Greetings HS hoops junkies from across the finally basketball bouncing piedmont! The Sadster is here once again to shed some light on the question of who will finish where when all of the chips fall in this abbreviated 2021 I-MECK 4A campaign. Some teams suffered some season-altering defections of players and there were some changes on the coaching carousel to boot. In 2020 the conference produced another State Championship team in the form of a dominant North Meck team. The big question is, can the Vikings repeat as a state champion and continue their dominance in the conference' We shall see! The Amazing One won’t be surprised to see multiple teams tie in the standings this season as 3rd through 6th could be muddled again. We will now look at the predicted order of finish. After which, each team will have its own synopsis in the order that they are predicted to finish in. To the picks!!!!
1. NORTH MECK
2. VANCE
3. HOPEWELL
4. WEST CHARLOTTE
5. HOUGH
6. LAKE NORMAN
7. MALLARD CREEK
8. MOORESVILLE
NORTH MECK
Thankfully for Viking opponents, the Tristan Maxwell era has been relegated to the history books. The bad news for their opponents is that there’s a wealth of talent stepping into the spotlight. North returns two all-conference starters on the frontline in do-it-all Davidson signee, 6’5 SR F Chris Ford and budding superstar, 6’7 JR C Jeremy Gregory. On the perimeter, a talented and experienced group awaits opponents, led by 6’0 SR G Tony Waters, 6’2 JR G Davion Cunningham, and 6’2 JR bombardier Jordan Crawford. 6’1 SR G Cam Gates, 6’2 SR Josh McClary, 6’0 JR G Maxwell Coles, and 6’2 SR skywalker Michael Myrie will also give solid minutes. The Norsemen are primed for another deep playoff run and have plenty of firepower to win the conference and stay ahead of……….
VANCE
The Cougars are one of the teams that suffered near-crippling defections as Trey Green and Jaylen Curry moved on. However, the cupboard is not bare as 6’0 SO G Chastin Gatewood transferred in from Butler, easing the pain of the defections. The Cats’ fortunes hinge greatly on the wide shoulders of 6’7 JR C Daniel Sanford, who will control the paint. Teaming up on the frontline is 6’6 FR F Maurio Hanson who has a large upside and 6’5 JR F Anthony Moore and the lone senior on the roster, 6’6 C Justice Asante, will pitch in. In the backcourt, the action will be controlled by the improving 5’9 SO G Cory Gaines. He will be joined by the key trio of Gatewood, 6’0 JR G Kendall Smith, and 6’0 JR G Antoine Piper. If Coach Frasier’s crew can find consistent perimeter scoring and defends well, they can make a run at a conference title and stay ahead of…………..
HOPEWELL
The Titans 2021 squad has a new skipper in former WC assistant Jaron Goodson. The Well’s playoff hopes begin in the hands of their leader, 6’3 SR G,F Antonio Perkins, who should lead them in scoring. Another refugee from Butler, 5’10 SR PG Jordan “J5” McPhatter will run the show. He is a crafty southpaw who possesses cat-like quickness. Another key cog is 6’1 SG Thomas Jackson, who needs to add scoring punch from the perimeter to stretch the floor for the improving 6’8 SR C Tyjae Haynes. Another senior, 6’6 F Jayden Smith, needs to step up his offense and rebounding if the Titans are to be in the top 3 and stay ahead of……….
WEST CHARLOTTE
The Lions outlook this season depends greatly on how well they replace their guard losses. Former PG Marcus Magness is, at this time, no longer playing but there is hope at the guard spot. 6’0 SR PG Ce’drek Mangum and 6’0 SO G Ollie Alford will handle the rock while 6’4 SR SG Jordan Taylor has a chance to stretch the defense out for the bigs. Speaking of bigs; they will be anchored by 6’7 SR F Josiah Dow, who has improved his outside shooting. 6’8 SO C Donovan Raymond must rebound and defend well and 6’5 JR F Chancellor Morrow needs to slash his way to a consistent season. 6’5 SO F Darion Rivers should add depth, and the Lions will need it to challenge to move up and stay ahead of………
HOUGH
The Maye Era is now over and the Huskies have to find a new identity. That should come in the form of 6’4 JR G Graham Worland, who is a gifted three-level scorer and team leader. He will be joined on the perimeter by 6’4 SR G Nick Shryock and the experienced 5’11 SR G Ryan Viruso. 6’4 SR F Cal Riehl adds punch from downtown and 6’3 SO F Rashad McCormack brings athleticism to the table. The Dogs are not blessed with size but will play their pace and play hard as Coach Grube’s teams do. They need to find a way to rebound well if they are to have a chance to move up and stay ahead of……….
LAKE NORMAN
The Wildcats will be an experienced team but will not possess great size either. They will be a very gritty group and will be led by 5’10 SR PG Clay Hodges who is a solid floor General and pressures the ball well on defense. He will be assisted in the backcourt by 6’1 SR G Camden Kepley and could get help from 6’0 SR G Jason Gruber or 6’1 SR G,F Demario Butler. 6’5 SR F Seth Aeschliman is a matchup problem for opponents as he can score on all three levels. He will get help from the 6’3 SR F Christian Taylor who also is a scorer. 6’4 JR F Davis Wagner must contribute nightly for the Lakers to have a shot at a higher finish and to stay ahead of……….
MALLARD CREEK
The Mavericks have former Hopewell Coach Michael McNeil in his first year at the helm. He has to rally the troops to move up. That starts in the backcourt with 6’2 JR G D.J. Paige who is a good perimeter shooter. 6’4 SR G,F Austin Johnson is a team leader, and 6’2 SR G,F Merdi Asumani needs to contribute as well. The baseline is manned by 6’7 SO F,C Jordan McElderry who must rebound and defend at a fairly high level if The Creek has a chance to move up and stay ahead of………..
MOORESVILLE
The Blue Devils are the 3rd conference team with new management. Former North Meck assistant Armard Moore has made Motown his first Head Coaching gig and is trying to change the culture. To do that you must-have pieces. 6’3 JR G K.C. Shaw is talented and a good anchor to stabilize things with. He will get help from 6’0 JR G Paxton Broadway and lone senior 6’0 G Aavanth Ezhilan, who is a solid spot-up shooter. 6’4 SR F Jordan Smith needs to play big consistently to help the Devils get out of the I-MECK cellar and move forward.
There you have it, folks! The ol’ cubic zirconia ball (can’t afford crystal) has spoken and the die is cast. Although fans aren’t allowed in games this season, you may find podcasts to watch your favorite team. The Great One will return every week with his Furious 5. Stay tuned!!!
SAD SAM – HS HOOPS GENIUS