The 2021-22 Charlotte Observer regional boys basketball preview

Lincoln Charter came within one victory of capturing the 1A state boys’ basketball championship last season.

Crest and West Rowan had runs deep into the 3A boys’ playoffs, with Crest falling to eventual state champion Weddington in the Western Regional finals. Shelby and North Lincoln had strong seasons in 2A, with North Lincoln losing to Hendersonville in the Western finals.

This season, most of those teams are capable of lengthy playoff appearances.

And they are joined by several other contenders from the 14-county area outside Charlotte.

Here is a look at boys’ basketball in that crescent of counties around Charlotte:

Alexander

Anson

Ashe

Burke

Caldwell

Catawba

Cleveland

Gaston

Lincoln

Richmond

Rowan

Rutherford

Stanly

Watauga.

TEAMS TO WATCH

Ashbrook: The Green Wave was 5-9 last season but should be improved quite a bit, behind 6-3 senior forward Logan Mason and 6-0 junior guard Gabe June.

Cherryville: The Ironmen could be a 1A power. Gavin Cease, a 6-3 senior, averaged 10 rebounds a game on a 9-5 team. Junior Carson Kelly, a 6-0 guard, averaged 10 points a contest.

Crest: The Chargers have one of the region’s top players, in senior point guard Mari Adams, the conference and district player-of-the-year in 2020-21. But senior guard Ray Hall (10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds) also was an all-conference pick, and coach Brad LeVine has three talented players moving up from junior varsity. Crest could be very good.

Gaston Day: After a 10-10 season, the Spartans could be ready to challenge for the Metrolina Athletic Conference title. Senior point guard Chris Britt averaged 17.7 points and 4.4 assists in an all-conference junior season, and 6-10 junior Callum Richard gives the team an inside presence.

Hickory: Coach Daniel Willis’ team was 10-2 last season and has junior guard Jayden Maddox (11.2 points, 5.0 rebounds), junior forward Rico Walker (11.3 points, 4.8 rebounds) and senior forward Landan Maddox (8.1 points, 3.8 assists) returning.

Kings Mountain: The Mountaineers lost some of their top players, but they have 6-1 senior guard Zeke Cannady returning. Cannady, plus some younger talent moving up, will make Kings Mountain a contender in the Big South 3A.

Lincoln Charter: The returnees from the 1A state runner-up team include 6-2 senior Marcus Farley and 6-1 junior Elijah Burnett, but Lincoln Charter has added three talented transfers to an already-strong lineup.

Mountain Island Charter: The Raptors have plenty of returnees from a 14-3 team. Omarion Ferguson, a 6-6 junior, was near the top of conference statistics in several categories last season. And 6-2 guard Jake Barber is an excellent playmaker and scorer.

North Stanly: Dyson Bell, a 6-5 senior, is a two-time all-conference selection and was conference player-of-the-year last season. But the Comets also have 6-9 senior Doug Smith (12.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks). Coach George Walker has 92 percent of his scoring back from an 11-3 team.

Patton: The Panthers were 8-1 last season and lost only three seniors off that roster. Five sophomores got regular playing time, and Patton should contend in the Mountain Foothills 2A.

Richmond Senior: The Raiders went 8-5 last season with two standout freshmen – 6-5 forward Paul McNeil (18.1 points, 8.2 rebounds) and 5-11 guard Jamarion Wall (11.6 points). They’re back, and the Raiders should battle Pinecrest for the Sandhills 3A-4A championship.

R-S Central: The Hilltoppers were 13-2 last season, losing to Shelby in the second round of the playoffs. With 6-3 senior Tyrese Miller (15.5 points) and 6-5 senior Keion Littlejohn (13.0 points, 8.2 rebounds), R-S Central will be strong again.

Salisbury: The Hornets should be a force in the Central Carolina 1A-2A, behind 6-5 senior Nate Brown (13.0 points, 11.5 rebounds last season).

