This upcoming weekend, Phenom Hoops will travel out to Ambassador Christian for our second annual Ambassador Classic. The one-day event features six games with a ton of intriguing matchups and individual prospects throughout the field. As we enter the next stretch of the high school season with conference play, each win and loss holds much more weight. These games will ultimately have playoff implications for the public and private school programs. Outside of the JV game, the showcase will highlight teams like Lab U, Phoenix Montessori, Cannon, Northwest Guilford, Mooresville, Ballantyne Ridge, Gaston Day, West Charlotte, East Meck, and the hosting Ambassador Christian. Let’s take a closer look at the matchup between Lab U and Phoenix Montessori to kick off the day…
For Phoenix Montessori, they have a slew of next-level pieces. Jossiah Johnson has obvious appeal as an athletic, versatile two-way wing who can defend multiple positions and operate in several roles offensively. Caiden Jenkins has quietly been their most consistent all-around player this season, showcasing a polished skillset and physical defensive presence. Malik McCotter is a knockdown shooter and pesky defender with the ability to initiate the offense or find success without the ball in his hands. Malachi John is a long, athletic, high-motor big man who excels at making hustle plays and filling in the gaps on both ends. KJ Shouse is another athletic, versatile piece who can impact all facets of the game and make plays with the ball in his hands. Reid Johannes anchors the interior as a long, wiry, mobile big man with solid touch and athleticism. Darrion Ellis provides a nice blend of size, strength, and athleticism. Given all those pieces, this team can cause a ton of problems for opponents.
That being said, Lab U has its own intriguing collection of pieces. Jalyn Connor is an electric scoring guard who continues to put up impressive offensive numbers in every context and setting. Jalen Dancy is able to cause consistent matchup problems with his blend of size, athleticism, and perimeter shooting. He’s also comfortable putting the ball on the floor and making plays off the bounce as needed. Rounding out their main trio, Kevin Crockett is a long, mobile forward with an excellent frame and enticing flashes of inside-out ability. He’s a solid rebounder and athlete who knows how to run the floor in transition. They also receive contributions from guys like Esmond Thomas, Biar Deng, and Boulis Ker. This non-association matchup should be highly entertaining.