All Brackets: https://www.ncisaa.org/playoff-brackets/?sport=13¤tyear=1
It’s that time of the year again. Private school basketball has concluded its regular season schedule and will begin postseason play this Tuesday. With the first round only days away, it feels like the ideal time to take a closer look at each classification and highlight some of the potential title winners. It’s always worth remembering these are merely previews and predictions that have no actual impact on the games being played. Let’s dive into each…
Moving onto the classification that always seems to have the thinnest possible margins to emerge victorious: 3A. The teams who have consistently contended for titles, Concord Academy, Greensboro Day, Asheville Christian, Gaston Christian, and High Point Christian, claim five of the top six seeds. The only new addition, Davidson Day, moved up from 2A following their state championship run last season. Outside of the top grouping, Asheville School and Grace Christian Sanford are two teams that could surprise some folks.
In looking at the top seeds, it’s truly anyone’s game. Concord Academy has the coaching, structure, and depth of talent to compete with anyone. Between Jake Benham, Lincoln Raper, James Minlend, Gray Madeira, Alek Kornacki, and Icare Bakadisula, they can hurt opponents in a lot of different ways. Meanwhile, Greensboro Day is regarded as one of the most storied programs in the country for a reason. This current roster is as talented as any in recent years. The Bengals are extremely deep with guys like Jaden Palmore, Marty Giant, Andrew Juergens, Addison Newkirk, Micah Gunter, JJ Short, Trace Moffitt, Julian Adigun, Mason Robinson, Ace Flagg, and Grant Duggins. It wouldn’t shock anyone to see Coach Johnson put another trophy in the case.
Davidson Day has seen some ups and downs this season, but they are still loaded with talent. Outside of Isaiah Denis, guys like Will Stevens, Lincoln Vinson, Levon Jacobs, and Ja Spruill are enough to overwhelm the vast majority of opponents. The fourth seed, Asheville Christian, has an abundance of impactful pieces. Between Zach Peterson, Pavlo Markiv, Heath Skjoldager, Ian Bailey, Gabe Erbeck, and Liviu Anton, they have the talent to compete with anyone in the state.
Rounding out the 3A preview, Asheville School and Grace Christian Sanford are two squads worth watching. Asheville School might not have the depth, but they are capable of having the two best players on the floor (Miki Gacic and Heimir Helgason) at any given time. Furthermore, Grace Christian has arguably outperformed expectations given their status as a young, blossoming program with a slew of intriguing prospects.