Greetings HS hoops junkies from across the cloudy and chilly piedmont! It’s time once again for the Sadster to peel back the murky layers of preseason uncertainty using the ol’ cubic zirconia ball (can’t afford real crystal) and reveal the order of finish in December. The 20-21 campaign was an asterisk in the history books as cancellations abounded and because of that the predictions of The Great One were drastically altered, as were his state playoff predictions as the seeding was inaccurate at best. North Meck continued their conference dominance and made a trip back to the Final 4 but was nipped by a homestanding Ardrey Kell squad, who then let Millbrook off the hook in the state finals. But have no fear in 21-22 because normalcy has returned. The Sad One will rebound like Dennis Rodman and is ready to press forward. The questions that loom in the conference formerly known as the I-Meck 4A are…. can the Vikings continue their run' Can Vance er….uh Chambers break through and end up on top' And can West Charlotte, now a 3A club, finish on top and take 3A gold in states' Transfers played a big role in the off-season as North Meck and Hough lost a couple of big fish and Chambers got back their prodigal son. Reshuffling also is playing a big role as the conference is a split 3A/4A league with West Charlotte and West Meck being the lone 3A teams. Once again, it does seem that there is a separation between the Big 3 and the rest of the pack. We will now look at the predicted order of finish and then break down each team. To the picks!!!
1. CHAMBERS
2. WEST CHARLOTTE
3. NORTH MECK
4. HOUGH
5. HOPEWELL
6. MALLARD CREEK
7. WEST MECK
CHAMBERS
The Cougars are the sexy pick to come out of the West and for good reason. They welcome Prodigal Son Jaylen Curry back to the fold after spending a year at Combine Academy. The 6’2 JR G will lead the Cats on the floor and probably in scoring as well. He is joined in the backcourt by 6’1 SR Kendall Smith and improved 6’4 SR G Antoine Piper. 6’6 JR Nick Dorn will also help out at the guard and forward spots providing versatile depth. The frontline is anchored by the rim attacking 6’8 SR F,C Daniel Sanford, a South Carolina commit. By his side on the baseline is his heir apparent in the post, 6’6 SO F,C Maurio Hanson. 6’5 JR F Evan Ashemore also has a chance to help out upfront. The Cougars are primed for a deep state playoff run but must defend and handle pressure to finish on top ahead of……..
WEST CHARLOTTE
The Lions have moved down to 3A but that won’t curb their hunger for more success. They are The Great One’s pick to come out of the West in their respective class as this conference could boast 2 state champions from the same league. The Den will be energized by a big and talented baseline led by 6’9 JR C Donovan Raymond and the versatile 6’5 SR swingman Chancellor Morrow. 6’6 JR F Darion Rivers needs to provide solid minutes and go to the glass and 6’10 Muhammad Kone should get some shine-off-the-pine as well. The backcourt is not as deep but experienced as 6’1 Ollie Alford will direct traffic as well as score. He is joined on the perimeter by shooter 6’0 SR Landon King. Mari Day, a 6’1 JR G will have a chance to spell King and Alford as well. The Lions will have to show chemistry as well as shoot the 3 ball effectively to have a shot at the title, and stay ahead of……..
NORTH MECK
The Vikings have enjoyed conference supremacy for years now but the defection of 6’8 C Jeremy Gregory to Oak Hill makes that task extremely difficult this season. However, at North, they don’t rebuild, they reload and that’s just what has happened in the form of 6’6 SO W Isaiah Evans, who is the next Viking poster child. Seasoned guard play is a comfort with a 6’2 SR bombardier like Jordan Crawford and all-around talent 6’2 SR G Davion Cunningham to steady the course. 6’0 SR G Maxwell Coles is the 3rd guard in the 3 or 4 outset and 6’7 SR shooter Tyree Bracey will also get extensive minutes. The frontline will be helped by 6’5 SO F transfer Christian Foy and if the Norsemen need some boards they can “call Demoris Jenkins” who is a 6’5 JR F. The Vikings have a different look this year and aren’t saddled with the pressure of high expectations which make them a danger to move up as they keep ahead of……..
HOUGH
The stunning departure of Graham Worland has left a huge void in the Husky offense but Coach Grube will figure it out come conference time. A good place to start is 6′ 6 JR G Rashad McCormick. The other 2 guard spots are a little murky but 6’2 SR Melvin Sifford and 5’11 JR John Worland could figure into the mix with a few others. The front court has good size in 6’7 JR F Ryan Temple and 6’4 SR F Kevin Stiff. The baseline could also be helped out by 6’5 F Colin Hirsh. The Huskies will play their deliberate style a la Virginia but will be better in late January than in early December. They must rebound and defend the paint effectively if they are to have a shot at a top 3 upset and stay ahead of……..
HOPEWELL
Coach JaRon Goodson is in his 2nd season at The Well and his prospects could be better than last year. The Titans will be led by yet another high-scoring super Soph, 5’9 G Quay Watson. Aiding him at the other guard spot is 6’2 classmate Jullian Mack. Another Sophomore that figures into the backcourt rotation is 6’0 Derrick Eley. The frontline is experienced and shows good size. 6’7 SR C Darius Stewart could play a big role as can 6’4 SR F Anthony Moore as well as another Senior 6’4 F Travis Horne. The future is bright in East Huntersville but the Sophs must play mature and make good decisions if the Titans have a chance to move up and stay ahead of……..
MALLARD CREEK
The Mavericks are also in year 2 of the Coach Michael McNeil regime. Unlike previous years, The Creek appears to have a little size to go along with decent guard play. 6’5 SR F Titus Cunningham is a team leader and must come up big along with possible frontcourt mates, 6’6 SO F Kyhree McCalister, 6’3 JR F Brayden Campbell, and 6’5 JR F Deontae Walker. The backcourt is set with 6’2 SR G Bryson Davis leading the way and will be aided by a pair of solid classmates in 6’2 Kaden Ross and 6’1 Russell Hawkins. Promising Freshman 5’10 G Jalyn Connor will also get perimeter minutes. The Mavericks need to be consistent and gel quickly if they are to have a shot at moving up, but they should stay ahead of……..
WEST MECK
The Hawks will be hard-pressed to compete this season in this top-heavy league. However, the fact that they will be led by young players bodes well for next season. Since the Birds are small they will spread the floor and run. Helping that strategy will be fellow 6’0 Sophomore guards Kobe Broome and Keron West. 5’10 JR G Omari Richardson and 6’0 SR G Xzavier Gamory-Valcin will figure prominently into their plans and 6’0 FR G Cam Higgins is another bright piece to the future puzzle. In order for the Hawks to soar out of the basement and move up, 6’3 SR F Kahlil Henry must rebound and have a big final season in The Nest.
There you have it, folks! We’ve already seen the order of finish before the conference season has even begun. The Great One will release his Mid-term QC Conference report cards in January and his final report cards and yearly superlatives, including the coveted Hot Dog of the Year award, in March. Now all you have to do is to follow the action on the hardwood. Look for The Sadster to release his weekly Furious 5 every Monday. Stay tuned!!!!
SAD SAM – HS HOOPS GENIUS