The big story at the 2017 Phenom 150 Camp, which was held over the weekend at Alliant University in San Diego, CA was the plethora of excellent talent in the Freshman Division and right at the top of the list were guys like 6'1 Frosh Jaden Bradley from Fayetteville, NC, 6'0 Frosh Dasonte Bowen from Boston, MA, 6'5 Frosh Dante Foreman from Belleville MI, 6'1 Frosh Jacob Harris from Crown Point, IN, 5'8 Frosh Nicholas Owens from Bluefield, VA and 5'9 Frosh Kyrell Luc from Hyde Park, MA. Bradley only had two points in the all-star game and there were times when he was almost too smooth for his own good. However, he has the size, versatility, athleticism, and skills necessary to play just about any position and it was blatantly obvious that he is oozing with tremendous natural talent and an incredible amount of potential. He also has good ball handling and passing skills, a great nose for the ball, rebounds extremely well for somebody his size, and is very fluid and agile in the open court and when getting to the rim. And right on Bradley's heels was Bowen, who is another guy that is versatile enough to play just about any position, but did most of his damage in the all-star game attacking the basket en route to 19 points and MVP honors. And, in the process, he was very explosive to the basket, showed the ability to create his own shot, played with a chip on his shoulder, and was a dominant force boards.
No player improved more during the course of the camp than Forman, who is best described as a long and lean athletic shot blocking big man with great hands, excellent timing, and tremendous quickness around the basket. He also showed that he can step out and hit an occasional 3-pointer and he played so well with 15 points and double-digit rebounds in the all-star game that he likely would have taken home game MVP honors if his team hadn't come out on the short end of the stick in a game that went right down to the wire. Harris' game is more power than finesse, but he's another guy with the versatility necessary to play multiple positions and he was a tough match-up when he powered his way to the basket and got after it on the boards. Owens is a crafty point guard with great ball handing and passing skills, a knack for making those around him better, and the ability to both get to the rim and knock down the outside shot. And, if that weren't enough, he also took a backseat to no one in the all-star game, as he finished with 10 points and firmly established himself as the best point guard in camp. Luc has the ball handling and passing skills necessary to run the show, but he also is a very adept at coming off the screen and finding ways to score, as is evident by the fact he had 13 points in the all-star game, and he gets the nod as the #1 2-guard in this age group.
We also were impressed with guys like 5'11 Frosh DeMarco Wiley from Gilbert, AZ, 5'9 Frosh Anthony Ciancio from Southbury, CT, 5'10 Frosh Syris Turks from Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, 5'11 Frosh Marcus Andrews from Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, 5'11 Frosh Brian Rawlings from Brookfield, CT, and 5'7 Frosh Kyle Beedon from North Hollywood, CA, all of whom fall into the 6-12 range in this age group. Wiley has the versatility necessary to play both inside and outside, but he's really more of a combo due to the fact that he can score in a variety of ways and has the ball handling and passing skills necessary to run the point. Ciancio doesn't have a true position right now due to his lack of size, but he does have good skills and it's hard not like the way he competes, defends, rebounds, takes the charge, and does the blue collar work around the basket.. Turks is another guy with a good combination of length and athleticism and he makes living using his speed and quickness to attack the basket, plus he gets more than his share of rebounds. Andrews sets a mean pick and is like a tank with his upper body strength and his aggressiveness both to the basket and on the boards. Rawlings is a long lanky athletic white kid with good ball handling and passing skills for his size and position and the skills necessary to be able to both shoot and slash. Beedon is crafty point guard with a high basketball IQ, and knack for being able runs the show, get his teammates involved, penetrate and dish, and score in a variety of ways..
