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2026 Breakout Candidates in the Raleigh Area (Part 2)
With private schools tipping off this week and public school rosters now being officially set, I’m turning the page to the class of 2026 and highlighting players in the triangle who I believe should be popular candidates for a breakout season. Last week, I took a look at the class of 2027 which you can read here and here. You can read part one of the 2026 class here. 6’2” McCoy Williams (Cary...
read more2026 Breakout Candidates in the Raleigh Area (Part 1)
With private schools tipping off this week and public school rosters now being officially set, I’m turning the page to the class of 2026 and highlighting players in the triangle who I believe should be popular candidates for a breakout season. Last week, I took a look at the class of 2027 which you can read here and here. 6’4” Zion Wells (Trinity Academy) Wells differs from his peers on...
read more2027 Breakout Candidates in the Raleigh Area (Part 2)
With private schools officially starting practice yesterday and public schools starting tryouts tomorrow, this week is a great time to start really diving into what the 2024-25 season will look like in the triangle. On Monday, I gave my reaction and thoughts on the Wake Hoops Preseason Coaches Poll and today I’m going to give a list of sophomore prospects who I believe will enjoy a breakout...
read moreTakeaways from the Wake Hoops Preseason Coaches Poll
With private schools starting official practice today and public schools beginning tryouts later this week, we’re entering the official start of the preseason. With that, I wanted to find a way to bring the triangle area basketball community together and create something unique to the scene, thus spawning the first ever Wake Hoops Coaches Poll. Taking the concept from the AP college football and...
read moreTriangle Area Bracket Breakdown: NCHSAA
With playoff season upon us and the NCHSAA officially releasing the brackets on Saturday, I’ll be taking a look at all 18 first-round matchups that feature a triangle area team. There are 20 teams in 4A East, four in 3A East, and one in 1A East. In total, there are 25 playoff teams in the RDU area with teams from the area competing against each other in seven of the first-round matchups....
read moreTriangle Area Bracket Breakdown: NCISAA
4A (7) Ravenscroft Ravenscroft is one of just three teams in the triangle who have a first-round bye and will play the winner of North Raleigh Chrisitan and Charlotte Latin in round two. They’re also just one of two teams in the triangle to receive a top-eight seed. They will be the favorites regardless of who they draw, having beaten NRCA twice in the regular season, by 20 and 28 points,...
read morePublic School Top 20: Week 12 Explained
Tier One Green Level (22-0 (12-0)) The Gators are the obvious choice for the top spot once again in week 12, marking their 10th consecutive week atop our rankings. Izzy Eatman has truly come into his own throughout this season, shooting the absolute cover off the ball and taking a noticeable step up defensively. In the same vein, Isaac Ericksen has noticeably improved his motor, fluidity, and...
read morePublic School Top 20: Week 3, Explained
We’re unofficially a quarter of the way through the regular season with there being an average of 5.8 games played so far across the 41 public schools. As the sample size gets larger, trends, tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses are forming within each program, allowing us to have a clearer picture of who the contenders are. This is the first week that we start to really take the full body of...
read morePrivate School Top 10: Week 3, Explained.
With us now three weeks into the private school season, teams are separating into different categories: Contenders, Pretenders, and TBD. In the triangle, there are a lot more teams in the TBD category than anything else as a half dozen teams have given a lot of mixed signals in regard to what kind of team they’re going to be. This is the first week that a team’s resume begins to enter...
read moreWake Hoops: Public School Top 20: Week 1, Explained
High school basketball is back! After 51 public school games over the first week and some change, we’ve finally reached our first ‘Explained’ article of the season. It’s only right that I explain the philosophy behind the rankings. I weigh strength of schedule (SOS), results, and the eye test as the three main components, with the value of each fluctuating as the season progresses. I’ll...
read moreWake Hoops Private School Top 10: Week 1, Explained
High school basketball is back! After almost 50 private school games over the first ~11 days of the season, we’ve finally reached our first ‘Explained’ article of the season. It’s only right that I explain the philosophy behind the rankings. I weigh strength of schedule (SOS), results, and the eye test as the three main components, with the value of each fluctuating as the season...
