North Carolina’s Class of 2028 boasts no shortage of elite talent, but three names stand above the rest atop the Phenom Hoops rankings: 6’9 Xavier Hall (Mooresville), 6’3 Micah Gunter (Greensboro Day), and 6’4 Kaharri Coleman (West Charlotte). Sorting out the order among this trio proved to be one of the toughest calls in the entire release, and for good reason — each of these prospects brings a legitimate, compelling case for the top spot. All three have shown they belong among the state’s premier talents heading into the season, so we dive into it a bit of why.
2028 6’9 Xavier Hall (Mooresville)
2028 6’3 Micah Gunter (Greensboro Day)
2028 6’4 Kaharri Coleman (West Charlotte)
When you talk about these top three guys, this may have been the hardest decision within the release of the rankings for Phenom Hoops. Why? Because you and so many others could make a very clear case for why this prospect should be ranked on top. In the grand scheme of things, no matter who you choose, you could make valuable points on why they should be on top, and there may not be much of a pushback.
When you look at Hall, it is clear that he is an absolute monster on the court. This is a center that is built with an enormous frame, is strong beyond belief, and simply overpowers opponents down in the paint. Yes, there are areas that he can continue to improve as a big man and at times, that takes longer for bigs to develop than guards. However, Hall is still an absolute force on the court with his ability to bully opponents, carve out space, tear down the rim, and be such an effective rebounder as well as a strong shot-blocker.
When it comes to the two top guards, Gunter and Coleman, they bring such an impressive game, and depending on how you look at the game or how you view them, one could easily make the case as well for them on top. Gunter is a high-IQ, dynamic guard who is a shot-maker as well as a playmaker. His ability to control the game, along with size, creativity, perimeter shot-making, bounce, and ability to run the offense are all impressive; he really can control the game at a high level and seems to play with such pace and feel. Coleman has that wow factor in his game; he is a 6’4 athletic guard that is constantly in attack mode, applying pressure on the defense, attacking out in the open floor, setting up opponents, and also proving to be a strong scoring presence. His quickness out in the open floor is quite impressive, and again, he brings a wow factor that gets fans excited.
All three of these prospects have shown they are high-major talents and deserve to be amongst the best, finding their name on top of the list. And however you view the list or these players, you could easily have a convincing argument. These three have clearly put themselves in a great place with a bright future, and we are eager to see what they can show this upcoming season.