And, when we dig a little deeper, we also find that this age group had plenty of depth with the likes of 6'3 Frosh Phillip Carr from Glendale, AZ, 5'7 Frosh Cameron Ray from Warrenville Heights, Oh, 5'6 Frosh Isaiah Washington from Converse, TX, 6'4 Frosh Tyler Coleman from Woodbridge, VA, 5'8 Frosh Bryce Johnson from Orlando, FL, 5'7 Frosh Austyn Atanasoff-Perea from Albuquerque, NM, 5'11 Frosh Gaston Elie from Houston, TX, 5'7 Frosh Eric Beedon from North Hollywood, CA, 6'1 Frosh Khari Dunn from Gilbert, AZ, 5'11 Frosh Jaden Phillips from Antioch, CA, 5'3 Frosh Andrew Wokski from Lantana, TX 5'11 Frosh Sean Fullerton from Danbury, CT, and 6'0 Frosh Isaac Acunia from Clovis, NM. Carr is a bouncy athletic post player who is active around the basket, gets more than his share of rebounds, and has a soft touch and the ability to score both inside and from mid-range. Ray has quick hands and a feet and he makes a living picking your pocket and going coast-to-coast in an up tempo setting. Washington is a long lean athletic point guard and we liked his hustle, willingness to get his teammates involved, and ability to both shoot and slash. Coleman has the skills and the talent necessary to be ranked a lot higher, However, he doesn't play hard, is not a tough customer, and doesn't get enough done. On the other hand, Johnson is an overachiever and he combines good ball handling and passing skills and with excellent speed and quickness and thrives in an up temp setting
Atanasoff-Perea has excellent ball handling and passing skills and he did a good job running the show and making those around him better. Elie has the skills necessary to run the show, but he makes a living attacking the basket and, as a result, was more ideally suited for the 2-guard spot in this camp Beedon is totally different from his above mentioned twin brother in that he is a 2-guard all the way and he beats you with his outside shooting and makes you pay with his great hustle and nose for the ball. Dunn has a good combination of size, skills, and athleticism, but his tendency to float and not play hard make him more of a potential guy than a finished product. Phillips is an athletic wing with a soft touch and the ability to stop-and-pop. Wokski has good ball handling and passing skills and does a nice job of getting his teammates involved and running the show. Fullerton makes a living attacking the basket, but he's one of those guys who appears to have never heard the old adage "be quick, but don't hurry." We liked the way Acunia scored inside and competed during the course of the camp, but his lack of quickness and athleticism were obvious in the all-star game.
The best player in Sophomore Division was 6'4 Soph Adam Weingard from Ladera Ranch, CA and, if this sounds like a rerun of the last several years, it should, because he was the #4-ranked player in this age group two years ago at the Jr Phenom Camp and the #1-ranked player in the Freshman Division a year ago at this same camp. He also continues to get better, has added another inch, and has terrific skills and moves both inside and outside. He also should project at some level of the Division I spectrum, but exactly where will be determined by how much more he grows and how much bigger and stronger he gets physically. As a matter of fact, the only question mark right now was his ability to finish around the basket against the best athletics in camp in the all-star game. However, despite missing a number of shots in the paint that he normally would make, he did manage to finish with 12 points and was on track to be the game MVP prior to being called for walking on what would have been the game winning lay-up in the final seconds of the game. Instead, it was 6'0 Soph Brooklyn James from Las Vegas, NV, who scored all 15 of his points in the second half and hit three big 3-pointers down the stretch, that took home all-star game MVP honors. We're talking about somebody ranked no higher than #10 overall in this age group, but does a little bit of everything, including play hard, be a good defender, and rebound surprisingly well for somebody his size..
Another plausible choice for all-star game MVP honors would have been 6'4 Soph Felix Reeves from Las Vegas, NV. Not only did he finish with 12 points, double-digits rebounds, and multiple blocked shot and deflections, but he also can step out an knock down the mid-range and outside shot, brings a competitive edge to the table, and is extremely quick to the basket. And his speed, quickness, and athleticism and tenacity around the basket also helps explain why Weingard was unable to put up ridiculous numbers in the all-star game. Rounding out out list of the top five players in this age group are 5'9 Soph Michael Gibbs from Sterrett, AL, 5'10 Soph Keegan Bennett from Jackson, MS, and 5'8 Soph Cameron Le Van from Aurora, CO. Gibbs is a strong physical athletic 2-guard guard who came up with more than his share of steals and made a living attacking the basket en route to 11 points in the all-star game. Bennett is an athletic white kid with good handling and passing skills, rebounds well for his size, brings a lot of energy to the table, and is versatile enough to play anywhere from the one to the four spot. Le Van has great ball handling and passing skills, knows how to run the show, and, whether it be getting to the basket, pulling up and hitting the mid-range jumper, or knocking down the outside shot, is very adept at finding ways to score.