read moreWake Hoops: Triangle Area 2023-24 Preview
Preseason Awards Player of the Year: Jackson Keith | Southern | 6’6” | Jr. Defensive Player of the Year: David Mirikwe | Chapel Hill | 6’1” | Sr. Newcomer of the Year: Kamran Prince | Trinity Academy | 6’2” | Jr. Freshman of the Year: Julian Lowe | Jordan | 6’4” | Fr. Coach of the Year: Derek Ross | Jordan | 3rd Season Preseason All-Triangle Teams Preseason All-Triangle Honorable Mentions...
read moreWake Hoops: DAC 2023-24 Preview
The DAC is entering a rebuilding year with a wide range of talent exiting the conference. Regardless, both Jordan and Chapel Hill are serious East region contenders and there’s a toss-up between the rest of the conference to see who can join them at the top. With just one underclassman making an all-conference team this year, the fewest of the seven conferences, look for an added importance to...
read moreWake Hoops: GNRC 2023-24 Preview
After a down year, the GNRC is reloaded and full of talent. They have as good of a top-three as any conference in the East. With just three seniors making an all-conference team, the GNRC will be a gauntlet for the foreseeable future. Preseason Poll Preseason All-Conference Teams Preseason Awards Player of the Year: Andrew Grimes | Clayton | 6’8” | Jr. Grimes is the clear favorite for Player of...
read moreWake Hoops: SWAC 2023-24 Preview
The SWAC continues to be one of the best public-school conferences in the state, with Holly Springs making the final four last season and Panther Creek making the state championship the year prior. Five of the eight teams are projected to make the playoffs this season, with two of them having a real shot at a state championship appearance. The conference’s 2025 class is special, representing 10...
read moreWake Hoops: NAC 2023-24 Preview
The NAC is loaded with talent this season, coming back around after a down year in the 2022-23 campaign. Four teams have a decent shot at the conference title, with Millbrook, Heritage, Knightdale, and Wakefield all holding real optimism going into the year. This a veteran conference, with 14 of the 20 all-conference selections being seniors. With just one underclassman being named...
read moreWake Hoops: CCC 2023-24 Preview
By: Wake Hoops The CCC has a handful of fun storylines to follow. Between Michael Phillips’ breakout, Trinity Academy’s youth movement, and St. David’s rebuild, there’s a lot of excitement brewing throughout the conference. Contrary to the TISAC, there’s just four underclassmen selected to an all-conference team. This is also one of the deepest conferences for guards in the triangle, with 13 of...
read moreWake Hoops: TISAC 2023-24 Preview
By: Wake Hoops The TISAC projects to be one of the more tightly contested conferences this season, with all four teams having good reason to believe they can make serious noise. This conference also has arguably the best freshman crop of anyone in the triangle, with four (!!) of the 15 all-conference selections coming from the 2027 class. Preseason Poll Preseason All-Conference Teams Preseason...
read moreWake Hoops Team Preview: Clayton
2022-23: 14-12 (9-5), 4th in GNRC, 1st Round of Playoffs (L to Lumberton (59-62)) Key Losses Matthew Eaton – 8p, 3r, 2a, 1s – Graduated – Playing at Lake Raleigh PrepBryan Harris – 5p, 4r, 2a, 1s – GraduatedSharod Sorrell – 4p, 3r, 2a, 1s – Graduated – Playing at Lake Raleigh PrepDana Thompson – 3p, 1r, 1a, 1s – GraduatedWill Kilpatrick...
read moreWake Hoops Team Preview: Chapel Hill
2022-23: 19-8 (7-5), 3rd in DAC, 1st Round of Playoffs (L to Sanderson 48-53) Key Losses Ryan MacKinnon – 15p, 7r, 2a, 1s, 55 3pm – Graduated – Playing at Choate Rosemary HallTyler Stillson – 8p, 3r, 1a, 50 3pm – Graduated – Playing Baseball at Case Western Key Returners David Mirikwe – Sr – 9p, 3r, 3a, 2sFranklin Johnson – Sr – 8p, 4r,...
read moreWake Hoops: Cardinal Gibbons Preview
By: Wake Hoops 2022-23: 13-15 (7-3), 1st in CAP-6, 2nd Round of Playoffs (L to Broughton 56-58) Key Losses Connor Higginbotham – 13p, 3r, 2a, 1s, 34 3pm – GraduatedAlex Fannéy – 10p, 5r, 1a, 1s, 46 3pm – Graduated – Playing at Washington & LeeCarlos Leon-Teran – 3p, 2r – GraduatedBlake Raphael – 3p, 2r, 1a – Graduated – Playing...
