North Meck, No. 1 in The Sweet 16, seeks historic third straight NCHSAA title
North Mecklenburg boys’ basketball coach Duane Lewis led his team to the school’s first-ever state championship in the sport 20 years ago.
After winning in 2005, North Meck went back to the finals in 2006 and lost. It took them 14 years to get back to the finals.
But since that 2019-20 season, the Vikings have been about as big a dynasty as any in Mecklenburg County history: 10 straight regular-season conference championships, six straight final fours, three state championships, including the past two, and an overall record of 157-16.
“People always say we are going to fall apart,” said Lewis, whose team starts the 2025-26 season at No. 1 in The Observer’s Sweet 16 preseason poll. “When we lost (past stars) Tristan Maxwell and Davion Mintz, they said it. We lost (current Duke star) Isaiah (Evans), it was the same thing. I’m like, ‘Y’all buy into the system and we’ll be all right. We’ll be right there at the end.’”
And this year, perhaps not surprisingly, Lewis likes his chances to be in the mix again.
“Do I think we’ll win a state championship? I don’t know,” Lewis said. “I know we’ll play really hard and play a lot of defense. I know I’ve got a whole team of kids who can play.”
Lewis’ team won last season after losing Evans, who The Observer named the best Charlotte high school basketball player in 40 years. Playing in Winston-Salem, the Vikings became the first Mecklenburg County 4A public school team since West Charlotte in the early ‘90s to win back-to-back state titles.
This year, North Meck chases more local history.
No Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ team has won three NCHSAA boys’ titles consecutively since South Mecklenburg from 1970-72.
North Meck will take aim at that history with just two starters back from its most recent 30-3 state championshp team — combo guard Ashton Pierce and forward Exzavier Young. Pierce (14 ppg, 4 rpg, 3 apg) has committed to D1 Sacramento State. Young (11 ppg, 8 rpg) is a college recruit.
And Lewis thinks that 6-4 junior Alex Lewandowski, who has become a Division I recruit, will be a big part of the Vikings’ story this season.
“I think we’re going to be good,” Lewis said. “I don’t know how good we’ll be, but we have a standard and our guys are pumped and excited. Some people say the summer doesn’t matter, but we lost one game. We went to Philly for a big live event, and played all the Pennsylvania powerhouses. We to camps at UNC and Queens and played quality teams.
“We had a great summer. We’re ready to go.”
Note: The Sweet 16, which began in 1984, ranks the top teams in The Observer’s coverage area, which currently includes NCHSAA and NCISAA schools in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Union counties. The poll is compiled by longtime N.C. basketball expert Rick Lewis, a co-host of The Observer’s streaming Talking Preps show.
The Observer’s preseason Sweet 16 poll
Rk., School, 2024-25 record
1. North Mecklenburg (30-3)
2. Davidson Day (22-13)
3. Queen’s Grant (27-8)
4. Myers Park (17-13)
5. Providence Day (27-5)
6. Gaston Christian (25-8)
7. Carmel Christian (18-8)
8. West Charlotte (10-15)
9. Concord Academy (31-4)
10. Mooresville (24-4)
11. Chambers (23-9)
12. South Mecklenburg (17-11)
13. Hunter Huss (20-9)
14. Independence (23-6)
15. Hickory Ridge (16-12)
16. Charlotte Catholic (20-7)
