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 (Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem) 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…
Forsyth Country Day School
Last Season: 12-10 (Lost in NCISAA Second Round to Hickory Grove)
Though it isn’t often talked about, the Triad is host to some of the top private school programs in the entire state. Almost everyone is familiar with the history of Greensboro Day, Wesleyan Christian, High Point Christian, and Westchester Country Day, but how quickly they forget about Forsyth Country Day. They’ve been about five years removed from relevance and struggled to regain their footing after Howard West departed from his position as head coach. However, in just two seasons, Coach Monty Gray has completely turned things around and the direction of the program is as optimistic as ever. There might be some hurdles on the horizon but it should be noted that last year’s roster only had one senior, which basically ensures they’ll take another step forward. Jay Mitchell stood out as their leader and should have no problem reassuming his position. He’s a smart, tough, and understands how to effectively dictate the action on both ends of the floor. Not only does he appear very comfortable as the primary option for this group, but we’ve also seen him thrive in a condensed role with Team Winston. Mitchell has the makings of a next level player and looks poised for a productive senior campaign. Chance Carter joins Mitchell as the only rising seniors who saw significant playing opportunity last season. His defense and perimeter shooting are both major assets for the Furies, giving them somewhat of a 3-and-D identity. Though slightly undersized, Brandon Morgan was another player maintained a pretty useful presence throughout the year. They have enough experienced veteran pieces to compete with most teams in North Carolina. However, their young prospects are arguably even more enticing with guys like William Gray and Draven Pilson. Gray is a sharp, intelligent guard prospect with excellent craftiness and the ability to overwhelm opposing guards when creating off the bounce. He’s a useful playmaker with vision but simply seems beyond his years as a scorer, given the way he breaks down defenses and reacts to counters. Gray forces a ton of turnovers through quickness and anticipation, which allowed him to stand out as one of the most productive players on this roster as a freshman and start gaining traction as a college-level prospect. Pilson didn’t receive a ton of opportunity last season but has the necessary size and skillset to turn into a phenomenal high school prospect. It’ll be exciting to see how a team surrounded with so much intrigue fares throughout the upcoming season.