The high school basketball landscape in North Carolina is consistently filled with excitement. Whether players, coaches, or something in-between, there's always something noteworthy happening within the grassroots scene. Take, for example, the recent hiring of Michael Laney as the Head Coach at Covenant Day. Everyone should already know about him through his time as the Director of Team Hope, but let's take a closer look for those who are unaware…
In looking at Covenant Day, they have all the necessary resources to brew up something special. Between the actual school, its location, and the ability to get attract talented prospects, folks should have pretty strong expectations for Laney and his new program. Just look at their roster makeup from two seasons ago: Aden Holloway, Iffy Ufochukwu, Michael Marcus, DJ Boyce, Marcus Brown, Jamir Brown, and Daniel Nelson. This program is capable of getting quality pieces, so Laney should have no real issue in that department.
For those curious, Team Hope has easily been among the top grouping of independent programs within North Carolina over the last few years. They've already placed countless guys in college to continue their playing career, and that doesn't even include names like Bishop Boswell who started with the program. Their current grouping of Pat Tivnan, DJ Boyce, Michael Wilson, Eli Clark, and Brayden Blue (in addition to various others) should all find success at the next level. Beyond the on-paper talent, they have continually competed with (and beaten) noteworthy opponents with Laney at the helm.
It’s unclear how there could be anything other than optimism surrounding Laney's hiring. Not only is he a quality basketball coach, but he's a great person who genuinely shows care in these kids beyond the court. He should be able to assemble this Lions' program into one of the more competitive teams across the Charlotte area'which is widely regarded as the most talented city in the state. Folks should be watching closely as Laney begins to assert himself as a name worth noting within the NCISAA coaching ranks.