East Coast Invitational Standouts
The Phenom Hoops East Coast Invitational was the weekend at the Virginia Beach Sportscenter, and there were plenty of teams from Virginia and North Carolina with tons of talent in the building. Here’s a look at some of the standouts…
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Continue ReadingThe Phenom Hoops East Coast Invitational was the weekend at the Virginia Beach Sportscenter, and there were plenty of teams from Virginia and North Carolina with tons of talent in the building.
Here’s a look at some of the standouts from the NC teams.
Nate Ament | 6’8” F | Team Loaded NC 16U
Ament continues to rise as one of the top prospects in VA in the 2025 class, and this summer he has the chance to blow up as coaches see his unique skillset at his size. The 6’8” hybrid forward has great ball skills on the perimeter as he’s a knock down shooter who can get his shot off with little to no space, he can put it on the deck and get to the paint where he can finish in traffic and he has a good IQ and feel for the game on both ends of the floor.
Ashton Walker | 6’3” PG | Team Loaded NC 16U
Walker is another player who could blow up this summer, as the 6’3” floor general has not only grown physically but continues to be one of the most productive and smartest guards out there. He uses his length and size on the defensive end to get deflections and steals, he makes the right pass and makes it look easy setting others up and he can make shots from multiple levels when he needs to.
Malachi Simpson Malachi Simpson 6'6" | SF Hendersonville | 2025 State NC | 6’6” SG | Team Loaded NC 16U
Simpson is one of the most talented guards you’ll come across in North Carolina, and he should gain a lot of traction with college coaches this summer as he has a lot of intriguing tools about him. At 6’6” he has prototypical size and is a big time leaper who can play well above the rim, he knocks it down consistently off the catch from deep and he can put it on the deck and create space or get to the rim where his size allows him to make tough shots.
Deshawn Spellman | 6’7” WF | Team Loaded NC 15U
Spellman is a very intriguing young prospect who had a good freshman year at Landstown, and he has a lot of tools that translate to the next level already. He looks the part at 6’7” with long arms and is a good athlete who thrives in transition, he can knock down shots from deep consistently and shoots it with confidence and he has the ability to handle it and create shots for himself and others.
Zaevion Cleveland | 6’4” SG | Team Loaded NC 15U
Cleveland is another young prospect at Landstown who has a very bright future as he’s a dynamic and explosive off guard who makes an impact on both ends of the floor. He’s a bouncy finisher when he gets downhill or out in transition, he has a strong frame and moves his feet well to stay in front defensively and he is a good rebounder and does the dirty work as well.
Tyrease Hunter | 6’1” PG | Team Loaded NC 15U
Hunter had yet another strong performance for Loaded NC this weekend, as he continues to show he’s one of the top scoring guards in the VA class of 2026. He’s shifty off the bounce and has blow by speed to get in the lane, he can make shots from deep both off the catch and off the bounce and he can get hot quickly and take over with his scoring ability.