NCHSAA, NCISAA cancel major high school basketball recruiting event in June
The N.C. High School Athletic Association and the N.C. Independent Schools have canceled two major college recruiting events that were scheduled for the final two weekends in June.
The NCHSAA and the N.C. Basketball Coaches Association were going to host events in Raleigh and Indian Trail June 19-21 and June 26-28. The NCISAA was hosting events at Greensboro Day and Providence Day during those same weekends.
State public and private teams would play a series of games in front of college coaches. In 2019, those events drew more than 100 college coaches and led to dozens of scholarship offers.
But this year the NCAA has extended its recruiting dead period until at least June 30, meaning coaches could not attend. And it is not clear whether state rules around reopening during the pandemic would allow for those types of competitions to occur at that time.
The NCHSAA said if the NCAA alters its recruiting calendar in a way that would also meet whatever the NC COVID-19 reopening guidelines were at that time, there is a possibility that a new event could be rescheduled.
▪ Homar Ramirez, executive director of the NCISAA, told the Observer Friday that the summer calendar for teams to begin training starts Monday but current N.C. reopening laws prevent that. Ramirez said schools could be permitted to begin when state laws allow, a policy that is similar for the NCHSAA’s public schools.
Ramirez said his NCISAA schools hope to begin the fall season with practice beginning Aug. 1 but have already identified two dates to where the calendar could be pushed back: Sept. 8, the Tuesday after Labor Day and Oct. 1. Ramirez said starting on Oct. 1 could cause some overlap with winter sports, such as basketball, which typically begin in November.
“If it appears that the October starting date is probable,” Ramirez said, “then the second conversation begins with what does the start of winter (sports season) look like.”
Raleigh, Charlotte-area players named to East-West All-Star basketball
Several players from the Wake and Mecklenburg County were named to the East-West All-Star basketball team.
The annual game will be held July 20 in Greensboro and will match some of the top seniors in the state.
▪ For the West girls, area players include: Mallard Creek’s Nevaeh Brown; Watauga’s Brooke Byrd; Newton-Conover’s Chyna Cornwell; Freedom’s Blaikley Crooks; Hopewell’s Aniya Finger; Freedom’s Josie Hise; R-S Central’s Nikya Lynch; and Ardrey Kell’s Evan Miller made the team. West Caldwell’s Brad Mangum is one of the coaches.
▪ For the West boys, no Mecklenburg County players were named. Area players included Cox Mill’s Bailey Genitle, Cherryville’s Lane Harrill, Hibriten’s Avery Keller, East Lincoln’s Justin Kuthan, Cox Mill’s Wesley Poindexter. Statesville’s Sonny Schofield is one of the coaches.
▪ For the East girls, area players include Faith Blackstone, Hillside; Beddingfield’s Makayla Everette; Jamia Hazell, Southeast Raleigh and Hanna Malik, Athen Drive.
▪ For the East boys, Ricky Council, Southern Durham; Nick Farrar, Apex Friendship; Brandon Johnson, Rolesville; Chris Nobles, Garner Magnet; and Keishon Porter, SW Edgecombe
▪ Two Raleigh-area players are on the West boys team: Northwood’s Jalen McAfee and Aaron Ross.