Shelby: As usual the Golden Lions are a conference preseason favorite and a potential state title contender. They lost two all-conference players from last season, but guard Drew Hollifield averaged 11.5 points as a freshman. It will take a while for the Golden Lions to get into shape, as several basketball players are currently playing on the football team in the playoffs.

West Caldwell: Two outstanding juniors, 6-3 wing Malek Patterson (17.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.4 steals per game) and 5-11 guard Kobe Hood (17.5 points, 2.5 assists, 2.9 steals), return from an 8-3 team.

West Rowan: The Falcons were 15-2 last season and have an experienced lineup with 6-3 senior center Josh Noble and 5-11 senior wing Noah Lieblein. Add in 6-10 sophomore Bryson Cowan, and you have a contender.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Mari Adams (Crest): He was conference and district player of the year last season, averaging 19.0 points. 7.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.5 steals. He also had eight double-doubles. The only problem: Adams is an outstanding running back and won’t switch to basketball until Crest’s playoff football team is finished.

Dyson Bell (North Stanly): Bell, a 6-5 senior forward, is a two-time all-conference player who averaged 16.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks last season.

Omarion Ferguson (Mountain Island Charter): A 6-6 junior, Ferguson is a double-double machine and the leader on a team that could be a playoff force.

Jeremiah Jones (East Lincoln): A 5-11 senior guard, Jones averaged 10.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.8 steals. He was an all-conference and all-district pick last season.

Will Kelly (Stuart Cramer): A senior guard, Kelly has scored 1,300 career points and was an all-conference and all-district player last season.

Paul McNeil (Richmond Senior): Coaches from ACC schools have been watching McNeil, a 6-5 sophomore forward who averaged 18.1 points and 8.2 rebounds as a freshman.

Randall Pettus (Bessemer City): A 6-2 junior guard, Pettus averaged 30 points a game last season and scored 60 points in one game.

Zane Redmond (Newton-Conover): The Catawba County Player of the Year last season, Redmond, a 6-4 senior, led his team in scoring (16.7), rebounds (7.7), assists (3.6), steals (2.9) and blocks (1.8).

Garrett Smargian (Hibriten): A 6-7 senior forward, Smargian averaged 13.8 points and 9.8 rebounds a game as a junior.

PLAYERS ON THE RISE

Amore Connelly and Jayden Powell (Freedom): The Patriots are likely to start these two 6-2 freshmen, who are talented scorers and rebounders.

Bryson Cowan (West Rowan): Here’s a name to remember. Cowan is a 6-10 sophomore who is getting lots of attention from college coaches.

Chris Culliver (Maiden): As a freshman last season, Culliver shot 55 percent from the floor and averaged 13 points a game.

Jackson Fannon (East Lincoln): A 6-4 freshman wing, watch for Fannon this season in the Western Foothills 3A.

Jayden Little (Anson County): A 6-1 freshman who is an effective scorer and a good ball-handler.

Trent Sherrill (East Gaston): A guard, Sherrill averaged 19.9 points and 7.4 rebounds last season as a freshman.

Eli Tillery (Draughn): As a freshman, Tillery averaged 8.9 points and 6.3 rebounds last season.

JUST NOTING

▪ Draughn was 4-6 last season but has three of its top four scorers returning, led by 6-2 junior forward Luke Rector.

▪ At Hibriten, head coach Michael Corpening has hired a pair of former area college standout players as assistants: Kendall Jones (Queens) and Gaither Hendrix (Brevard).

▪ Bandys has a trio of players who are all-conference candidates in football, basketball and baseball: Terick Bumgarner, Parker Skyborski and Bobby DelGuercio.

▪ St. Stephens was 2-12 last season but could be poised for a big jump, behind senior guard J.L. Ikard (15 points a game) and junior wing Dayton Anderson (13.0).

▪ Randall Pettus of Bessemer City scored 60 points in a game last season, setting the alltime Gaston County record.

▪ East Lincoln head coach Jon Hancock is now 89-18 with the Mustangs and has a career record overall of 413-251.

▪ North Lincoln lost several top players from a 15-3 team, but coach Dennis Frye said the Knights will continue their blazing uptempo style.

