8 Balla Hoop Insider got to cover a great season opening event run by Phenom Hoops Rick Lewis and Jamie Shaw who do a great job every year putting on good high school events. This year Nationally Ranked Carmel Christian hosted the 1st ever Tip Off Classic. The gym was sold out standing room only if you were not there you missed out on some good basketball.

1st Game Nationally Ranked Oak Hill Academy VA vs Moravian Prep NC

Coming into the game I had not seen either team play live, even though Oak Hill came into the game 5-0. Legendary Hall of Fame coach Steve Smith does a great job of going out playing good teams. Moravian Prep was some what a mystery to me. I soon found out these boys could play and at a high level.

Oak Hill came out the gates on fire as their talented back court:

• 6'3 2019 Cole Anthony 18pts
• 6'3 2020 Cam Thomas 30pts

ran the show and got the ball inside to man child 6'11 2019 Kofi Cockburn inside for baskets, and dunks for 6'6 2019 Christian Brown 18pts.

Cam Thomas shot the ball extremely well from all over the floor and got to the cup and made plays when Oak Hill needed him to. Cole Anthony started the game off sluggish but would settle down as he got to the free throw line and made Moravian Prep pay.

Oak Hill Academy Christian Brown is a big time athlete and had a ton of monster dunks that drove the crowd wild. Moravian Prep never backed down or quit. When down big, they stormed back and even took a four point lead over Oak Hill in the final two minutes of the game.

Moravian Prep 6'6 2019 Josh Hall was one of the smoothest scorers I have seen. He will be a steal to a major coach who needs a big time shooter. He finished the game with 19pts. His Point Guard Caleb Burgess would go on to lead the team with 21pts and put on a show, not backing down playing 5 star Cole Anthony.

I was also impressed with 6'10 2020 Javerzia Sbelton of Moravian Prep, a strong bodied kid who rebounds and plays above the rim and not afraid to mix it up. The game would go back and forth and the crowd made the game very exciting. The game would go into overtime were Oak Hill did what they always do: win games.

Game Two Nationally Ranked Carmel Christian vs Concord Cannon

Carmel Christian, fresh off winning a state title last year, started their season off by putting up 98 points the night before.

They would run into a very young but scrappy Cannon squad that in a few years will make some noise. Cannon is led by 6'3 2022 stud Jaden Bradley who played a solid game before fouling out early in the 3rd quarter with 14pts. He displayed great pace and got a few steals and set teammates up.

His fellow freshman teammate 6'6 2022 DJ Nix would go on to finish with a team high of 24pts. He slashed and rebound anything he could get his hands on.

Carmel Christian started the game off sloppy but their big guns found ways to make explosive plays and get the win. Houston Baptist commit Myles Pierre 17pts early on was the catt list scoring the basketball. He and College of Charleston commit Deanglo Epps 23pts put on a show scoring and playing tough nose defense.

App State commit Donovan Gregory 22pts live above the rim with vicious dunks left and right and rebounded the ball well. Carmel Christian would go on to win 82-62.

I fully enjoyed the event and appreciate Phenom Hoops Hospitality and look forward to next weekends event in Greensboro NC.