The Battle for North Carolina proved to be a cool event in Bermuda Run, N.C. Team United, Garner Road, Team Wall, Team Curry, 1 of 1 Elite and a few others teams here and there were the main ones. The title games play today.
Here is a recap of the event:
Top prospect: How about this one … I could argue that the top prospect in the event is someone that isn’t even ranked. I’m sure that will change when the Rivals.com national folks see him, but it might have to be at an individual camp.
Meet junior Jordan Butler of Greenville (S.C.) Christ Church. He’s always been known as the “younger brother” to Florida State freshman post player John Butler. The latter averaged 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 19.0 minutes per game for the Seminoles. He also made 33 of 84 on three-pointers for 39.3 percent at a listed 7-foot-1, 190 pounds.
Jordan Butler has a similar game with a beautiful three-point shot at 6-10 and 195 pounds. He’s a weight room away and some assertiveness from being an ideal pick and pop guy, who can also rim protect. On the recruitment front, it’s been quiet. Maybe colleges figure he’ll also go to Florida State. Apparently both parents went to South Carolina and the new staff with the Gamecocks will try to keep him.
The reason he doesn’t get as much exposure? He plays with 1 of 1 Elite, which is the traveling team that Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball is sponsoring. That means it’s all decked out in Puma, and they have a cool look to the shoes and uniforms. It also means not being seen as much by college coaches, who don’t go see the independent teams as much.
Butler has offers from Georgia Tech, Missouri and Wake Forest, but surprisingly not Florida State and South Carolina (yet).
Breakout performer: Jayden “Juke” Harris has been percolating for a few months now, but just needed to be seen. The Salisbury (N.C.) High sophomore wing was one of the priorities in attending the event Saturday. He’s built a little bit like NC State freshman Terquavion Smith in that he’s about 6-4 and 175 pounds and he has a skinny lower body.
The book on him going into the event was that he could create his own show. He showed he belonged and could be a back end Rivals150 type in the class of 2024. Like Butler, he just needed to be seen. He plays with Team Wall 16s, which is sponsored by John Wall and they have Nike gear. However, they aren’t in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, so also on the independent circuit. Private schools will be trying to get Harris to transfer, but after this weekend, he’ll be a priority player to watch develop, whether at Salisbury High or not.
Radford has offered Harris.
Coming into his own: Team United 16s has the 1-2 punch of power forward Jarin Stevenson of Pittsboro (N.C.) Seaforth and shooting guard Cam Scott of Lexington (S.C.) High. Starting to get comfortable with his new teammates is sophomore power forward Kany Tchanda of Concord (N.C.) Academy. He knows his role, plays with great energy and is a quick leaper.
Watching Tchanda a month ago, the native of the Congo was figuring out what his niche would be. He came off the bench and wasn’t playing with Stevenson as much. Now the 6-8 duo are starting together and feed off each other.
Tchanda is ranked No. 62 overall in the country by Rivals.com and he’s going to emerge as a key priority recruit for ACC programs in the next year.
Some players who helped themselves: There was some considerable buzz about freshman point guard L.J. Rush of Wendell (N.C.) East Wake High. I caught his 7 p.m. game where he played with the aforementioned 1 of 1 Elite 15s, which is sponsored by Ball and Puma.
Rush is on the small side at about 5-11 or so, but showed some of the same traits that sophomore point guard Jordan Vick of Bailey (N.C.) Southern Nash has in the class of 2024. I would peg Rush as a potential mid-major prospect at the moment, but he has the chance to become a high major one down the road. East Wake hasn’t had a hoops prospect in who knows how long, so this will be a new experience.
The other player who helped himself was Team Wall 16s small forward Ari Fulton of Hope Mills (N.C.) Gray’s Creek. Fulton is an athletic 6-6 potential high level defender who is athletic getting to the rim. His perimeter game is still a work in progress, but he has two years to work on that. He arguably had the dunk of the event.
Coming up in two weeks: The Josh Level Classic looks to be loaded if the players expected to come show up. Players with NC State offers invited to attend include junior Freddie Dilione of Raleigh Word of God and sophomore wing Drake Powell of Pittsboro (N.C.) Northwood.
The action will have something new on May 21 at Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley High. There will be an all-star game at 5 p.m. which will feature class of 2025 and 2026 prospects, followed by a slam dunk contest (hello Fayetteville’s Tremayne Parker), and then the all-star game at 7 p.m.