We also were impressed with the likes of 6'1 Soph Elijah Davidson from Rio Rancho, NM, 5'9 Soph Jaronez Garrett from Williamsburg, VA, 6'4 Soph Sahil Randhowan from Yakima, WA, and 6'1 Soph Periklis Basmakipoulos from Shelton, CT, all of whom are good enough to fall into the 6-10 range in this age group, along with the above mentioned Brooklyn James. Davidson is an athletic 2-guard who scored nine points in the all-star game and makes a living using his quickness and athleticism to go coast-to-coast and finish at the rim. Garrett has the versatility necessary to play the one,the two, and the three spot and he impressed us with his ability to defend and both shoot and slash en route to 10 points in the all-star game. Randhowan was one of the few true big men in this age group and it was difficult not to be enamored with the way he went strong to the basket and garnered more than his share of rebounds. Basmakipoulos is one of those guys who plays with a chip on his shoulder and has a take no prisoners approach and he was not afraid to attack the basket and pull the trigger from deep behind the arc en route to 10 points and a pair of threes in the all-star game. And just missing being ranked among the top 10 players in this age group were 5'9 Soph Shakur "Tupac" Poteat from Orlando, FL, who used his quick hands and feet to create havoc in transition and be one of the better defenders in this age group, and 6'2 Soph Eric Hart from Bellevue, WA, who has the versatility necessary to play both inside and outside and showed that he can knock it down from behind the arc with 10 points and a pair treys in the all-star game.
This age group also had pretty good depth, as is evident by the fact that we think 6'3 Soph Malik Nevarez from La Habra, CA, 6'2 Soph Greg Gomez from Arroya Grande, CA, 5'9 Soph Michael Whitmore from Dunwoody, GA, 6'2 Soph Arden Napier from Houston, TX, 5'7 Soph Dayne Davis from Lee's Summit, MO, 5'9 Soph Tariq Henry from Rogers, MI, 5'11 Soph George Mulder from Escondido, CA, and 5'4 Soph Parker Grant from Rock Hill, SC are also all good enough to deserve special mention.. Nevarez is a physical specimen in the post and he knows how to use his strength and toughness to be a dominant in the paint and on the boards. Gomez has good length and athleticism, is versatile enough to play both inside and outside, and he impressed us with his blue collar work ethic and willingness to get after on the boards during the course of the week and ability to step out knock down the outside shot in the all-star game. Whitmore is a quick-on-quick point guard who comes up with more than his share of steals and deflections and is very adept at dribbling through would-be defenders and making a living off transition. Napier was not named to play in the all-star game, but we liked the fact that he is not adverse to contact, did a nice job finishing and rebounding in the paint, and can step outside and keep you honest with his outside shot. Davis is a pesky little point guard who does a nice job of creating for both himself and his teammates. Harvey is another guy who can both shoot and slash and he gets bonus points for always playing with great hustle and energy. Mulder did absolutely nothing in the all-star game, but his versatility, competitive edge, unselfishness, and willingness to do all of the little things made him one of the unsung heroes in the camp. Grant has excellent speed and quickness, a great nose for the ball, and he makes a living in an up tempo setting.
