All Brackets: https://www.ncisaa.org/playoff-brackets/?sport=13¤tyear=1
It’s that time of the year again. Private school basketball has concluded its regular season schedule and will begin postseason play this Tuesday. With the first round only days away, it feels like the ideal time to take a closer look at each classification and highlight some of the potential title winners. It’s always worth remembering these are merely previews and predictions that have no actual impact on the games being played. Let’s dive into each…
Starting with the smallest of the four, 1A undoubtedly lost a major competitor as United Faith ultimately shut down their basketball program. Although Victory Christian has claimed two of the last four championships, United Faith appeared in every 1A title game over that span (going 1-3). It’s also worth recognizing that other previously notable contenders (Northside Christian, Greenfield School, The Burlington School, etc.) have elevated to larger classifications across the recent seasons.
Ultimately, it’s difficult to see any team other than the Kings winning the title. Justyn Whitfield has been basically unstoppable as a focal point this season. His impressive production (22.1 PPG, 3.9 APG, and 2.9 SPG) speaks for itself. Seniors like Abubakar Cham, Christian Petty, Panos Kalkavouras each provide strong contributions as key pieces for this group. Sophomore Carlos Marshall also stands out as a leader and x-factor. Again, this program continues to find a way to contend—regardless of staff or roster turnover.
The other top-seeded teams, Crossroads Christian, New Garden Friends, and Cape Fear Christian, will look to knock off the favorite. Crossroads Christian is led by Kobe Edgerton, Ely Phillips, and Josh Smith; the guard duo of Curtis Russell and Kingston Clifton lead New Garden Friends; Kayden Dunkins and Caden Scarborough set the tone for Cape Fear Christian. There’s still plenty of talent in 1A, so it’ll be exciting to see who emerges victorious over these next few weeks.