It's been stated before, but the high school basketball scene has transformed into something comparable to NBA free agency. On one hand, the kneejerk reaction is to pose an argument for why/how transferring or reclassifying could have a positive effect on said player. The other side of the token typically points to the lack of loyalty, structure, or overall negative effects that could potentially arise. However, the reality is somewhere in the middle. Public school coaches are never going to voluntarily offer up their players for private school programs to poach. There are various examples of players transferring from public schools to other public schools but it's certainly uncommon. Despite being largely painted out as the villains in this comparison, private school coaches are expected to perform a job, which unfortunately requires them to seek out talent from all possible avenues. 

That being said, covering the greater Greensboro area over the last four years has brought a lot of enjoyment. This upcoming season will likely be more unpredictable than ever before, as there will be an extremely unique collection of talent for public and private schools. This series will be ongoing and broken down into numerous parts, so be conscientious of that if your team doesn't appear'

Northwest Guilford

Last Season: 24-5 (Lost in NCHSAA Quarterfinals to Olympic)

The end of an era is finally here. Watching the duo of Christian Hampton and Dean Reiber over the last four years has been an absolute blessing, given the unique contrast between their respective games and the ability to complement each other on the court. Hampton was an electric player but his two-way leadership is arguably the most valuable trait they'll lose from his departure. Reiber was an obvious asset, as would most 6-foot-9 players in Greensboro public school basketball, and has the tools to find success at Rutgers. Although it might look like the ship is sinking from afar, Coach Lee Reavis is not someone to bet against. Unlike some others in this series, Reavis has consistently found success with the hand he's dealt with. Whether it requires taking a team from bad to good or good to great, he's shown the ability to pull the most out of his roster on a yearly basis. Aside from the aforementioned pairing, the Vikings will also lose Robbie Boulton, Brandon Thomas, Jackson Humphrey, Shaq Marsh, and Khari Carson.

With their top five scorers departing, Connor Ballou will likely become the new focal point. His three-point shooting was noteworthy throughout the last calendar year, but the new-look roster will need him to do even more. His ability to transition from a scoring threat to team leader will be an interesting subplot to monitor over the season, even though he's shown flashes of being able to be an effective floor general. Jake Kawalec is another guy who has seen limited playing opportunities but could emerge as one of their most useful guards. Drew Watkins and Jackson Hartzell should also see an uptick in playing time and overall production. Watkins is probably the most versatile prospect remaining on this roster and can operate within numerous different roles/positions for this group. Meanwhile, Hartzell is a lethal shooting threat that could seamlessly slide into Ballou's role from last season as the primary spot-up option. Beyond those guys, this roster will look completely different. They are expected to add the rest of their roster from JV but have a system and coaching staff in place to legitimately stay relevant.'