▪ Lincoln Charter’s lineup includes transfers Jameen Moore (from Hunter Huss), Xavier Crawford (Mallard Creek) and Zyon Chambers (A.L. Brown). Moore and Crawford are juniors. Chambers is a sophomore.

▪ East Rutherford first-year head coach Turner Kincaid lost a couple of football-basketball standouts to transfer, because the Cavaliers did not field a varsity football team this fall. But Tylier Barksdale, a 5-11 junior guard who averaged 14.7 points, is back.

▪ West Stanly lost its top six scorers from an 11-2 team that won a conference title. But head coach John Thompson says he expects the Colts to be strong again by later in the season.

▪ Anson County is another team poised for a good season, with senior returnees Kenyon Wall (6-8), Micah Chambers (6-2) and Labrandon Cole (6-1).

▪ Watauga head coach Bryson Payne is excited about the development of seniors Jonah Martin (6-5 center) and Ben Hale (6-3 wing). The Pioneers appear ready to exit the cellar of their conference.

CONFERENCE PREDICTIONS

Northwestern 3A-4A

1. Alexander Central; 2. Freedom; 3. South Caldwell; 4. Hibriten; 5. Watauga; 6. Ashe County

Sandhills 3A-4A

1. Pinecrest; 2. Richmond Senior; 3. Union Pines; 4. Hoke County; 5. Southern Lee; 6. Scotland County; 7. Lee County

Big South 3A

1. Crest; 2. Ashbrook; 3. South Point; 4. Kings Mountain; 5. Stuart Cramer; 6. Hunter Huss; 7. Forestview; 8. North Gaston

South Piedmont 3A

1. Central Cabarrus; 2. Concord; 3. West Rowan; 4. Jesse Carson; 5. Northwest Cabarrus; 6. Lake Norman Charter; 7. East Rowan; 8. South Rowan

Western Foothills 3A

1. Statesville; 2. East Lincoln; 3. North Iredell; 4. Hickory; 5. North Lincoln; 6. St. Stephens; 7. West Iredell; 8. Fred T. Foard.

Rocky River 2A-3A

1. Monroe; 2. Forest Hills; 3. West Stanly; 4. Parkwood; 5. Anson County; 6. Central Academy

Catawba Valley 2A

1. West Caldwell; 2. Maiden; 3. Lincolnton; 4. East Burke; 5. Newton-Conover; 6. Bunker Hill; 7. Bandys; 8. West Lincoln.

Mountain Foothills 2A

1. Hendersonville 2; R-S Central; 3. Patton; 4. Polk County; 5. Brevard; 6. Chase; 7. East Rutherford.

Catawba Shores 1A-2A

1. Lincoln Charter; 2. Mountain Island Charter; 3. Community School of Davidson; 4. Pine Lake Prep; 5. Christ the King; 6. Langtree Charter

Central Carolina 1A-2A

1. Salisbury; 2. North Rowan; 3. Thomasville; 4. Lexington; 5. West Davidson; 6. South Rowan; 7. East Davidson

Southwestern 1A-2A

1. Shelby; 2. Bessemer City; 3. Cherryville; 4. Burns; 5. East Gaston; 6. Thomas Jefferson Academy; 7. Highland Tech

Western Highlands 1A-2A

1. Mountain Heritage; 2. Mitchell County; 3. Madison County; 4. C.D. Owen; 5. Draughn; 6. Rosman; 7. Avery County

Yadkin Valley 1A-2A

1. Jay M. Robinson; 2. North Stanly; 3. Mount Pleasant; 4. Albemarle; 5. Union Academy; 6. South Stanly; 7. Gray Stone Day

Metrolina Athletic Conference

1. Westminster Catawba; 2. Concord Academy; 3. Northside Christian; 4. Metrolina Christian; 5. Gaston Day; 6. SouthLake Christian; 7. Gaston Christian; 8. Hickory Grove Christian

Foothills Athletic

1. Davidson Day; 2. Statesville Christian; 3. Hickory Christian; 4. University Christian

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle