The first annual Phenom Hoops Joe Miller Invitational, hosted by our Jamie Shaw and Rick Lewis, is in the books as 16 teams came to support and play in the historic Brogden Hall (Wilmington, NC).
Wilmington, NC – The first annual Phenom Hoops Joe Miller Invitational, hosted by our Jamie Shaw (Left) and Rick Lewis (Right), is in the books as 16 teams came to support and play in the historic Brogden Hall (Wilmington, NC). Here are ten standouts that gave it their absolute all in the four-day event.
Josh Nickelberry (Class of 2019 | Trinity Christian School)
Nickelberry was nothing but sensational this past weekend. In his first game against New Hanover (NC), he recorded 21 points and 4 rebounds. In the second game against Lincoln Charter (NC), he scored 18 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and had 2 assists. The third day is when he exploded against Word of God (NC) for 33 points as he connected on 9 three-pointers. On the championship day, he scored 10 points against the Miller School (VA). There is no doubt that scoring is in Nickelberry's DNA. At 6-foot-5, he takes smart shots and has the ability to consistently knock down shot after shot at a very high level. The natural three-level scorer not only displayed his shooting ability but he showcased his craftiness around the basket as he used his upper body strength and his length to finish. When it comes to his recruitment, he carries offers from Baylor, VCU, Wake Forest, Providence, Virginia Tech, and others. He has interest from UCLA, NC State, Michigan, and Xavier.
Aundre Hyatt (Class of 2019 | Miller School)
It was a busy weekend for the 6-foot-7 sharpshooter. In his first game against Union City (TN), he recorded 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 block. For the second day, he killed it again scoring 21 points, grabbing 9 boards, dishing out 3 assists, and blocking 2 shots against a stacked Oldsmar Christian (FL) team. The third day is when he struggled against the number one team in Virginia (Blue Ridge) as he scored 9 points but he bounced back on the final day as he poured in 20 points against Trinity Christian (NC). The reclassified sophomore is an elite level shooter who can light it up from beyond the arc at any time. The sharpshooter has a quick release with very solid arc on his shot. Hyatt also showed his improved feel and beautiful touch as he dominated around the basket. He was very impressive when it came to crashing the boards as he grabbed rebounds on both ends of the floor. Although, the 3.7GPA student will need to work on his ball handling skills, that will come along as he stated in an interview that he works incredibly hard everyday on that aspect of his game. Hyatt has currently earned offers from St. John's, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, USC, Providence, St. Louis, and others. He has interest from UNC, Syracuse, Stanford, Indiana, and Oklahoma.
Isaiah Mucius (Class of 2018 | St. James School)
Mucius may have been the most intriguing prospect in the event. His combination of length, skillset, and athletic ability were really impressive. In his first game against, a very loaded Hamilton Heights (TN) team, he seemed as if he was trying to get back into the groove of things. The second performance he recorded a double-double as he scored 13 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and blocked 2 shots against Union City. In his third appearance, Mucius scored 21 points as he went against Vanderbilt signee Ejike Obinna and 2019 four-star prospect Qudus Wahab of Virginia Academy. Finally on the last day, Mucius continued to dominate as he and Bryce Golden led the team to take home the win over New Hanover. Mucius, who has tremendous upside, used his incredible length to contest/block shots and showed his ability to hit mid-range shots. Although, the PSA Cardinals forward will need to add upper body strength, he did a great job of overpowering his defender by using overall skillset. The 6-foot-8 forward has offers from Oregon, Wake Forest, Rutgers, Minnesota, Xavier, UMass, and others. He stated that he currently has interest from UVA, Florida State, UConn, Kansas, and Notre Dame.
Elijah Weaver (Class of 2018 | Oldsmar Christian)
As Weaver celebrated his 18th birthday (December 30th) with us, he simply shined offensively. In his first game against Virginia Academy, he scored 19 points for his team while getting 6 assists. In his second game, he recorded 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists verses the Miller School. On the third day, he matched up with Kentucky signee Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as he scored 18 points. Finally on the last day, his birthday, he scored 18 points against Lincoln Charter. At 6-foot-5, the lefty junior has an incredible feel and understanding for the game. His ability to create for himself and his court vision is on another level as he uses his IQ for his passing ability. Weaver also uses his quick first-step to attack the basket and finish through contract using his body control and his upper body strength. Recruiting wise, Weaver has earned scholarships from Clemson, Iowa State, Maryland, Florida, Villanova, Louisville, Miami, UVA, Nebraska, Wake Forest, NC State, and others. He has interest from Kansas, UCLA, Florida State, Duke, and other programs.
Joey Baker (Class of 2019 | Trinity Christian)
There is one word that comes to mind when the name 'Joey Baker' comes up and that word is 'wow'. The first game, he played against New Hanover and recorded 16 points, 5 boards, and 2 assists. The next game he scored 12 points and grabbed 7 rebounds against Lincoln Charter. With the third game, he scored 22 points as he went up against Washington signee Blake Harris and UNC signee Brandon Huffman. On the final day, against the Miller School, Baker contributed with his 14 points. Every time Baker steps onto the floor, he fills the stat book in every category. The three-level scorer uses his size to be block shots and get rebounds around the basket and has the ability to make difficult mid-range shots as well as the long ball. While Baker has offers from NC State, Florida, Texas, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, and other programs, he has interest from Xavier, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Duke.