NCHSAA State Tourney Round 2 Matchups To Watch!

<p><i>The 2nd round of the NCHSA Tournament is underway and we are truly excited about the matchups that will be taking place. As usual there were a few upsets in the first round but for the most part the higher seeds survived and advanced which leads us to some big time matchups</i>.</p> <p><i><b>Pender vs Henderson Collegiate</b></i>: Pender was disqualified from the playoffs last season so this is their first state playoff challenge and they have a tall task as they will be on the road against the regional champs from last year. Henderson Collegiate Guard <b><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kalib-matthews/">Kalib Matthews</a></b> has been as good as advertised, taking home the Conference Player Of The Year Award and is definitely one of the top seniors in the state. Pender will need a big time performance from their Senior Guard <b><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jajuan-carr/">Jajuan Carr</a></b> as well as Sophomore <b><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jakwon-moore/">Jakwon Moore</a></b> if they hope to pull of this upset as both players can go for 20-30 points.</p> <p><b><i>Wilson Prep vs East Carteret</i></b>: Wilson prep picked up a big time win in dramatic fashion over Voyager Academy and will need another good game to pull of a win at ECHS. East Carteret Junior Wing <b><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/bennie-brooks/">Bennie Brooks</a></b> has produced at a high level all season long but so has Wilson Prep Junior Wing <b>Nasair Blackston</b>, which leads us to believe that the matchup between those two could be what decides the outcome of this game.</p> <p><i><b>Farmville vs Washington</b></i>: Plain and simple, this will be a game that the guards from Washington HS will have to play at an extremely high level. WHS Senior Guard <b><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/rashod-smith/">Rashod Smith</a></b> is a 20 &amp; 10 type PG while Junior Guard <b><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/omarion-blount/">Omarion Blount</a></b> can score the ball at a pretty high level. FCHS has their big three of: Senior <b><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/justin-wright/">Justin Wright</a>,</b> <b><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/samage-teel/">Samage Teel</a></b> and Junior <b><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/terquavion-smith/">Terquavion Smith</a></b> who can all go for big scoring numbers.</p> <p><b><i>Eastern Guilford vs South Johnston</i></b>: South Johnston is led by <b>CJ Ray,</b> a Guard/Forward who has been on an absolute mission since the season began. While Eastern Guilford looks to their Junior Guard <b><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kadyn-dawkins/">Kadyn Dawkins</a></b> to provide a nice amount of offensive production for them. The team that can control the tempo will be the team that controls the game, South Johnston will look to slow things down while Eastern Guilford will want to play at a faster tempo.</p> <p><b><i>Northwest Guilford vs West Charlotte</i></b>: Both of these programs have quite a bit of basketball history and feature players that will be playing on the next level. Northwest Guilford Senior Guard <b><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/christian-hampton/">Christian Hampton</a></b> and his athletic ability is the headliner in this game but he’s far from just an athlete. He’s a legit D1 prospect with the ability to score the ball and defend at a high level.</p>