NCHSAA 1A West Preview – Who To Watch?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're back with another NCHSAA preview, this time with the 1A West classification. Who is shaping up to be the top dogs of this division? Let's find out below.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bishop McGuinness- Coming off a down year for Villains standards, Bishop McGuinness is ready to take the class by storm once again. The heart and soul of this team is <strong>Andrew Schrage</strong>, a heady lead guard that provides grit, character, and IQ to the team's backcourt. While he may not be the flashiest guy, he ends up being the most important person on the court for them. [player_tooltip player_id='1273256' first='Jamison' last='Graves'] is a Winston Salem Prep transfer who plays his best basketball off the dribble, whether that be making the right read or scoring at will. <strong>Cal Barrett</strong> is an interesting name as a big man who can stretch the floor. His ability to stretch the floor and score from beyond the arc or at the mid-post will make him a fixture in whichever college program he chooses. [player_tooltip player_id='1411239' first='John' last='Campbell'] is the other big name to know here, as his athleticism and scoring have him primed for a breakout year. If he can knock down perimeter shots and slash to the rim as well, his name will be a lot more recognized than at the time of this article. The Villains have retooled into a very solid squad, one that have a good shot at running the table this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thomasville- Thomasville has a trio of guards that will help them be competitive in 1A once again this year. It starts with <strong>Janhri Luckey</strong>, who's size should not deceive you. His 5'7 frame makes it almost easier for him to be slippery in traffic and create for others as well as score. Defensively, he's a pesky guard in the mold of Jacob Gilyard who is ready to thief the ball from you whenever you dribble. <strong>Johnathan Gladden</strong> is this team's 3 point shooter, as he functions as a good scorer from all levels and will help burden some of the load from Luckey. <strong>CJ Dickerson</strong> is a D1 football player but will be another quality player when it comes to handling the ball and keeping this team free of turnovers. <strong>Bryce McCoy</strong> and <strong>Jaylen Henry</strong> will be two other supporting guys that will make impacts on defense and rebounding the ball this year, and with these five, Thomasville has a high floor as well as a high ceiling.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hayesville- Hayesville has to be included after a dream season saw them run the table and finish 28-0 with a state championship, however they do lose a lot of talent. <strong>Ethan Hooper</strong> will be counted on to shoulder the load left behind by Kolbe Ashe and Jake McTaggart, however the scoring ability he showcased last year will be what he is counted on for. <strong>Logan Caldwell</strong> is an undersized wing that crashes the glass hard and works hard every possession on defense. <strong>Asher Brown</strong> will be counted on to take another step forward for this squad as they try to find their leaders and identity this year. This is a close-knit group of guys who play multiple sports together, and will be interesting to see whether they can stay a top contender in 1A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mount Airy- While he may end up choosing football over basketball, <strong>Tyler Mason</strong> is a star on the hardwood as well. His ability to score inside the arc and make the game look easy is impressive, especially with the amount of creative finishes he pulls out getting downhill. His jumpshot looks to have improved over the summer as well <strong>Caleb Reid</strong> provides some real physicality on the court for a team that will always be undersized in comparison to bigger schools, but he can compete with the best of them. <strong>Mario Revels</strong> will be counted on to shoot the long ball this year at an even higher volume than last year, but he should be up to the challenge. His 43% on almost 4 attempts a game projects him as one of the best shooter in the class, if not the state. This trio should keep the Granite Bears competitive in the class, and if nothing else, help them capture wins over fierce rival North Surry.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bessemer City- Bessemer City has a group of guys that is more talented than you would expect from the 1A classification. Leading the Jackets is [player_tooltip player_id='1379484' first='Randall' last='Pettus'], the recently committed Northern Kentucky guard who was one of the leading scorers in the entire state last year. His natural ability to score the ball will shine once again as he carves up defenses from every level on the court. However, his playmaking and defensive abilities are also good as well, always finding an open teammate and making the right reads. Joining him is undersized big [player_tooltip player_id='1326638' first='Keyshawn' last='Adams'] who still plays like a 5 man when he steps out on the court. This kid is freakish when it comes down to dominating the paint, always being the first to a rebound or when scoring in the low post. His post moves may not be the best ever, but they are made up for by his plus athleticism. <strong>Nazari Smarr</strong> will be the secondary guard scorer for this team, and his game focuses on inside and outside scoring. He can shoot it well from deep as well as slash to the rim, profiling as a well-rounded player. These three will give Bessemer City a great chance to go deep in the West once again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Check back next week for our NCHSAA 2A breakdowns!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->