By; DeAjai Dawkins
6’2 2022 Sam Cogan (Team Together)
Sam Cogan boasts such an important presence for this Team Together squad, creating offense by scoring both points for himself and creating for his teammates. Cogan is standing about 6’2 and handles his role as a combo guard impressively from both positions. He’s exceptionally strong driving to his left, which is his preference when both attacking the basket and getting to his spot for a mid-range shot. Cogan shows the ability to score cross key, and can still get to his left side when being pressured from the right. When attacking, he finishes at the rim through contact beautifully. His jump shooting shows elite promise as well, knocking down open shots at an efficient clip
6’3 2021 Terquavion Smith (Raising Young Men/Farmville Central)
NC State commit 2021 Terquavion Smith is one player I’ve been interested in watching for some time now. His scoring talents are undeniable, as I watched him score a literal effortless 26 points on minimal shot attempts. Terquavion is one of the most threatening perimeter offensive talents in the state, and I would love to see the list of guys who can outperform him at his best. He has deep high school range on his three-ball and has the characteristics of a true three-level scorer. Along with an attractive shot form when catching and shooting, Smith is also capable of hitting mid-range pull-ups without batting an eye. He’s never taken on the role of a primary playmaker, and for this reason, many may assume that it’s outside of his capabilities; I’m here to assure you he can pass the basketball. I’m very curious to see how his final high school season and college career pans out, as
5’7 2021 Ethan Parker (Concity Family/Concord High School)
Ethan Parker is the epitome of heart and soul on the basketball court and has been that for every team he has played on. Coming into his senior year, Ethan is often unfairly disregarded due to his stature, standing around 5’7 inches. His height stands absolutely no chance against his consistent production, as Parker is a conductor that this team rallies behinds. He can penetrate the lane using minimal dribbles and does not rely on breaking down his defender to get to his spots. He facilitates beautifully, fitting passes in tight spaces and identifying the right players to make plays to. My favorite part about Ethan’s game though, his shooting. This is one player that should not be left open, as he’s clearly dedicated time to developing an unwavering shot release that is a threat to result in some points at all times. Ethan will get an opportunity to lead a group of guys with a lot to prove this season.
6’3 2025 John Lash (Team Charlotte)
John Lash is primarily praised for his abilities on the baseball diamond, showing elite promise in that area as well. This weekend, Lash served as the ultimate glue guy at the 4 spot for this team. He made up for the absence of 2025 Colt Langdon down low, bearing much of the interior load. This weekend he extended his game and displayed the ability to hit mid-range jump shots and space the floor for his team. His rebounding is relentless, absolutely owning the glass on the defensive end and maintaining a motor that cannot be coached. He’s only in the 8th grade and I think any fan of grassroots athletics, in general, can look at him and tell that he’ll be a collegiate athlete in one sport or another.
6’8 2021 Josiah Dow (The Wonders/West Charlotte)
Josiah is a prospect in the state of North Carolina that has received coverage as early as the 8th grade for the promise he shows down low. This weekend, Dow acted as a defensive anchor for The Wonders. He played with a ton of discipline, not falling for pump fakes and keeping his arms straight up when being posted up by smaller defenders. He was able to collect blocks while disrupting shots that he couldn’t get his hands on. Offensively he has a soft touch around the rim, using his body to create space from finishers and gracefully put the ball on the backboard. He makes intelligent reads from the post and can create assists through diligent passing, a skill he should continue to sharpen throughout his career.
2022 5’11 CJ Wilson (The Wonders)
CJ Wilson took on the lead guard roles of a team with another impressive and extremely noted prospect in Kheni Briggs. His ability to assume this role with a talent like Briggs on the same team is a testament to his ability to run the show for a coach. Wilson has an extremely strong frame and possesses the ability to dip his shoulder and drive into smaller defenders when in the lane. He penetrates and kicks efficiently, a skill that really helps his team when the wing options are hitting shots. Wilson doesn’t need to do too much with the ball in his hands but operated as one of his team’s top scorers consistently this weekend.