Meet the All-Observer boys’ basketball team, the top prep athletes in the Charlotte area
A three-time state championship-winning point guard and two state championship coaches headline the 2024-25 All-Observer boys’ high school basketball team.
The 30-member team includes the top 20 players in The Observer’s coverage area in addition to five-person all-defensive and all-freshman teams.
The All-Observer teams include NCHSAA and NCISAA players from Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Union counties, and were selected by The Observer’s high school staff along with N.C. basketball experts Rick Lewis and Randall Clark, who are co-hosts of the media company’s “Talking Preps” streaming show.
▪ College of Charleston recruit Chadlyn Traylor, one of the chief architects of North Mecklenburg’s 4A state championship win last month, is The Observer’s player of the year. He is the third straight Viking to win the award, after former McDonald’s All-American Isaiah Evans, now a freshman at Duke, won the previous two.
Traylor, a 6-foot-3 point guard, averaged 19 points, six assists and four rebounds per game. The N.C. Basketball Coaches Association named Traylor its District 9 player of the year and a first-team all-state public school performer. Traylor had 22 points in the Vikings’ 59-56 win over Wilmington’s New Hanover High School in the state final and won his second straight state championship at North Mecklenburg. He also won a state championship, in the 3A class, at West Charlotte.
▪ North Mecklenburg’s Duane Lewis is a co-coach of the year. Lewis led the Vikings to a 30-3 record and the school’s fourth state championship. North Meck, which ended the season winning 23 of its final 24 games, lost to one N.C. team all season. The Vikings avenged that loss against conference rival Chambers in the state semifinals.
Lewis — whom The Observer recently named as one of Charlotte’s best coaches of the past 40 years — now has won a record three All-Observer coach of the year awards and has four NCHSAA basketball state championships, the most of any Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools coach, men’s or women’s, in history. He is also second all-time in wins for a boys’ CMS coach, with a 565-164 overall record. Lewis trails West Charlotte’s Charles McCullough, who was 583-255. Lewis has five state finals appearances, 10 regional appearances and more than 10 conference and 10 conference tournament championships in his career.
▪ Corvian Community Charter School’s Ron Murphy shares the coach of the year with Lewis. After losing a heartbreaker in the 2023 state championship game, after leading Wilson Prep in the final seconds, Corvian went back to the state finals and won the championship last month, scoring the winning bucket at the buzzer.
Murphy’s team finished 24-7. Just five years ago, Corvian was 5-7. Since then, the team is 93-28, including 72-18 under Murphy in the past three seasons.
A self-proclaimed basketball junkie, Murphy has been a longtime summer travel basketball coach and his son, Qon, was a star player at Cannon School nearly a decade ago. Now he’s made history. A year ago, Corvian became the first Charlotte team to play in a small school state championship game since Matthews School lost to Camp Lejeune in the 1950 Class B state championship. This year, his team became the first small-class Charlotte school to win the title.
All-Observer first team
Tarris Bouie, Chambers, 6-7, Jr., W: One of the nation’s top recruits in his class, Bouie averaged 20.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.9 blocks, helping lead his team to the N.C. 4A Western Regional championship game.
R.J. Moore Jr., Corvian Community, 6-5, soph., W: The son of former high school All-American and UConn star Ricky Moore, R.J. Moore averaged 23.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals to lead Corvian to its first state title. His 3-point jump shot at the buzzer won the game, 58-55 over Southern Wake, in overtime.
LJ Smith, Lincolnton, 6-5, soph, W: Smith averaged 33.1 points per game, No. 23 nationally and No. 1 in North Carolina, to go with 9.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.6 steals and one block per game. He set a new single-season scoring record for a N.C. public school sophomore. His 993 points is third most by any N.C. public school player and broke the state sophomore record of 892 set by Eastern Alamance’s JamesOn Curry in 2002.
Trent Steinour, Lake Norman, 6-10, Sr, C: Steinour led his team to a national ranking and a top spot in The Observer’s Sweet 16 poll for much of the season. A finalist for N.C. Mr. Basketball, Steinour averaged 17.5 points, 12.4 rebounds and four blocks per game. He has signed with Clemson.
Chadlyn Traylor, North Mecklenburg, 6-3, Sr., PG: The College of Charleston commit led the Vikings to back-to-back state championship games. He won his third state championship as a high school player and averaged 19 points, six assists and four rebounds per game this season.
