GREETINGS HS HOOPS JUNKIES FROM ACROSS THE COLD AND DREARY PIEDMONT! THE SADSTER IS HERE TO RELEASE HIS LONG-AWAITED POWER 6 8A/7A CONFERENCE PREVIEW. THE OL’ CUBIC ZIRCONIA BALL (CAN’T AFFORD CRYSTAL) IS WARMED UP AND IS READY TO REVEAL THE ORDER OF FINISH MONTHS BEFORE THE END OF THE SEASON. LAST SEASON SAW THE NORTH MECK VIKINGS “RING UP” AN UNEXPECTED BACK-TO-BACK STATE TITLE BEHIND ANOTHER EVANS, CARSON. NOW THAT THERE ARE NO MORE EVANS ON THE ROSTER, CAN THE NORSEMEN KEEP THE BEAT GOING IN THIS NEW CONFERENCE AND IN STATES' TIME WILL TELL BUT SOME NEW AND TALENTED TEAMS MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT IT DUE TO CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT TWO STATE TITLE TEAMS COULD EMERGE FROM THIS CONFERENCE. WE WILL NOW SEE HOW THE TEAMS WILL FINISH AND THEN WE WILL SEE WHY:
- NORTH MECK 7A
- INDEPENDENCE 7A
- WEST CHARLOTTE 8A
- CHAMBERS 8A
- BUTLER 7A
- MALLARD CREEK 8A
NORTH MECK
THE VIKINGS ARE COMING OFF B2B SHIPS AND ARE PREPARED TO TAKE MEDALIST HONORS IN THE P6 AND MAKE A RUN AT THE 7A TITLE. 6’3 SR SG ASHTON PIERCE WILL BE THE LEADING SCORER FOR COACH LEWIS BUT WILL HAVE AN AMPLE SUPPLY OF HELP BEGINNING WITH COUNTRY DAY REFUGEE 5’11 SO PG D.J. LINDSEY, WHO IS A COOL CUSTOMER RUNNING THE OFFENSE. GIVING BACKCOURT DEPTH ARE A PAIR OF EXPERIENCED SENIOR GUARDS, 6’2 WILSON ESTWICK AND 6’3 SHARPSHOOTER ALEX WHITE. AT WING “THE MAD BOMBER”, 6’4 JR ALEK LEWANDOWSKI, WILL STRETCH THE FLOOR TO GIVE 6’4 SR C,F EXZAVIER YOUNG ROOM TO WORK HIS MAGIC INSIDE. A PLAYER THAT COULD EMERGE TO HELP OUT ON THE BASELINE IS 6’5 JR F DAVID OATES. THIS IS ANOTHER LOADED CONFERENCE AND ALTHOUGH THE GREAT ONE DOESN’T SEE THE VIKINGS RUNNING THE CONFERENCE TABLE, THEY HAVE ENOUGH TALENT TO PUT UP ANOTHER BANNER, BUT MUST REBOUND WELL TO FINISH FIRST AND STAY AHEAD OF………………….
INDEPENDENCE
THE PATRIOTS ALSO ARE AN EXPERIENCED TEAM AND ARE BLESSED WITH SIZE AND SPEED. THIS VERSION OF PATRIOT NATION WILL BE LED BY ITS TALENTED JUNIOR CLASS. MANNING THE THREE GUARD PERIMETER DUTIES WILL BE 5’9 SR G DYLAN MCFARLAND, 6’0 JR G CHRISTIAN JONES AND 5’10 SR G SAWYER FIKE. A KEY RESERVE OFF THE BENCH IS 5’8 SO G KADEN BODRICK. 6’3 JR SWINGMAN LAURENCE BLACK WILL CAUSE OPPONENTS HEADACHES ON THE WING AND IN THE PAINT AND 6’7 JR F LUSEMO MACHARIA PROMISES TO BE A FORMIDABLE PRESENCE ON THE BOARDS. HE SHOULD GET SOME HELP IN 6’7 JR F MORENO FISHER AND 6’6 JR F KEVIN POWELL. THE BIG I IS POISED TO MAKE NOISE NOT ONLY IN THE CONFERENCE BUT IN STATES AS WELL BUT COACH DAVIS’S CREW MUST DEFEND AND SHOOT THE 3-BALL WELL TO HAVE A SHOT AT MOVING UP AND STAY AHEAD OF SURGING……………..