read moreApex Friendship 2023-24 Team Preview
By: Wake Hoops Apex Friendship 2023-24 Team Preview 2022-23: 12-13 (5-9), 6th in SWAC, Missed Playoffs Key Losses Moustapha Diop – Graduated – Playing at RandolphNoah Toster – Graduated – Playing Football at ChowanDrew Weschler – GraduatedTerry Hicks – Graduated – Playing Football at Hampden-Sydney Key Returners Jadon Green – So – SWAC...
read moreWake Hoops: 2024 Rankings Explained Part 7 (1-5)
By: Wake Hoops As we wrap up the rankings release with our top five rising seniors, we get into a group of prospects that should be flirting with high-level scholarship programs throughout the region. The link to the full rankings can be found here. (1) 6’10” Wyatt DeGraaf (Cary Academy) DeGraaf is a long, active, and strong big man who knows how to produce within his role. He has improved his...
read moreWake Hoops: 2024 Rankings Explained Part 6 (6-10)
By: Wake Hoops As we get into the top 10, we look at five perimeter players who have all been under-recruited to this point. It should be expected that these guys all receive serious bumps in recruitment in their senior seasons. You can see the updated rankings at the links below. Tier 3 (6-8)Tier 4 (9-12)Tier 5 (13-16)Tier 6 (17-22)Tier 7 (23-28)Tier 8 (29-34)Tier 9 (35-39)Tier 10 (40-44)Tier...
read moreWake Hoops: 2024 Rankings Explained Part 5 (11-15)
By: Wake Hoops As we move into the top 15, we look at five guys who each impact winning in major ways. You can see the updated rankings at the links below. Tier 4 (9-12)Tier 5 (13-16)Tier 6 (17-22)Tier 7 (23-28)Tier 8 (29-34)Tier 9 (35-39)Tier 10 (40-44)Tier 11 (45-50)HM Part 1HM Part 2 (11) 5’9” Tye Cain (Green Level) Cain is a dynamic point guard with a strong and physical frame and the...
read moreWake Hoops: 2024 Rankings Explained Part 4 (16-20)
By: Wake Hoops As we move into the top 20, we look at five players who have each improved their stock recruiting-wise significantly over the past six months. You can see the updated rankings at the links below. Tier 5 (13-16)Tier 6 (17-22)Tier 7 (23-28)Tier 8 (29-34)Tier 9 (35-39)Tier 10 (40-44)Tier 11 (45-50)HM Part 1HM Part 2 (16) 6’4” Brandon Ihle (Middle Creek) Ihle has been one of the most...
read more2024 Rankings Explained Part 2 (5 Names in the Back Half)
By: Wake Hoops The 2024 class is filled with a variety of prospects that range in levels, production, and potential. In this article, we look at five players ranked between 26-50 that epitomize that range in production and potential, with each player having a different path and trajectory. You can view the rankings up to this point at the links below. Tier 7 (23-28)Tier 8 (29-34)Tier 9...
read moreWake Hoops: 2024 Rankings Explained Part 1 (5 Honorable Mentions)
By: Wake Hoops With the 2025 class wrapping up, we turn to a 2024 class that has a ton of talent for all levels of college basketball. In this article, we breakdown the players that are just outside looking in and have all the tools to move up in our rankings. You can find the full list of honorable mentions here (part 1) and here (part 2). 5’11” Caleb Hardy (Wakefield) Hardy is a guard with a...
read moreWake Hoops: 2025 Rankings Explained Part 6 (1-5)
By: Wake Hoops As we finally reach the top five for the 2025 class, we find ourselves with five guys who should leave their marks on the national scene when it’s all said and done. Some of them have already begun doing that while others are due for a breakthrough any week now. The complete rankings can be found here. (1) 6’6” Jackson Keith (Southern) Keith has won District 6 POY in back-to-back...
read moreWake Hoops: 2025 Rankings Explained Part 5 (6-10)
As we get into the top 10, we arrive at prospects that have begun making waves throughout the state and should only further solidify their placement over the next two years. The current rankings can be found at the links below. Tier 3 (4-7)Tier 4 (8-13)Tier 5 (14-18)Tier 6 (19-21)Tier 7 (22-25)Tier 8 (26-31)Tier 9 (32-36)Tier 10 (37-40)HM (part 1)HM (part 2) (6) 6’3” Will James Jr. (Holly...
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