Over the last few years we have seen a few programs put out consistently strong teams. One of those has been Voyager Academy in Durham, North Carolina. Over the last 5 years they have been one of the dominant teams in 1A play in the state and as we saw in the jamboree, that trend should continue this year. The names change from year to year as different players step to the forefront but the results stay the same. This year looks promising based on what we saw at the jamboree. Names in action to know for the season are as follows:
Blake Buchanan, 6'4 2018 G – Blake has a do-it-all game to him. He ran the offense in the half-court set at times. Showing great vision and playmaking skills in the process. He was a big time glass cleaner on the boards, pulling down 10 plus easy whenever he wanted to, and he showed a very high end offensive skill set, hitting shots from all levels on the floor. Several d3's are showing interest at this time but Blake has the skill set to play higher. Blake showed very well in this event. Do not be shocked if he has a huge season and bigger schools take notice as a result.
Taliek Pratt, 5'8 2018 G – We saw Pratt a ton over the summer and each time he showed well. That did not change here in this event. Not the ideal size that you look for in a player but he has the speed and quickness needed to compensate for it. He is a weapon in transition running the break and uses a good change of pace to set you up and go by you when needed. Pratt is also an able scorer and willing defender that gives great effort on both ends of the floor. Size will limit his looks as a prospect some but in these last few months he has proved he can play.
Hayden Lyons, 6'2 2018 G – Hayden did not have a huge shooting day as we have come to expect from him of late but that does not mean he can't stroke it. Far from it in fact, this kid can knock down shots with the best of them. Hayden has grown physically and in his game year over year and has made himself into a weapon for his team. Hayden is smart on the floor, knows where he is supposed to be, does his job, and is the type of player that can shoot you out of the gym when he gets on a roll. With Pratt slicing and dicing through traffic, Blake doing his all around thing, and others stepping in and stepping up, Hayden should see a ton of open looks this year.
Voyager looks like one of the teams to beat yet again in the state and will look to get a second state championship in 3 years with the crew they now have and the pieces mentioned. The scary part here is we did not even mention 6'5 uber athletic Jordan Love in this piece (was not on the floor during scout). With his ability added in, it is easy to see why yet again, Voyager looks to be the cream of the 1A crop.