6’4 ’21 Samuel Alamutu (Rothesay Netherwood School)
This RNS squad possesses a ton of talent within their roster, but no prospect has been more impressive than Alamutu. He’s a big, strong, explosive guard prospect with great ball-handling skills and strong decisiveness when attacking the basket, both as a scorer and playmaker. Alamutu is a fairly versatile defender with sharp instincts and the ability to force turnovers at a fairly consistent rate, which leads to a lot of transition play. All types of Division I programs should be laying groundwork here.
6’6 ’21 Kahari Rogers (Liberty Heights)
At this point, the appeal with Rogers should be fairly obvious, given his size and terrific three-point shooting. He highlighted creation skills throughout this contest, showing unselfishness and a useful playmaking sense from start to finish. Rogers is also a great defender with length, positioning, and the ability to jump into passing lanes with regularity. He possesses few weaknesses and truly knows how to maximize his strengths on the floor.
6’5 ’20 Kamryn Edwards (Liberty Heights)
Liberty Heights is legitimately as talented as any program in North Carolina, especially when Edwards is playing at such a reliable level. He’s a phenomenal complementary threat, given his ability to truly affect all facets of the game without requiring an excessive amount of offensive touches. Edwards can hunt for shots and look to go for high scoring totals, but typically works to make the best possible play for the team. He’s also a quality rebounder and defender with great positional size.
6’8 ’20 Jeremyah McWilliams (Cape Fear Christian)
Like every year, there’s plenty to like with Cape Fear Christian’s roster makeup but McWilliams has arguably been their most impressive prospect thus far. He’s big, strong, and athletic but moves nicely for his size. McWilliams doesn’t force the action and knows how to play within himself on both ends of the floor. He’s a quality finisher around the basket and displays great instincts as a rim-protector. McWilliams rebounds the ball with purpose and runs the floor very well in transition. He’s going to be a guy worth keeping an eye on, as he’s still overflowing with upside.
6’3 ’21 Jacob Hukins (GRACE Christian)
Everyone already knows about the twin towers on this roster between Gibson and Itejere, but Hukins is arguably just as valuable as anyone on the roster. He’s their primary creator and floor general on both ends of the floor. Hukins sets the tone with his tough, unwavering defensive prowess and leads by example on the offensive end of the floor. He’s a sharp passer that always looks to make the best, most unselfish available play but knows how to take advantage of scoring opportunities from all three levels. Hukins also plays football but deserves to see an uptick in his recruitment on the hardwood.
6’5 ’21 Jalen Walker (GRACE Christian)
Although the three-headed monster was undeniably impressive throughout this contest, Walker was the guy that put them over the top. He’s somewhat between positions but has the defensive versatility to play either forward position and knows how to carve up the opposition from midrange-in. Walker is long, tough, and plays within himself quite well. His mentality and skillset works perfectly with their roster, as he fills in the gaps and doesn’t need to control the offensive action to make a constant impact. Walker is a guy that will only continue to get better over the next calendar year.
6’5 ’22 Fred Dilione (Trinity Christian)
Few teams can overwhelm opponents like Trinity Christian, given their blend of guard play and interior size, and Dilione is arguably the most impressive prospect on this roster. He’s so calm, smooth, and intelligent with his approach to the game on both sides of the ball. Dilione effortlessly creates for himself and others while maintaining his incredibly efficient three-level scoring ability. He’s also a quality defender and two-way rebounder that can excel in a variety of different roles for this team.
6’5 ’20 Travon Jackson (Trinity Christian)
There are probably flashier, more skilled players on this team but Jackson always seems to find a way to be extremely valuable. He’s so strong, tough, and explosive but consistently works to make hustle plays and outwork opponents on both ends of the floor. Jackson is a quality finisher and rebounder that plays far bigger than his size would imply. He plays hard at all times and knows how to bother his assignment defensively.
6’2 ’20 Emmanuel Bonsu (Cape Fear Academy)
Although he would thrive in an up-tempo style of play, Bonsu still finds a way to be effective in any type of system. He’s big, strong, athletic, and touches the paint as much as any point guard in the state, which allows him to constantly make plays for himself and others. Bonsu absolutely thrives in transition and goes from a standstill to breakneck speed in the blink of an eye. He finishes through any amount of contact, rebounds like a big man, and can defend either guard position at a high level. His recruitment is perplexing but he will likely blow up after getting on campus at a Division I program.