What to Watch at Phenom Team Camp Session II
This upcoming weekend, Phenom Hoops will travel to Bermuda Run, North Carolina, to host our annual June Team Camp (Session II). The event always features a slew of the most talented teams and individuals within the Carolinas, and this year’s will be no different. Leading up to the event, we will take a closer look at players and subplots to monitor. Queens Grant had remarkable success in Coach Badgett’s first year at the helm, and they should be early title favorites this season. Let’s take a closer look….
After losing three of their first five games to begin the year, things rapidly turned around for the Stallions. They’d go on to win 25 of their next 30, including a stretch of 14 straight, before falling narrowly short in the title contest. Fast-forward to now, and the optimism should be higher than ever. Despite graduating a few veteran pieces in Ian Howard, Geronimo Clark, and Wesley White, their structure largely remains the same. Even if they don’t add any new pieces, the likes of Chase Smith, Bobby Montgomery, Mekhi Allen, Preston Scott, and Cannon DeBerry form a very strong core.
Smith returns as a highly productive, refined post player whose blend of offensive skill, rebounding instincts, and defensive prowess make him one of the top players in his class. Although each of the young prospects seemed to improve throughout the season, this was more evident for Smith than anyone else. Montgomery provides a reliable presence from the point guard position. He’s smart, crafty, and unselfish with great balance between scoring and playmaking. Allen might have as much potential as anyone on the roster. He’s a skilled, athletic shot-making wing with a terrific frame and ability on both ends of the floor. Scott is a personal favorite as an incredibly low-maintenance guard who plays with nonstop energy, suffocates opponents on defense, and touches the paint with ease. Lastly, DeBerry is a blossoming, high-upside big man who excels at altering shots and securing rebounds. Between their talented roster construction and Coach Badgett’s history of winning, this program is in an amazing place.