WEST CHARLOTTE
THE LIONS ARE DETERMINED TO “RESTORE THE ROAR” AND WILL BE LONG AND ATHLETIC RESEMBLING VINTAGE WC SQUADS FROM YESTERYEAR. THEY WILL BE LED BY TWO 6’4 SUPER SOPH GUARDS IN KAHARRI COLEMAN AND CHA CHO WOMACK. AN ANSWER TO PRAYER FOR COACH DAVIS FOR A BIG PG IS 6’4 AMEN “AJ” PRESSLEY. HELPING OUT IN THE BACKCOURT WILL BE TWO MORE SOPHOMORES IN 6’1 G CARTER SULLIVAN AND 5’6 G MAJOR CROSS, WHO REMINDS THE SADSTER OF LION LEGEND “J-ROCK” FROM 25 YEARS AGO. THE FRONTLINE WILL CONSIST OF ANOTHER SOPHOMORE, 6’5 F SEAN JOHNSON AND 6’5 SR F JKHAI WADE. 6’8 JR C CHASE WILLIAMS COULD GIVE THE LIONS A REALLY BIG LOOK AND CONTRIBUTE GOOD MINUTES. IF THE LIONS CAN FIND 3 POINT SHOOTERS AND DEFEND THE PERIMETER WELL, THEY COULD MOVE UP AND STAY IN FRONT OF……………
CHAMBERS
THE COUGARS CAME WITHIN ONE GAME OF THE STATE TITLE GAME BUT WERE DENIED IN STATES ONCE AGAIN BY OLD NEMESIS NORTH MECK. AFTER SOME DEFECTIONS BY TARIS BOUIE, MARKUS KERR, AND MALIK MCCOTTER, THE ROSTER IS GELLING INTO A TALENTED GROUP. IT ALL STARTS WITH BELL COW 6’6 SR F CAMERON THOMPSON, WHO IS A THREE LEVEL SCORER AND GOOD DEFENDER. THE GUARD SLOTS WILL BE FILLED BY A TRIO OF VETERAN JUNIORS IN 6’4 ZYON WHITE, 6’4 QJ YOUNG, AND 6’0 LAVONTE “LJ” JACKSON. ALONG WITH THOMPSON, 6’4 SR F CHANCELLOR GILL COULD HELP DOWN LOW. AN INTRIGUING NEWCOMER IS 6’8 SO C MATTHEW GAINES WHO WILL HAVE COACH FRASIER JUMPING FOR JOY IF HE CAN GIVE GOOD DEFENSE AND REBOUNDING MINUTES COME TOURNAMENT TIME. ANOTHER POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTOR TO WATCH FOR THE FUTURE IS 6’5 FR F JEREMIAH FREDLAW. THE COUGARS HAVE ENOUGH TALENT TO CHALLENGE FOR A CONFERENCE TITLE BUT MUST DEFEND WELL TO DO SO AND KEEP AHEAD OF……………….
BUTLER
THE BULLDOGS ARE A GOOD TEAM IN A VERY GOOD LEAGUE. HOWEVER, COACH PARKS AND COMPANY HAVE THE PIECES TO BE EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE AND MAKE NOISE BEHIND “MR. INSIDE” AND “MR. OUTSIDE”. THE DOGS HAVE SIZE AND GOOD GUARD PLAY AND THAT CAN TAKE YOU A LONG WAY IN HIGH SCHOOL HOOPS. THE GUARD SLOTS WILL BE MANNED BY FLOOR LEADER 5’11 SR IAN TOMLINSON AND 6’2 SR TERRANCE “MR. OUTSIDE” BADIO. THEY WILL GET HELP FROM 6’3 SO G ELIJAH SHINE AND 5’9 SR G KOBE BOYD. THE FRONTLINE WILL BE ANCHORED BY 6’7 JR F,C ISAIAH “MR. INSIDE” WHITE, 6’8 JR W STEFAN ROSS AND 6’7 SR F JAMES VASTIS MAY CHIP IN SOLID MINUTES AS WELL. COACH KING HAS A BALANCED SQUAD THAT IS CAPABLE OF RISING HIGHER BUT THEY MUST SHOOT BETTER FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE IF THEY WANT A LEGITIMATE CHANCE TO, BUT SHOULD STAY AHEAD OF…………………
MALLARD CREEK
THE MAVERICKS HAVE A TOUGH ROW TO HOE BUT HAVE SOME PIECES TO CAUSE OPPONENTS PROBLEMS. 6’6 SR F LAJALIN OVERTON IS THE SWISS ARMY KNIFE FOR COACH PARKS AND IS THE X-FACTOR. HE SHOULD HAVE ROOM TO WORK ON THE BASELINE WITH A PROBABLE 4 GUARD OFFENSE IN THE OFFING WITH THIS ROSTER. ON THE OUTSIDE, 6’0 SR G AHMAD SAVAGE AND FELLOW 6’3 SR G AIDEN ROBERSON SHOULD PROVIDE STABILITY AND LEADERSHIP. THEY WILL BE HELPED BY 6’1 JR G CADEN TUCKER AND A PLAYER TO WATCH, 6’0 FR G KINGSTON CARDWELL. THE MAVERICKS SHOULD PRESS AND RUN BUT NEED TO FIND REBOUNDING HELP FOR OVERTON IF THEY ARE TO HAVE A SHOT AT THE PLAYOFFS…………….
THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS! THE DYE IS CAST FOR THE SEASON NOW ALL THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IS GO TO THE GAMES AND WATCH THE PREDICTIONS MATERIALIZE IN FRONT OF YOUR VERY EYES. WATCH PHENOM HOOPS FOR THE GREAT ONE’S GAME OF THE WEEK IN THE AREA BEGINNING IN DECEMBER BEFORE CHRISTMAS. WE WILL RECAP THE SEASON AFTER STATES IN MARCH BUT WATCH FOR THE WEEKLY FURIOUS 5 RANKINGS EVERY MONDAY. STAY TUNED!!!!!!!!!!!!
SAD SAM – HS HOOPS GENIUS