The month of July is finally concluding, which should provide these young players with an opportunity to take a well-deserved break from days of nonstop basketball. Given the significance of the actual month, we decided to take a closer look at some of the top standouts from each class. Obviously, we can only speak on what we have seen, so the names listed will be based on their performances at Phenom Hoops’ events. These will be broken down into two parts per class, so only five names will be featured. Let’s start with the Class of 2026…
5’10 Nick Arnold (Carolina Riptide)
Although the Riptide has dealt with some ups and downs throughout the travel season, Arnold has been a consistent shining spot. He’s a brilliant playmaker with incredible IQ, pace, and passing instincts. Arnold is a reliable defender and scorer from all levels, but his main value lies within the fact that he truly makes everyone better when he’s on the floor.
5’11 Cam Newman (Team Charlotte)
Folks should already be familiar with Newman, especially since he’s been a varsity-level player throughout the last calendar year. He’s a smart, crafty, balanced point guard with quickness, vision, and the ability to score in various ways. Newman displays sharp defensive instincts, forces turnovers, and naturally leads by example. He regularly stands out as a leader.
6’4 Markus Kerr (Team United)
Between the production, physical tools, and continued upside, Kerr has as much appeal as anyone. He’s among the more versatile, physically imposing players at this stage, but also shows a useful skillset. Kerr can dominate a game offensively, but also more than carries his weight as a defender, rebounder, and overall creator. He’s already impressive, but it’ll be exciting to follow his journey going forward.
6’6 Isaiah Williams (1 of 1)
It doesn’t feel like enough people give acknowledgement to Williams when discussing this young, talent-laden roster. He’s a long, mobile, athletic forward prospect with a high motor and quality amount of skill. Williams can finish or knock down jumpers on offense, but knows how to make his presence consistently felt as a rebounder and shot-altering presence. He moves well for his size and should only get better over the coming months.
5’10 Mike Jones (Elite One)
The Elite One roster features a variety of enticing prospects, which certainly includes the young Jones and everything he showcased over the weekend. He’s a smart, smooth-shooting guard with a crafty handle and nice change of pace. Jones can run a team, play without the ball, and outwork his assignment on both ends of the floor. He consistently produced while playing up three age groups.