NCHSAA 1A Preview: Top Backcourts

<h5>The public high school basketball season (NCHSAA) is a few weeks away. Here’s a look at five backcourts that should impress in 2021-22 at the 1A level.</h5> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h5>East Carteret - [player_tooltip player_id="1030009" first="Shamel" last="Baker"] (2024) and [player_tooltip player_id="1317653" first="Jacob" last="Nelson"] (2023)</h5> <p>Baker and Nelson were quite the 1-2 combination in the East Carteret backcourt and with the departure of [player_tooltip player_id="838056" first="Bennie" last="Brooks"], one or both will need to step their production up after solid sophomore seasons. Baker put up 16.6 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.8 rpg and 2.5 spg while Nelson averaged 7.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 2.2 spg as they went 10-0 in conference action before falling in the state tournament playoffs.</p> <h5>Heide Trask - [player_tooltip player_id="1169577" first="Myron" last="McKoy"] (2024) and [player_tooltip player_id="1317665" first="Isaac" last="Turner"] (2023)</h5> <p>McKoy and Turner are two guards who might not be the biggest prospects, but they make up for it with their play on the floor. McKoy is a two-way threat that averaged 14.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.0 spg and 2.7 apg during his debut varsity season. Turner put up 12.4 ppg, 2.4 spg and 2.1 rpg and knocked down 32 percent of his 3-pointers as a disruptor on the wing Heide Trask is an underrated squad at the 1A level that went 8-2 this past season before falling in the first round of the state tournament playoffs. </p> <h5>Henderson Collegiate: [player_tooltip player_id="1082588" first="Ellis" last="Williams"] (2023) and [player_tooltip player_id="1082589" first="TJ" last="Ragland"] (2022)</h5> <p>Williams had a solid debut this past season for Henderson Collegiate as he puy up 5.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg and 1.3 apg as a reserve. He’ll look to enter the starting rotation and give them an athletic slasher on the wing. Ragland was on quite the trajectory before his season was cut short due to injury. He put up 10.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.6 apg and 2.3 spg. He’s a lengthy floor general at 6-foot-2 that can make a two-way impact.</p> <h5>West Columbus: [player_tooltip player_id="1317662" first="Amajae" last="Lowery"] (2022) and [player_tooltip player_id="1317663" first="Unique" last="Kelly"] (2024)</h5> <p>Kelly and Lowery saw their season cut short due to the pandemic while making a run in the last year’s state playoffs. Kelly returns after finishing as the team’s third-leading scorer with 9.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.6 spg and 2.5 apg in his debut as a freshman. He’ll be looked upon to do more in 2021-22. Lowery is another physical guard that put up 9.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.4 apg and 1.7 spg as a junior in 2020-21. He’ll be quite the compliment in the backcourt alongside Kelly.</p> <h5>Wilson Prep: [player_tooltip player_id="1104960" first="Brandon" last="Anderson"] (2024) and [player_tooltip player_id="577831" first="Christen" last="Battle"] (2022)</h5> <p>Battle returns after a productive year at the lead guard role for last year’s 1A State Champions. He produced 10.2 ppg, 4.9 apg and 2.6 rpg. Anderson will be the guard that needs to show he can do more than just score after posting 2.9 ppg off the bench in 2020-21. He’s an aggressive guard that can make plays on both ends of the floor. </p>