latta has superb quickness and will become the team’s best on ball defender. He can be used in multiple ways and will be more valuable than what most people will think.
6’8 2021 Jakub Cieminski
Just transferred in from Poland and is your typical European “big.” He has nice perimeter skills and a nice shooting touch beyond the 3-point line. He has good size and will be able to provide a nice back up for Garrett Hien
6’5 2021 Tyler Fearne
Tyler Fearne transferred from Hickory Ridge and will bring another shooter to the stable for coach Cantadore. Fearne has excellent length, high basketball IQ and will provide valuable minutes and scoring opportunities.
6’2 2021 Javian Cannady
Javian may be the team’s best overall athlete. He has really good length, quickness and ability to score from all three levels. He is very active on the boards and will provide another defensive stopper.
