Right now, the North Carolina basketball landscape is full of excitement. Whether public, private, or independent, it seems like there are noteworthy teams and prospects making noise on a nightly basis. Among those teams is West Forsyth, a squad that remains undefeated despite already playing a majority of their most challenging opponents. So, what’s been their secret? After graduating multiple key seniors, including their undisputed leader, this group has somehow elevated to even greater heights. Let’s take a closer look…
It really all starts with their impressive balance as a group. They don’t have anyone averaging more than 12.3 PPG, yet have seven guys averaging at least 7.1 PPG. The senior trio of Jordan Tate, Nicholas Fleming, and Max Skillman has been critical for the Titans. Tate has arguably been as valuable as anyone on the roster. He’s a strong, well-rounded guard with an excellent blend of size, skill, and physicality. Tate mixes it up well as a scorer from all levels, sees the floor well as a passer, and knows how to take over in key moments. He’s also a useful defender who anticipates well to force turnovers. Tate continues to highlight college-level ability. Fleming provides a nice scoring punch through his ability to shoot the ball from beyond the arc. He moves well without the ball and capitalizes on a quality percentage (42% 3P) of his looks. Skillman finds a lot of success as a low-maintenance piece who can finish, rebound, and impact the game without needing a ton of touches.
However, one could argue that the emergence of Kamauri Manuel and the addition of Ant Gray have been two of the most significant subplots for this team. Manuel is shining as an all-around piece who consistently fills up the stat sheet while impacting the game on both ends of the floor. He’s a quality athlete with IQ, vision, and scoring polish. Manuel knows how to run the team with poise and unselfishness, showing the ability to reliably set up others and score within the flow of the offense. He’s a quality defender and rebounder who positions himself for success and anticipates well to force turnovers. Similarly, Gray has found success as a smart, skilled young guard with excellent feel and perimeter shooting ability. He’s small but knows how to create, play without the ball, and make his presence felt defensively. Gray will only continue to progress as he physically develops, but already clearly knows how to make his presence felt on both ends of the floor.
That being said, guys like Kam Higgins, Cam Jordan, and Xavier Mills each provide meaningful minutes for this group. Higgins provides a nice blend of scoring, rebounding, and defense while Jordan and Mills do a terrific job of filling in the gaps on both ends of the floor. Given their depth and balance, it seems like this squad has the right recipe for success. Can Coach Brim and the Titans continue to roll through these next few months?