Phenom Team Camp: Early Friday Notables

It was a strong weekend of basketball this past weekend at Rise Indoor Sports in Bermuda Run, North Carolina as Phenom Hoops hosted their second team camp of June and there was a ton of talent on display from both North and South Carolina. Team camps give us such a great look at what to expect from these groups once we get to the high school season in the fall. Let's take a closer look at the guys that stood out early on in the action on Friday.    Terry and Southern Durham are looking to defend their NCHSAA State Title and with [player_tooltip player_id='2623267' first='AJ' last='Morman'] sidelined with an injury this past weekend, Terry had his full game on display for his team. KJ's ability to get downhill in isolation situations combined with his size and ability to make shots, proves he's capable of helping a team in a variety of ways. He's able to create an avalanche like impact in transition as it just feels like the cover is about to blow on the opposition as he starts flying around above the rim. Terry is a guy that has a legit chance at seeing a rise within these 2027 rankings at next update as he seems to be hitting his stride at both ends of the floor.     Caldwell is a guy that will certainly find himself amongst the ranked in the next update as he's clearly a guy that is poised to put up big numbers in his senior season. He's a big and strong forward that also possesses some really intriguing skill as a passer that allows him to be used in a variety of ways for this team. Coach Benjamin is in his first year at the helm at West Cabarrus and I have full belief his presence will be of great benefit to Cardwell. He's a well rounded forward prospect that will continue to rise as a potential late bloomer in this 2027 class.     It was great to see Velez with his new team at Grimsely as he's one of the more refined scoring talents in North Carolina regardless of class. Velez's ability to make tough shots at his size along while playing with a consistent element of toughness. This group has a lot of new pieces and it really looks like they fit well together with Velez being more than comfortable sliding in as a feature scorer. He's comfortable operating off the ball where he can really get himself free for open perimeter jumpers as well as being an active cutter where he's a strong finisher at the rim. Velez is a highly ranked guy in this class and did his job backing it up at team camp with Grimsley.     Grear is one of the most complete guards in North Carolina that not enough people talk about and he was simply his best self at Phenom Team Camp this past weekend. In our early Friday afternoon viewing, Grear was in total control for this Pine Lake Prep team as he did a little bit of everything using his skill and physicality to create offense for his team. His ability to post smaller guards was a big factor in his strong performance. He was initiating offense, getting to his spot, and then raising up with jump hooks or kicking out to open shooters off of doubles. Grear has a ton of aspects within his game that are super translatable to the next level and smart college coaches will soon realize that if they haven't already.     Jordan has had a summer of production regardless of the team he's suiting up for. It was great to see him with this Charlotte Catholic team where he is the primary engineer for this offense and is able to showcase his overall game as he operates with a ton of freedom in this lineup. He does a great job at using his body and footwork to create separation in the mid-range where he also has a smooth touch. He's able to draw attention and find open guys with his dribble while keeping control of the offense despite receiving so much attention from the defense. Jordan will be back with Top Shot UAA 16u for July where he's lined up for a really impactful role on a team that's enjoyed a lot of success.     Bishop McGuinness looks like one of the strongest teams in the NCHSAA regardless of classification and [player_tooltip player_id='1808863' first='JJ' last='Short'] is a huge reason behind that. He truly sets the pace for this group with his ability to run the show, create offense for himself or others, and keep everything in line at both ends of the floor. Short possesses the quickness and skill to get separation to make shots with consistency and is really comfortable operating in ball screen situations. He continues to prove himself as a bonafide next level prospect that is still consistently getting better every time we see him.     Garang is a really versatile talent in the 2028 class that will surely make a significant splash in the rankings at next update. His blend of length, athleticism, skill, and motor paint the picture on not only what Garang is right now but the kind of player he can eventually develop into. He runs the floor incredibly well as he's super aggressive getting to the basket in transition. Garang also has some solid outside touch that allow him to play a 3 & D role when needed. As he continues to develop and see a more solidified role, his development will continue onward and upward. It will be really fun to see where he stacks up amongst this stacked 2028 group here in North Carolina when it's all said and done.

It was a strong weekend of basketball this past weekend at Rise Indoor Sports in Bermuda Run, North Carolina as Phenom Hoops hosted their second team camp of June and there was a ton of talent on display from both North and South Carolina. Team camps give us such a great look at what to expect from these groups once we get to the high school season in the fall. Let's take a closer look at the guys that stood out early on in the action on Friday.