This past weekend, Phenom Hoops concluded the travel ball season in Rock Hill, South Carolina with our annual Summer Finale. These events always end up being more interesting than anticipated, as circuit teams have already shut down and kids are playing with other organizations. This usually results in high-level players teaming up and putting on a show. That being said, they also serve as the time to discover new, often younger prospects—like Heavenly Craig. She came with her Alexander Cougars squad, put forth a noteworthy showing, and will definitely be a name to monitor. Let’s take a closer look…
Despite only being a rising sixth-grader (!!!), Craig showcased flashes of pure dominance throughout the weekend. It’s worth noting that her team played in the middle school division, meaning each opponent she faced primarily consisted of girls one or two years older. Regardless, it didn’t stop Craig from arguably being the best player on the floor in each contest. She’s young but already towers over most of her competition. While this might seem like an unfair advantage, Craig was doing far more than just being tall and reaching over opponents. She actually highlighted an impressive amount of skill, both for her age and size, and set the tone on both ends of the floor. Craig legitimately controlled the glass, protected the paint, and displayed a fairly well-rounded offensive skillset. She finished around the basket, hit jumpers, attacked off the bounce, and made intelligent passes. Craig is already a great athlete with natural feel on both ends of the floor, so it’ll be interesting to see her continued development.
Given everything she showed, there’s a lot to be excited about. Coach Presnell spoke very highly of her and their overall team, stating that this group could be special in the coming years. Only time will tell, but Craig’s foundation is certainly worthy of attention.