The travel season is finally upon us and competition has begun to heat up; the who's who of shoe-circuit teams are beginning to separate themselves from the pack while many of the top non-shoe-circuit programs have been at our events and playing in front of dozens of college coaches. Team Winston, Team Trezz, Juice All-Stars, New Light Disciples, the Greensboro Warriors, and numerous others have become must-see entertainment this summer. Over the next week, we will take a deeper dive into the cornerstones of each program and look at what makes these teams worth the watch.

Today, we'll dive into the NC Go Hard program and take a closer look at some of their most talented prospects. The team is led by head coach and program director, Stefon McQueen, a passionate disciplinarian that places major emphasis on playing a smart, tough, and unselfish brand of basketball. Prior to this summer, NC Go Hard was merged with NC Empire and featured an intriguing collection of talent from the Raleigh area. Since then, they've still managed to piece together one of the more exciting rosters from the region and have competed extremely well thus far. This group is still getting comfortable, but there's clearly something for every type of college coach within this team.

At Phenom Challenge Live, we saw NC Go Hard compete with some of the top teams in North Carolina and every time they needed a leader, 6'3 '20 AK Tate was there to step up. He's an extremely long, smooth wing prospect with the ability to effortlessly create for himself or others while affecting a ton of the action. Tate seemed to be all over the floor throughout the weekend, rebounding, forcing turnovers, making plays in transition, and constantly leading the team in scoring with his efficient three-level prowess. He was a smart, unselfish leader that should have scholarship-holding coaches quite interested.

Alongside Tate in the backcourt, 6'3 '20 Luc Richard Rameau is definitely a prospect worth taking a closer look at. He's a strong-bodied guard that immediately looks like a prototypical linebacker for football. Upon closer examination, one will realize that he is a tough two-way player with defensive prowess, shot-making ability, and a long list of intangibles. Rameau is a smart, lead-by-example type of player that approaches the game with terrific poise and unselfishness. He scores the ball effectively from all levels and can operate as the primary ball-handler in a pinch. Rameau is another guy that college coaches should be monitoring closely.

As talented as the aforementioned duo is, 6'1 '19 Colin Davis might be the most well-known prospect of the group, given his incredibly productive senior campaign with Millbrook High School. He's widely-considered a jack-of-all-trades given the amount of things he can do on the basketball court. Davis is a useful ball-handler, passer, scorer, and defender with virtually no real holes within his skillset on either end of the floor. He's an excellent teammate with a quality feel for the game and the ability to toggle between numerous different roles. Davis could be a great addition for the right program, especially during the late signing period.

Additionally, 6’4 ’20 Max Robertson caught some eyes at Phenom Challenge Live with his combination of physical tools, solid productivity, and intriguing blend of skills on offense. Robertson has terrific length and quality athleticism, but also understands how to play the right way and make his presence felt within the flow of the game. He’s going to be one to watch as the summer progresses, especially considering his performance throughout our last event.

Those guys have been the main leaders, but this program will still be heading in the right direction long after they've departed, thanks in large part to 5'4 '21 Kaiwuan Fletcher and 6'3 '21 Zee Lee. The two youngest guys on the team are already starting and competing at a high level. Fletcher is a quick, slightly undersized guard prospect with a useful array of offensive skills and the ability to make scrappy contributions defensively. Meanwhile, Lee is long and fairly athletic, which allows him to impact the game quite regularly as a rebounder and off-ball cutter. Both of these guys have clear upside and will be worth tracking over the next calendar year, especially if they continue trending upward.

In conclusion, NC Go Hard has a quality amount of talent and the necessary coaching to properly highlight their abilities on both ends of the floor. Expect to hear from this squad again, as they are only going to get better as time passes.