All-Observer second team
Brett Freeman, Ardrey Kell, 6-5, Sr, PG
Markus Kerr, Chambers, 6-6, Jr, PG/SG
Tre’ McKinnon, Lake Norman, 6-5, Sr., F
Bryce Slay, Carmel Christian, 6-6, Sr., W
KJ Younger, Weddington, 6-4, Sr, W
All-Observer honorable mention
Mike Brown, Hopewell, 6-1, Sr., PG
Jaxon Dollar, East Lincoln, 6-5, soph, F
Chris Eagan, Charlotte Catholic, 6-8, Sr, C
Nick Hailey, Providence Day, 6-5, Sr, SG
Kellen Kerr, North Lincoln, 6-6, Sr, F
Jonah Lawrence, Providence Day, 6-5, Sr, G
Cameron Newman, Gaston Christian, 6-0, Jr, PG
Ashton Pierce, North Mecklenburg, 6-3, Jr, W
Will Stevens, Davidson Day, 6-11, Jr, C
Travien Williams, Hickory Ridge, 6-2, soph, G
Observer all-defensive team
Nick Arnold, Lake Norman, 5-11, Jr, G
Tarris Bouie, Chambers, 6-7, Jr, W
Carson Evans, North Mecklenburg, 6-2, Sr, G
Lusemo Macharia, Independence, 6-6, So, F
Trent Steinour, Lake Norman, 6-10, Sr., C
Defensive player of the year: Lusemo Macharia, Independence
Observer all-freshman team
Kaharri Coleman, Harding, 6-3, PG
DJ Lindsey, Charlotte Country Day, 6-0, PG/SG
Sherod McCormick III, Cox Mill, 5-11, PG
Chase Smith, Queen’s Grant, 6-8, PF
Jaleel Smith, Hunter Huss, 6-1, PG
Freshman of the year: Chase Smith, Queen’s Grant
Previous players, coaches of the year
2023-24: Isaiah Evans (North Meck); Chris McDonald (South Mecklenburg)
2022-23: Isaiah Evans (North Meck); James Baker (Central Cabarrus)
2021-22: Cade Tyson (Carmel Christian); Gary Ellington (Weddington)
2020-21: Robert Dillingham (Combine); Jeff McInnis (Combine)
2019-20: Jaden Bradley (Cannon); Duane Lewis (North Mecklenburg)
2018-19: Wendell Moore (Cox Mill); Joe Badgett (Carmel Christian)
2017-18: Wendell Moore (Cox Mill); Preston Davis (Independence)
2016-17: Jairus Hamilton (Cannon); Jody Barbee (Cox Mill)
2015-16: Grant Williams (Providence Day); Brian Field (Providence Day), Mike King (Charlotte Catholic)
2014-15: Steven Santa Ana (Ardrey Kell), Grant Williams (Providence Day); Mike Craft (Ardrey Kell)
2013-14: Gabe DeVoe (Shelby); Byron Dinkins (Northside Christian)
2012-13: Kennedy Meeks (West Charlotte); Ty Baumgardner (Olympic)
2011-12: Braxton Ogbueze (United Faith); Baronton Terry (West Charlotte)
2010-11: Terry Whisnant (Cherryville); Ron Bray (Hunter Huss)
2009-10: Ian Miller (United Faith); Johnny Sowell (Monroe)
2008-09: Ian Miller (United Faith); Aubrey Hollifield (Shelby)
2007-08: Malik Stith (East Meck); Jason Grube (East Meck)
2006-07: Dee Bost (Concord); Andy Poplin (Concord)
2005-06: Jeremy Goode (Providence Day); Duane Lewis (North Meck)
2004-05: Jamie Skeen (North Meck); Gosnell White (W. Charlotte)
2003-04: Anthony Morrow (Char. Latin); John Smith (Great Falls, S.C.)
2002-03: Anthony Morrow (Char. Latin); Kurt Wessler (Vance)
2001-02: Donte Minter (W. Rowan); Mike Gurley (W. Rowan)
2000-01: Curtis Withers (W. Charlotte); Larry Dixon (Garinger)
1999-00: Scooter Sherrill (W. Rowan); Scott Brewer (Central Cabarrus)
1998-99: Jason Parker (W. Charlotte); Gosnell White (W. Charlotte)
1997-98: Jason Parker (W. Charlotte); Terry Rogers (Freedom)
This story was originally published April 4, 2025 at 6:30 AM.
