NCHSAA state HS basketball semifinals to feature bevy of national talent, scarce tickets
On Thursday, 247 Sports released its latest rankings for boys high school basketball players nationally who are currently juniors in high school. Ten of the top 80 were from North Carolina.
Five of those recruits are playing in N.C. High School Athletic Association regional championship games throughout the state Saturday.
Three of the top 80 will play in the state’s biggest game: Myers Park vs. North Mecklenburg at Providence High School.
“I think it’s a testament to public school basketball,” said Rick Lewis, owner of Phenom Hoop Report, which tracks recruiting throughout North Carolina. “I think it’s a win-win for that you have high-caliber players playing in high-caliber games and there’s intense interest throughout the state, especially when you have a game like Myers Park and North Mecklenburg with all the talent that will be on the court.”
Boys and girls N.C. state semifinals will be played at eight high school sites throughout the state Saturday, and tickets — at most venues — sold out quickly. For example, the boys 2A Eastern Regionals at South Garner High School, which features Goldsboro and N.C. power Farmville Central, sold out in less than two minutes once tickets were released to the public.
There was a similar scenario in Charlotte, where the 4A regional final at Providence High School sold out before some fans could get the link to buy tickets to come up.
Some tickets for the Myers Park-North Mecklenburg are being resold for $100 and more.
Lewis has heard from college coaches hoping to come to the games to recruit and are asking about tickets. Many fans and parents have taken to social media to complain about not being able to get them.
In past years, the NCHSAA would hold regional finals on college campuses, but member schools requested moving the regional semifinals and finals back to campus.
Lewis believes it’s time to return to the larger venues.
“Bigger venues is a necessity,” Lewis said. “We need to take advantage of the interest level with public school basketball. Farmville Central sold out in two minutes and that’s a perfect illustration of why the (Eastern Regionals) need to move back to East Carolina. And there’s plenty of venues (in the Charlotte area) they can look at: UNC Charlotte, Davidson, Queens. I know the Big South had Bojangles’ (Coliseum) this week, but the NCHSAA needs to be more proactive in the future.”
Lewis said, looking ahead, the younger talent in the state is getting better and better, and more immediately, all of these top 100 players in the state are coming back to school next year.
“You’re going to have the same interest level year after year,” Lewis said. “There’s just a high interest level in high school basketball in North Carolina. Look at North Mecklenburg and Myers Park. They return pretty much everybody. So like I said, there will be this same interest next year. You’ve got to prepare for it.”
Where to find the top recruits
▪ In Charlotte, Myers Park will play North Mecklenburg at noon at Providence High School. The game will feature three top 80 national recruits.
After scoring a career-high 62 points in Tuesday’s regional semifinal win over Chambers, North Mecklenburg’s Isaiah Evans rose to No. 10 nationally and is the highest ranking N.C. player in the junior class. Myers Park features No. 73 Sir Mohamed and No. 79 Bishop Boswell.
Myers Park also has a top 25 recruit in the sophomore class, 6-8 forward Sadiq White.
▪ NBA star Kevin Durant attended Tuesday’s game at Myers Park, when the Mustangs beat Charlotte Catholic and advanced to the regional final for the first time since 1966. Durant was in town for the Phoenix Suns game Wednesday with the Charlotte Hornets. His former teammate at Oklahoma City, Nazr Mohammed, is the father of Myers Park Sir Mohammed. In an interview late last year, Durant called Nazr Mohammed the nicest teammate he’d ever played with.
▪ In the eastern 3A regionals at Southern Lee High School in Sanford, NC, No. 19 national recruit Drake Powell will lead Northwood High into a regional final with Fayetteville’s E.E. Smiith High School. Powell has committed to North Carolina.
▪ And in the 4A Eastern Regional final at Lee County High School, Richmond Senior’s Paul McNeil, the No. 38 national recruit in the junior class, will lead Richmond Senior against Holly Springs from Wake County. McNeil, who was named Gatorade N.C. player of the year last season, has committed to N.C. State.
▪ The other five top 100 N.C. players are Seaforth’s Jarin Stevenson (No. 12), Combine Academy’s Trentyn Flowers (No. 21), Carmel Christian’s Jaeden Mustaf (No. 31), Combine Academy’s Rakease Passmore (No. 44) and Salisbury’s Juke Harris (No. 52).
Quick links
Langston’s Mailbag: could high school ball be played at Bojangles’ Coliseum? Best teams of past 10
Myers Park: after 57 years ‘it’s our turn’
Kevin Durant watches Myers Park make history
Still unbeaten: Lake Norman girls dream still alive
Tuesday’s NC regional semifinal scores, regional championship pairings
North Meck’s Isaiah Evans has 62 in Chambers win
The NCHSAA needs to change its regional format fast. Here’s a suggestion
Mr, Ms NC Basketball Finalists announced
Saturday’s Live Scoreboard
NCHSAA boys regional finals
WEST
(at Providence High School)
Myers Park 72, North Mecklenburg 51
EAST
(at Lee County High School
Holly Springs (26-5) vs. Richmond Senior (27-2), 4 p.m.
Streaming: NFHS Network
Class 3A
WEST
(at McDowell High School)
Central Cabarrus (30-0) vs. West Charlotte (15-13), 3 p.m.
Streaming: NFHS Network
EAST
(at Southern Lee High School)
Northwood (27-2) vs. E.E. Smith (26-3), 4 p.m.
Streaming: NFHS Network
Class 2A
WEST
(at Grimsley High School)
Lincoln Charter (16-11) vs. Reidsville (25-0), 2 p.m.
Streaming: NFHS Network
EAST
(at South Garner High School)
Farmville Central (28-1) vs. Goldsboro (28-2), 4 p.m.
Streaming: NFHS Network
Class 1A
WEST
(at Freedom High School)
Bishop McGuinness (25-5) vs. Eastern Randolph (28-2), 1 pm.
Streaming: NFHS Network
EAST
(at South Johnston High School)
Bertie (26-4) vs. Wilson Prep (25-7), 3 pm.
Streaming: NFHS Network
NCHSAA girls basketball regional finals
Class 4A
WEST
(at Providence High School)
Lake Norman (30-0) vs. Charlotte Catholic (25-6), 2 p.m.
Streaming: Bahakel Sports
EAST
(at Lee County High School)
Hillside (25-3) vs. Panther Creek (27-4), 2 p.m.
Streaming: NFHS Network
Class 3A
WEST
(at McDowell High School)
West Rowan (29-0) vs. East Lincoln (31-0), 1 p.m.
Streaming: NFHS Network
EAST
(at Southern Lee High School)
Cape Fear (25-4) vs. Rocky Mount (29-1), 2 p.m.
Streaming: NFHS Network
Class 2A
WEST
(at Grimsley High School)
East Burke (27-2) vs. Salisbury (25-3), 12 p.m.
Streaming: NFHS Network
EAST
(at South Garner High School)
Seaforth (26-3) vs. North Pitt (27-2), 6 p.m.
Streaming: NFHS Network
Class 1A
WEST
(at Freedom High School)
Robbinsville (21-8) vs. Bishop McGuinness (26-4), 3 p.m.
Streaming: NFHS Network
EAST
(at South Johnston High School)
Falls Lake Academy (31-0) vs. Chatham Charter (25-5), 1 p.m.
Streaming: NFHS Network
This story was originally published March 3, 2023 at 4:47 PM.
