Coming to a number of Phenom Hoops events throughout the years, there is one team that everyone on our staff continually loves to watch and that is this team.
Coming to a number of Phenom Hoops events throughout the years, there is one team that everyone on our staff continually loves to watch and that is this team. They play a fun brand of basketball with a diverse team of players who do not pass the look test, but once on the floor they excel with the performance test.
They are led by a couple of scrappy lefty handed guards (Zach Baldinelli and Trey Smith) who are each able to pass, handle and shoot and a sturdy 6’10” big man (Cooper Fowler) who can battle on the block or extend the defense beyond the 3-point arch. The fact that all three are left handed should tell you all you need to know about the unorthodox nature of this team.
Let’s start with Trey Smith. Many would probably call him the team’s ring leader. He stands at 5’11” and is a lethal player with the ball in his hands. Only finishing his sophomore year and already a 3-year varsity letter winner, Smith has scored over 1,300 career points averaging 16.7 points per game for his career (25.9 his sophomore year alone). He has also added 3.7 assists and 2.4 steals per game – for his career. Not sure anything more needs to be said other than to take a close look at these staggering numbers and then watch him closely, he performs night in and night out.
The first player you take notice of on the team is burly 6’10” 2019 center Cooper Fowler. Fowler looks as if he would be a mammoth road grating right tackle, until you watch him play basketball. He is more athletic than you think, going for numerous drop step dunks in the half court set. He is a strong 2-handed rebounder in his area, but it is his offensive game that intrigues so much. The tall lefty, is able to shoot consistently from beyond the 3-point arc. He also has good footwork and advanced touch around the basket, especially over his right shoulder. Fowler is one that D1s should go ahead and put eyes on now and start monitoring his progression.
Much like Smith, Baldinelli is a high scoring guard. During one Summer League game we watched in June, Baldinelli exploded for 42 points. That is a massive number, but it is something that the 6’2” has done before, and will do again. He has a great feel for the game and plays with an all out motor that does not run cold.
As we stated before, this is a team that is very fun to watch, as they carry three college level players, each with diversified and unique skill sets.