With so much confusion and uncertainty surrounding the grassroots basketball community, it feels like no better time to take a closer look at a team that is quietly elevating to another level in Franklin High School. It would be a safe bet to assume that most folks aren’t even aware of this school, much less the enticing college-level prospects throughout their roster. Beyond Asheville and just before Tennessee, Franklin is one of the western-most programs in North Carolina. After graduating eight seniors and losing a major junior to transfer, they have been arguably as impressive as any young squad around.
It all starts with a culture centered around team success and consistent improvements on and off the court, which Coach Plemmons has done extremely well. He has rolled with the punches and done a great job of putting his players in a position to learn the game beyond the x’s and o’s. They lost basically their entire roster and still found a way to return to the second-round of playoffs, a feat majority of high school programs would be unable to match.
A lot of the overall positivity has been due to the undisputed leadership and undeniable production of Miles McClure, who has gone from a freshman contributor on varsity to the clear primary option and decision-maker in just twelve months. He’s a big, strong, fairly versatile forward with an exceptional combination of IQ, skill, athleticism, which allows him to cause and exploit mismatches on a nightly basis. McClure has been a standout prospect at numerous camps and simply continued to affirm himself as an obvious scholarship-level player. He averaged 18.2 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 2 BPG while shooting 52% from the floor, 47% from beyond the arc, and 70% from the line. He was also awarded his second-consecutive All-Conference award in addition to being the team captain, team MVP, and named All-District. It would be difficult to find ten players across the state with comparable numbers andefficiency.
There are players that simply find a way to exude productivity, regardless of setting or surrounding teammates, which seems to be exactly the case with Griffin Green. We saw him excel at camp just six months ago prior to his transfer and sophomore debut at Franklin. Turns out, Green fit like a glove and had no issue asserting himself as their second-most reliable option on a nightly basis. He complements McClure well, given their inside-out identity, and has all the tools to be a successful player at the next level. Green has a wiry frame but a high motor, obvious amount of skill, and surprising amount of athleticism. He scores the ball very well on all three levels and adds a quality burst of playmaking into the mix. Green averaged 14.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 2 SPG per game, which led to an All-Conference selection. At this point, it’s easy to see him joining McClure as a prospect worthy of playing at the next level.
Add those two to Trey Penland, an athletic, high-motor forward with size and phenomenal prowess as a defender and rebounder, and this team already has a lot of talent. He makes a lot of hustle plays while consistently asserting himself as the most powerful leaper on the team, sporting a running vertical of 11’4”. He filled in the gaps nicely to average 9.2 PPG and 7.7 RPG while shooting the ball at a respectable percentage from all levels.
Finally, we look at Chad Wilson, who is probably the most unsung hero of this group, given his incredible motor and team-first mentality. He won the Panther award for best attitude on the team, so it should come as no surprise that he is considered the main workhorse of this group. Wilson has impressive strength and the weight-lifting resume to boot but also highlights a 36” vertical leap and the ability to score whenever necessary. He plays tough and bigger than his size would imply, particularly on defense, and forces turnovers at a quality rate. Wilson averaged a nice 9.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 1.1 SPG while shooting over 50% from the floor, which is impressive—especially to be the fourth option.
After a taking a closer look at three rising juniors and one rising senior, the appeal should be fairly obvious with Franklin. They have the necessary pieces in place to be a special group for these next few years. Only time will tell how successful this unit is but college coaches would be very wise to start getting involved with this roster before it becomes too late.