This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled to the Raleigh Convention Center to host our annual G3 Live Showcase. The event featured over 280 teams across several age groups. College coaches of all levels were able to attend and extend scholarships to worthy prospects. Among those teams was Harvest Development Academy, which continues to visibly improve throughout the travel ball season. The squad consists of several players from Grace Christian and the surrounding Raleigh area. Let’s look at some of their top pieces…
A lot of their success starts with unsigned seniors Malachi Tate and Isaiah Knight. Tate is a scrappy guard who can initiate the offense or score the ball in a variety of ways. He provides toughness and a useful ball-handling presence. Tate is a solid defender with nice energy at the point of attack. Meanwhile, Knight is an extremely long, physically overwhelming athlete with broad shoulders and a rugged two-way nature. He’s capable of attacking off the bounce or knocking down jumpers as needed, but is at his best when outworking opponents and imposing his will around the basket. Knight plays above the rim, rebounds at a high volume, and defends multiple positions very well for his size. Both players captured the attention of college coaches throughout the weekend.
Guard play is always important for a successful team. Guys like Colinn Morris, Braylen McRae, and Chris Phillips each bring a different dynamic to this group. Morris is a young, true point guard who offers a steady, unselfish presence on both ends of the floor. He’s a capable scoring option, but primarily looks to get others involved. Morris displays quality energy on defense. McRae provides a nice change of pace as a balanced guard who can create for himself or others. He’s a scrappy defender with the ability to force turnovers, set up others, and score within the flow of the offense. Meanwhile, Phillips continues to highlight progression while already impacting the game as a natural glue-guy. He’s still young but can assume ball-handling duties, score as needed, and reliably fill in the gaps on both ends of the floor.
Arguably the most enticing long-term prospect on the roster, we wrote extensively about Gideon Anum yesterday, stating, “Although a lot of the attention was focused on rising seniors, it’s impossible to ignore what Gideon Anum showcased. Despite being the youngest player listed and playing up three age groups, there’s already a lot to like. Anum possesses obvious physical appeal. He already sports an excellent frame with long arms, muscular definition, and explosive pop. Anum highlighted the ability to hit shots off the catch, attack closeouts, and finish through contact or above the rim. He has developing ball skills but already appears comfortable operating within a few dribbles and making decisions off the bounce. Anum is a physical defender who consistently plays hard and outworks opponents for extra possessions. He also rebounds well for his position. Anum already highlights flashes of greatness and naturally finds ways to impact the game, but is truly just beginning to scratch the surface of his abilities. It’ll be exciting to watch him harness his potential over these next few years. Anum has the tools to be a high-level talent.”