Today, the North Carolina public school playoffs will resume with the third round of games. Each classification has 16 teams left and plenty of potential outcomes on the horizon. In 1A, there’s still a slew of legitimate contenders with five of the six top-seeded teams remaining. While it’s easy to lean on the favorites, it feels like not enough people are talking about Southern Wake Academy and their potential to win a championship. After we’ve seen them multiple times this season, it feels like this group is hitting its stride and playing their best basketball of the year.
Given the fact they earned a two-seed, the Lions are as talented as any team in the field. Seung Surmons is quietly one of the more aggressive scorers in the state; Kobe Plata is a highly intelligent floor general who sets the tone on both ends of the floor; Bryan Epperson is long, athletic, and excels at doing the dirty work; Ira Wilson is a skilled, versatile forward with the ability to cause matchup problems. Add in William Knight and various others, and it’s easy to see this group beating any opponent. Their balanced structure allows them to wreak havoc in a variety of ways.
They face Chatham Charter tonight. Should they win, they will play against the winner of Bertie/Northampton. Washington County has yet to be challenged by any opponent, so it’ll be interesting to see a potential matchup against the Lions. Southern Wake Academy realistically has the pieces to come out of the East and challenge whoever emerges from the West. Don’t be surprised if this group is capable of winning it all.