Meet the finalists for NC Mr. Basketball, the best high school player in the state
A pair of ACC recruits, and the leading scorer in the state, headline the finalists for the N.C. Mr. Basketball award this season.
The Charlotte Observer has handed out the honor to the state’s top boys’ basketball player since 1985.
N.C. State recruit Zymicah Wilkins of Ardren’s Christ School and Lake Norman’s Trent Steinour, signed to Clemson, won’t play each other this season. But next season, the two might share the floor when their respective ACC teams meet.
Both Wilkins and Steinour are interior talents on the Top 10 list. They are joined on the list by one of four underclassmen: Lincolnton guard L.J. Smith.
Smith leads North Carolina in scoring at 35.3 points a game, which ranks 10th in the nation.
The other finalists are listed below and were selected by a panel that included The Charlotte Observer’s high school sports staff and the co-hosts of its “Talking Preps” streaming show.
The winner will be announced in March, during the week of the N.C. High School Association state championships.
Players not on this list will have a chance to join it. Additional updates will come later in the season.
N.C. Mr. Basketball finalists
| Name | School | Year | Pos. | College | 2024-25 averages |
| Cole Cloer | Caldwell Academy | Jr. | W | Undecided | 21.2 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 5.4 apg |
| Brett Freeman | Ardrey Kell | Sr. | CG | Undecided | 28.3 ppg, 3.6 apg, 2.9 rpg, 1.6 spg |
| Markus Kerr | Chambers | Jr. | CG | Undecided | 20.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.8 spg |
| Jackson Keith | Southern Durham | Sr. | G | Butler | 24.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg |
| Dionte Neal | Reidsville | Jr | PG | Undecided | 22.8 ppg, 9.2 apg, 7.2 spg, 5.2 rpg |
| LJ Smith | Lincolnton | Soph. | CG | Undecided | 35.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2.4 spg |
| Trent Steinour | Lake Norman | Sr. | C | Clemson | 17.6 ppg, 12.2 rpg, 3.4 bpg |
| Zymicah Wilkins | Christ School | Sr. | PF | N.C. State | 13.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.9 spg |
| MJ Williams | Farmville Central | Sr. | PG | Undecided | 29.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.0 spg, 4.5 apg |
| KJ Younger | Weddington | Sr. | W | UNC-Greensboro | 24.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.5 spg |