The High School Division was not nearly as deep as the Freshman Division and Sophomore Division, but it did have some pretty good players at the top with guys like 6'5 Jr Leonard Musahl from Tokyo, Japan, 6'7 Sullivan Hurte from Oroville, CA, 6'5 Aaron Reed from Benton, KY, 6'0 Malcolm Kennedy from Princeton, NJ, 6'1 Jr Isaiah Ayekumi from San Antonio, TX, 6'1 Kaden Swartz from Syracuse, UT, 6'8 Jr Adriel Linares from San Antonio, TX, 5'11 Joshua Forte from Bealeton, VA, 5'7 Jr Fredrick Sparks from Columbus, MS, and 6'2 Jr Brian Elijah-Jude Martinez from Espanola, NM. And one of the highlights of the entire week was watching the battles that were waged in the paint by the likes of Musahl, Hurte, and Reed, all of whom are strong physical specimens around the basket with a take no prisoners approach, and Linares, who is more of a finesse big man with the ability to run the floor, a soft touch on his shot, and surprising agility, coordination, and agility to somebody his size. Musahl was clearly he best of the group and, in addition to having good post moves and being a dominant force on the boards, he also ran the court extremely well, did a good job of communicating with his teammates, set a mean pick, and was an the easy choice for co-MVP honors in the all-star game. He also showed that he can step out and hit an open three, but, at the same time knows what he is, which is the kind of powerful post player that most college recruiters in this day dream about. Exactly what level he ends up getting recruited at will likely be determined by whether he grows another inch or two. However, even if what you see is what you get, this guy could turn out to be a major steal for somebody at the middle of the Division I spectrum
Hurte also is a beast around the basket and, at 6'7 and already being a senior in high school, now might be a good time for a lot of the mid-majors on the West Coast to start paying attention. Not only did he score 15 points in the all-star game, but he too has excellent skills and post moves, won an award for his hustle, and more than held his own in his head-to-head battles against Musahl in both the camp and the all-star game. Reed is not nearly as polished as Musahl and Hurte are at the offensive end, but he is another guy who plays with a tremendous amount of energy, is a force to be reckoned with on the boards, and is a defensive stopper. Kennedy clearly was the best wing player in this age group and, whether it be using his athleticism and moves to the basket or knocking down the outside shot, what he does best is score. And he did so to the tune of 15 points and knocked down three treys in the all-star game. Ayekumi needs to get bigger and stronger physically, but he is capable of playing either forward spot, has a great nose for the ball, and he made a living slashing to the basket en route to 14 points in the all-star game. Swartz is one of the of those guys who might be too unselfish for his own good, as is evident by the fact that he did not score a single point in the all-star game. However, he has an extremely high basketball IQ and the ball handling and passing skills necessary to be play the point, plus he he can knock down the outside shot and is good enough to attract a lot of attention from schools at the Division I level.
Linares was injured and did not get a chance to show his wares in the all-star game. However, if he becomes a tougher customer, gets bigger and stronger physically, and figures out that his bread-and-butter is using his size and athleticism to block shots, rebound, and score in the post, instead of float out on the perimeter, he easily could end up being the best prospect in this age group. Forte doesn't pass the look test, but he sure passes the play test with his excellent ball handling and passing skills, tough hardnosed demeanor, tremendous nose for the ball, and ability to knock down the outside shot. He also is very unselfish and knack for making those around him better and doing the little things that don't always show up in the box score. Sparks more than makes up for his lack of size with his good ball handling and passing skills, excellent speed and quickness, and ability to both get to the basket and knock down the outside shot.. And he did so to the tune of eight points and had a pair of 3-pointers in the all-star game. Martinez is a long range bomber and he knocked down three treys of his own in the all-star game. We also don't want to forget about guys like 5'5 Jr Matthew Tabarez from Calexico, 5'10 Donovan Baach from San Diego, CA, 5'10 Jr Devyn Frye from New Hope, NM, Tabarez is a pure point guard who knows how to run the show, plus he's an excellent defender, has a good mid-range game, and can shoot the three. Baasch has a tendency to be lazy at times, but he has the versatility and skills necessary to play multiple positions, can both shoot and slash, and he finished with eight points and knocked down a pair of threes in the all-star game. Frye is capable of playing either guard spot and he has the speed and quickness necessary to blow right pass would-be defenders and is capable of scoring in a variety of ways.