Here is a recap of the event:
Top prospect: How about this one … I could argue that the top prospect in the event is someone that isn’t even ranked. I’m sure that will change when the Rivals.com national folks see him, but it might have to be at an individual camp.
Meet junior Jordan Butler of Greenville (S.C.) Christ Church. He’s always been known as the “younger brother” to Florida State freshman post player John Butler. The latter averaged 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 19.0 minutes per game for the Seminoles. He also made 33 of 84 on three-pointers for 39.3 percent at a listed 7-foot-1, 190 pounds.
Jordan Butler has a similar game with a beautiful three-point shot at 6-10 and 195 pounds. He’s a weight room away and some assertiveness from being an ideal pick and pop guy, who can also rim protect. On the recruitment front, it’s been quiet. Maybe colleges figure he’ll also go to Florida State. Apparently both parents went to South Carolina and the new staff with the Gamecocks will try to keep him.
The reason he doesn’t get as much exposure? He plays with 1 of 1 Elite, which is the traveling team that Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball is sponsoring. That means it’s all decked out in Puma, and they have a cool look to the shoes and uniforms. It also means not being seen as much by college coaches, who don’t go see the independent teams as much.
Butler has offers from Georgia Tech, Missouri and Wake Forest, but surprisingly not Florida State and South Carolina (yet).
Breakout performer: Jayden “Juke” Harris has been percolating for a few months now, but just needed to be seen. The Salisbury (N.C.) High sophomore wing was one of the priorities in attending the event Saturday. He’s built a little bit like NC State freshman Terquavion Smith in that he’s about 6-4 and 175 pounds and he has a skinny lower body.
The book on him going into the event was that he could create his own show. He showed he belonged and could be a back end Rivals150 type in the class of 2024. Like Butler, he just needed to be seen. He plays with Team Wall 16s, which is sponsored by John Wall and they have Nike gear. However, they aren’t in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, so also on the independent circuit. Private schools will be trying to get Harris to transfer, but after this weekend, he’ll be a priority player to watch develop, whether at Salisbury High or not.
Radford has offered Harris.
Coming into his own: Team United 16s has the 1-2 punch of power forward Jarin Stevenson of Pittsboro (N.C.) Seaforth and shooting guard Cam Scott of Lexington (S.C.) High. Starting to get comfortable with his new teammates is sophomore power forward Kany Tchanda of Concord (N.C.) Academy. He knows his role, plays with great energy and is a quick leaper.
Watching Tchanda a month ago, the native of the Congo was figuring out what his niche would be. He came off the bench and wasn’t playing with Stevenson as much. Now the 6-8 duo are starting together and feed off each other.
Tchanda is ranked No. 62 overall in the country by Rivals.com and he’s going to emerge as a key priority recruit for ACC programs in the next year.
Some players who helped themselves: There was some considerable buzz about freshman point guard L.J. Rush of Wendell (N.C.) East Wake High. I caught his 7 p.m. game where he played with the aforementioned 1 of 1 Elite 15s, which is sponsored by Ball and Puma.
Rush is on the small side at about 5-11 or so, but showed some of the same traits that sophomore point guard Jordan Vick of Bailey (N.C.) Southern Nash has in the class of 2024. I would peg Rush as a potential mid-major prospect at the moment, but he has the chance to become a high major one down the road. East Wake hasn’t had a hoops prospect in who knows how long, so this will be a new experience.
The other player who helped himself was Team Wall 16s small forward Ari Fulton of Hope Mills (N.C.) Gray’s Creek. Fulton is an athletic 6-6 potential high level defender who is athletic getting to the rim. His perimeter game is still a work in progress, but he has two years to work on that. He arguably had the dunk of the event.
Coming up in two weeks: The Josh Level Classic looks to be loaded if the players expected to come show up. Players with NC State offers invited to attend include junior Freddie Dilione of Raleigh Word of God and sophomore wing Drake Powell of Pittsboro (N.C.) Northwood.
The action will have something new on May 21 at Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley High. There will be an all-star game at 5 p.m. which will feature class of 2025 and 2026 prospects, followed by a slam dunk contest (hello Fayetteville’s Tremayne Parker), and then the all-star game at 7 p.m.
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