After a lot of stressors throughout the last twelve to fourteen months, the grassroots basketball landscape has finally returned to normalcy. The shoe-circuits and high school LIVE periods were restored for the betterment of these young prospects who are simply fighting for an equal opportunity to advance to the collegiate ranks. Although this presents Division I programs with the chance to start attending events, most non-D1s have already been allowed to travel over the last year or so. So, with the NCHSAA and NCISAA LIVE periods quickly approaching, we figured it would be beneficial to take a closer look at the expected talent on display. This article will start with the Nighthawks of Northern Guilford'

Schedule:

6/18: NGHS v. Heritage

6/18: NGHS v. Northern Nash

6/19: NGHS v. Hickory

6/19: NGHS v. Cox Mill

6/20: NGHS v. Cave Spring

6/20: NGHS v. Independence

Key Returners:

6'6 '22 Nolan Hodge

6'0 '22 Jackson Helms

6'2 '22 Manny Elliott

Key Departures:

6'4 '21 Adonijah Whitley

5'11 '21 Owen Griffith

Outlook:

After enjoying one of their best seasons in school history, the Nighthawks have a steep hill to climb to repeat their recent success. Most folks outside of the program didn't seem to fully realize their value last season, but the losses of Whitley and Griffith will be devastating for this group. Whitley was easily the best and most versatile defender on the team. He set the tone with his natural feel and overall production as a glue-guy, never forcing the action and legitimately thriving within a role. From a similar vein, Griffith also stood out as an incredible teammate and the type of player that any team can utilize. His scrappy, heady mentality combined with toughness, defensive prowess, and a high motor allowed the lead guard to set the tone at the point of attack while applying downhill pressure as an offensive force. 

However, their core grouping of Hodge, Helms, and Elliott should still have no problem carrying the load for Northern Guilford. Although their move to 4A is pretty brutal, they should still be able to keep the ship afloat. Hodge still feels widely underrated amongst college coaches. His offensive abilities as a legitimate 6-foot-6 guard should appeal to various types of Division I programs. Though his offer sheet has consistently grown, Hodge should have more than four scholarships. Meanwhile, Helms and Elliott complement their leader quite well. Helms is rugged and plays extremely hard, but also displays vision and useful point guard ability. He's great when attacking in the open floor, but can also hit jumpers or operate effectively without the ball in his hands. Helms is a nice athlete and shows a consistent willingness to make hustle plays. On the other hand, Elliott makes his impact as a pure three-level scorer with defensive prowess. He offers instant offense, able to generate clean looks and score in a variety of different ways while constantly forcing turnovers and pushing transition play. Each of the aforementioned trio should be monitored closely by college coaches during the upcoming weekend.