Keeping Track: Guys off to Strong Starts This Travel Season

There have been a bevy of events taking place around the State of North Carolina with a lot of teams in the state starting their schedule here as March winds down. As the travel season begins, a lot of guys often find themselves in great situations with new teams early on as they build the foundation for a strong spring and summer. It's also an incredible opportunity to see guys who have really worked on their game in the short time between the high school and travel seasons! Without further delay, let's take a look at some guys who are off to strong starts this spring/summer.    Winborne has reclassified to 2028 and started running with A Wigg Elite UAA 16u this spring/summer. The early returns appear to be strong as Winborne helped propel A Wigg off to a strong start after their appearance at the On The Radar North Carolina Opening this past weekend. Winborne shot the ball with a ton of confidence both off the catch and dribble while showing he can attack the basket as well. He can play either spot in the backcourt with the reclassification giving him more time to develop as a full time PG. Winborne did so many great things as he helped Greenfield to an NCISAA 2A State Championship this past season and should continue to show off his chops with A Wigg Elite on the Under Armor Circuit this spring/summer.     Solheim is a very interesting prospect with great size + the ability to play all over the floor in different spots. Solheim spaces the floor in multiple ways as he can knock down outside shots along with being a real lob threat. He's going to be running with [program_tooltip program_id='2226228' first='Team' last='CP3'] EYBL 16u this spring/summer and should be able to provide them with a really high quality front-court option. He was a standout performer at the On The Radar Carolina Opening this past weekend. Solheim's undeniable production, two way versatility, and remaining untapped upside make him one of the more intriguing prospects in NC's stacked 2028 class and we'll be sure to track him closely moving forward as that rankings update is imminent!     We talked about Oriol after his breakout performance at the Phenom Opening where he helped lead his Apex Spurs team to a 15u Championship and he's done that twice now in three weeks after leading his group to another championship at the Phenom Rise Showcase this past weekend. Oriol is a lethal on ball creator and is capable of getting by basically anybody in front of him. He can make outside shots but his poise as he attacks the rim is really special for this stage. He played a quality complimentary role at Willow Springs last season and is looking like a guard in this class that people need to know about moving forward. The Apex Spurs look like the cream of the crop in regards to indy 15u teams in NC with Oriol being a major reason behind the early success.     Bowen is a very versatile backcourt piece with his blend of size and skill at this age. He did a fantastic job this past weekend for [program_tooltip program_id='2078500' first='Garner' last='Road'] 3SSB 15u as he helped lead them to a championship in their first event of the season at Big Shots Rocky Mount Tip-Off, winning Co-MVP in the process Bowen can be used in multiple positions with his ability to bully smaller guards along with his outside skill. He's got a great feel for the game and is used to being put in big spots as he played a key role on Broughton's varsity team this year. Bowen's skill, poise, and physical gifts are shining bright early for [program_tooltip program_id='2078500' first='Garner' last='Road'] as I expect them to over the course of the entire season under Coach Lanier and Coach Wilson.     Battier is looking to show off his ever-improving game with A Wigg Elite UAA 17u this spring/summer. Battier's ability to make shots at his size along with his improving off the dribble game will bode well for his stock as he ascends into this important and pivotal summer. Battier helped get his team off to a strong start at both the On The Radar Opening and Phenom Rise Showcase this past weekend. Battier's got a very smooth game that will translate well to the eyes of college coaches due to the fact that he always stays within himself. He had a really successful season and introduction to the HoopState at Providence Day this past season and will look to carry that success into the travel ball season. With his skill, measurables, and approach to the game, Battier should line himself up to get considerable division one attention over the next few months.     Pridgen is off to a strong start with [program_tooltip program_id='2078516' first='No' last='Guts No Glory'] UA Rise 16u after winning MVP at the Big Shots Rocky Mount Tip-Off this past weekend coming off of a really impressive sophomore season at Hunt High School. He averaged 17.2 Points per game this weekend as he got downhill to his right hand essentially whenever he wanted. This past season at Hunt he averaged 11.8 Points, 1.9 Rebounds, 2.9 Assists, and 2.9 Steals per game on 49/17/58 splits. Pridgen can definitely get to the basket at will and really turn defense into offense with those active hands. If he can find a way to really refine and improve his jump shooting, it will only make life easier for him as a slasher + provide him with more opportunities to get baskets for his team. Pridgen above all else is a winning player and proved that to start this weekend by helping his team get a championship at Big Shots, as he continues to progress in his overall skillset, he'll only become even better.     Coleman will be a part of the 2027 class moving forward and is off to a really strong start with Fireball Basketball 2027 after a couple of productive weekends at the Phenom Opening and the Phenom Rise Showcase. Coleman is flourishing as a full time PG leading the charge in both the open floor and in the half court as a play maker for others. He's also found his scoring touch in quite a few games where's shown the ability to heat up from beyond the arc off the catch or bounce. Coleman does a great job sliding his feet and using active hands without getting overzealous. He's really comfortable operating in ball screen situations as well where he can get to one of his spots in the mid-range or make the right read to find the open teammate. Coleman should garner some real next level attention this spring and summer if he can maintain/elevate the performances we've seen from him thus far. He's playing with a real confidence right now and you can tell his level of comfort with this group is really high.

There have been a bevy of events taking place around the State of North Carolina with a lot of teams in the state starting their schedule here as March winds down. As the travel season begins, a lot of guys often find themselves in great situations with new teams early on as they build the foundation for a strong spring and summer. It's also an incredible opportunity to see guys who have really worked on their game in the short time between the high school and travel seasons! Without further delay, let's take a look at some guys who are off to strong starts this spring/summer.