All-Observer boys’ basketball: Meet the top players in the region

Hunter Huss point guard Jaleel Smith didn’t start the 2025-26 school year at the Gaston County school, but he led the Huskies to a season fans will remember for a long time.

Smith, a 6-foot-1 sophomore , transferred from Winston-Salem Christian in September, just weeks before basketball practice officially began.

He led the Huskies to their first state championship in 15 years, with 41 points in a runaway win over Wilson’s Fike High School in the NCHSAA 5A final.

Smith is The Observer’s high school boys’ basketball player of the year.

Smith already has offers from Mississippi State, N.C. State and Wake Forest. He averaged 26 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 steals for Hunter Huss, which finished the season 26-2 and won the fourth state title in school history.

The All-Observer boys’ coach of the year is West Mecklenburg’s Chris Ewell.

Ewell, a rookie coach, took over a team that was 0-25 a year ago.

He led the Hawks to an 18-10 record and a conference championship. It was West Meck’s first league title in 18 years and its first winning season in 15 years.

West Mecklenburg won the most games since the 2007-08 season, when the Hawks went 19-7.

Ewell also led the team to its first third-round playoff berth in 17 years.

Charlotte Latin’s Emory Chaney and Butler’s Isaiah White are the All-Observer freshman and defensive player of the year.

Chaney, a 5-10 point guard, started playing varsity basketball as an eighth grader. This season, he averaged 19.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists. Chaney led the Hawks in points and was second in rebounds and assists. Charlotte Latin (19-10) reached the N.C. private school state semifinals.

White, a 6-7 junior forward, averaged 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 blocks, plus 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals this season. Butler finished 16-10 overall.

FIRST TEAM

Jaleel Smith, Hunter Huss, 6-1, Soph, PG: A finalist for the N.C. Mr. Basketball, Smith averaged 26 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 steals for the 5A state champions.

Jaxon Dollar, East Lincoln, 6-6, Jr, F: A top national football recruit, Dollar also excelled in basketball averaging 21 points, 10.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 3.2 steals and 1.6 blocks for the Mustangs.

Kaharri Coleman, West Charlotte, 6-4, Soph, PG: The MVP of the NCHSAA 8A state championship game, Coleman averaged 18.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 3.1 steals and 1.9 blocks for the Lions.

Ashton Pierce, North Mecklenburg, 6-3, Sr., SG: Sacramento State signee was a finalist for the 2025-26 N.C. Mr. Basketball Award. He averaged 20 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists for a N.C. 7A Western Regional finalist.

Chase Smith, Queen’s Grant, 6-8, Soph, P: The MVP of the NCHSAA 2A state championship game and conference player of the year averaged 16.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks for The Observer Sweet 16 and state champions.

SECOND TEAM

Mekhi Allen, Queen’s Grant, 6-7, Soph, F

Travien Williams, Hickory Ridge, 6-2, Jr, G

Sean Nix, Cannon School, 6-4, Jr, W

ChaCho Womack, West Charlotte, 6-5, Soph, W

Cam Newman, Gaston Christian, 6-1, Sr, PG

HONORABLE MENTION

Thomas Vickery, Myers Park, 6-6, Jr, W

Jim Gatehouse, South Mecklenburg, 6-5, Sr., W

Jack Siegel, Charlotte Catholic, 6-4, Sr., G

ExZavier Young, North Mecklenburg, 6-4, Sr, F

Zeke Battier, Providence Day, 6-7, Jr., F

Lincoln Raper, Concord Academy, 6-1, Sr., G

Logan Johnson, Carmel Christian, 6-5, Sr, W

Braden Suggs, Ardrey Kell, 6-1, Jr, PG

Henry Smith, Marvin Ridge, 6-4, Sr, F

Terrance Badio, Butler, 6-3, Sr, G

ALL-DEFENSE

Isaiah White, Butler, 6-7, Jr, F*

Lusemo Macharia, Independence, 6-7, Jr, F

Taurean McKinnon, Mooresville, 6-4, Sr., F

Bobby Montgomery, Queen’s Grant, 5-9, Soph, G

Wilson Estwick, North Mecklenburg, 6-2, Sr., G

*-Denotes defensive player of the year

ALL-FRESHMAN

Emory Chaney, Charlotte Latin, 5-10, PG*

Ethan Hurley, Community School, 6-2, PG/SG

MJ McKinney, Hopewell, 6-1, PG

Donte Caviness, Harding, 5-8, PG

Kameron Davis, Lake Norman Charter, 6-2, PG/SG

*-denotes All-Observer freshman of the year

This story was originally published April 10, 2026 at 5:30 AM.

Langston Wertz Jr.

The Charlotte Observer

704-358-5133

Langston Wertz Jr. is an award-winning sports journalist who has worked at the Observer since 1988. He’s covered everything from Final Fours and NFL to video games and Britney Spears. Wertz -- a West Charlotte High and UNC grad -- is the rare person who can answer “Charlotte,” when you ask, “What city are you from.” Support my work with a digital subscription