Day 1 Standouts
2028 Kenyon St. Louis (WS Christian)
Getting our true first viewing of the new and young point guard in North Carolina, St. Louis really impressed with his feel and ability to run the show. Looking like a true floor general, St. Louis displayed tremendous poise, control, and feel in helping run the show. The 2028 guard really was able to flourish with his ability to see the floor and make strong reads on the court, whether it was facilitating or scoring off the bounce. St. Louis showed patience, found his teammates for open shots, and did a great job in making plays off the bounce and scoring with touch over defenders. He is a highly skilled point guard who you feel comfortable in controlling the game and running the show.
2027 Tyler Brown (Ambassador Christian
The 6’8 fluid big man really impressed and stepped up in a big-time matchup. Brown has always shown the mobility and athleticism that you have to like in a big man, but he impressed with his overall activity in the paint and on the glass. On several occasions, he was able to create second-chance opportunities or find ways to get to the free-throw line with his activity. He brings tremendous bounce, finishes strong at the rim, runs the floor well, and shows the ability to alter shots on the defensive end. Brown is going to be a big part of this team’s success, and you can see he has really developed his overall feel.
2028 Bobby Montgomery (Queens Grant)
Talk about a show from the young guard, Montgomery completely turned the game around quickly and opened up a big lead for his team with his shot-making ability. Looking to make his claim as one of the best shooters from deep in the state of North Carolina, he certainly put on a show from the perimeter. Montgomery was hunting for his shot and he certainly was delivering, barely touching the net on many of them as he could not miss. On the night, he finished with 9 3-pointers and led his team in scoring impressively.
2026 Elhadji Diallo (Combine Academy)
It was good to see Diallo back in North Carolina, as he had to step up for a short-handed Combine team on Day 1. The 6’7 prospect was able to bring value in several areas of the floor for his team, whether it was attacking the basket with his strong frame, facing up and knocking down shots, stretching the floor well, and also being a force on the boards as well as altering a few shots defensively. Diallo should continue to be a focal piece for this team throughout the season.
2026 Jordan Buzzard (Carmel Christian)
Buzzard started a bit slow but really started to get going in the second half for his team, as the forward will be a big piece for his team this year. Not only will he bring size for this team down low, but his ability to comfortably put the ball on the deck, score off the bounce, finish at the rim, and bring activity on the offensive glass will be huge overall throughout the season. Buzzard shows a strong overall feel at his position and should be used in a variety of ways for his team.
2026 Neal Swindell (Caldwell Academy)
Swindell is a player that I would keep an eye on this season, as he has a chance to really flourish even more and help lead this team to another big season. He showed that throughout his game on Day 1, not only a physical offensive presence but also played with a ton of energy on the defensive end. Offensively, Swindell flourishes well in using his frame and making strong reads, attacking downhill and getting to the rim, and finishing strong at the rim as well as through contact. But again, he has proven he can be a versatile scorer inside and out, playing with a ton of confidence. On Day 1 though, it was the energy he brought all over the court, making those hustle plays, flashing his athleticism defensively, and just bringing an impact all over.
Day 2 Standouts
2026 Cameron Newman (Gaston Christian)
As expected, Newman came in and flourished as a clear leader for this team. The floor general did a great job not only being an offensive weapon for this team but also making his impact felt in a variety of other ways. Offensively, he is strong with the ball in his hands, attacking and getting around defenders, embracing physicality, and looking to score or get to the line. He finds ways to mix it up attacking or knocking down shots from an array of areas. But what impressed overall was his ability to facilitate and lead his team, help on the glass, and bring an energy on the defensive end as well.
2027 Geren Holmes (TBS)
It is expected that Holmes to have a big and lead this team, and he did what he could do in this game against a talented Gaston Christian team. Holmes not only continues to be a threat with his ability to score from the perimeter but excels in getting to the rim as well to finish. Holmes can mix it up well overall as an offensive weapon, displaying a confident jumper from multiple levels as well as using his body to finish through contact. Throughout the game, Holmes was able to bring a ton of value with his ability to be a scoring factor, rebounding, and also being active defensively. He should be in for a big season in helping lead the way.
2027 Jayon Connor (FCDS)
What a performance from the new addition, as this could be a breakout season for the young man at FCDS. There is a lot to like about this young man’s game, especially with his blend of athleticism, size, and fluidity. Connor made his impact felt all over and was excellent in running the floor, attacking the rim effectively, and finishing through contact. Standing at 6’7, Connor can be a true mismatch on the floor with how well he moves, especially out in transition and making plays off the bounce to get to the basket. They had no answer for him on Day 2.
2028 Mekhi Allen (Queens Grant)
Allen did all he could do to help his team despite a key injury, and he gave you a glimpse of why so many programs are looking his way. With his size, Allen was excellent in his ability to rise up and knock down shots, showing a ton of confidence from behind the arc, his mid-range game, and getting to the rim as well at times. When shots are falling, Allen looks really good and can change the game for his team, as he showed that throughout the game on Day 2.
2027 Romain Boyer (Concord Academy)
Boyer may have had the shooting performance of the weekend, going off for 33 points and leading his team to a big win on Day 2. You can see that he looks really comfortable this season as a leader and has established his role for this team. He shot the ball really well with a lot of confidence, getting to his spots and showcasing a smooth overall release with range. He took what was given to him from the perimeter but also showed tremendous IQ and awareness with his shot-fakes to attack off the bounce. Look for Boyer to start trending upward this season in helping lead his team.
2026 Jeromy Davis (Combine Academy)
He might be the most explosive player at the event, and he certainly introduced himself in a big way to the state of North Carolina. Davis has a lot of tools and factors in his game that you have to like, displaying tremendous bounce and athleticism in finishing at the rim with authority but also mixing it up well. Whether it was at the rim, facing up to knock down shots, or attacking off the bounce for his jumper, he proved to be a tremendous offensive weapon as well as an impact player on the glass.
2026 James Wood (Carmel Christian)
It was looking rough early on in the game, but credit to James Wood for coming off the bench and providing the spark his team needed. Wood came in and really stepped up in a key situation to knock down shots from behind the arc as well as score some key buckets. It was a balanced overall attack from Carmel but I give credit to Wood for providing the early spark and life that Carmel needed early to make this a tight game throughout.
2029 Grant Duggins (Greensboro Day)
Though it was a pretty balanced attack from the Bengals, it was Duggins who really grabbed my attention and stepped up in my eyes for his team. The young forward showed his feel and footwork, operating comfortably around the basket, scoring with touch and feel, making good reads out of the post, and using his size well on the glass. His mobility, feel and skillset as a young big is quite impressive, as he has a chance to be something special in the coming years.