Mecklenburg Co. Senior Watchlist for the 23-24 season, Part 2.

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1975400' first='Markiest' last='Houston'], A Chance to Lead</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1975400' first='Markiest' last='Houston'] - Rocky River High School's [player_tooltip player_id='1975400' first='Markiest' last='Houston'] is a talented rising senior who spent the first 3 seasons of his high school career at West Charlotte. Developing at a school constantly churning out elite guard talent, Houston spent two consecutive seasons on JV where he was the constant focus of opposing defenses. Houston boasts a multi-sport background, which reflects in physicality and athleticism on the floor. A reliable attacker and mid-range scorer, Houston has a quick first step that he uses to get past flat-footed defenders. Coming into his senior season at Rocky River, I anticipate that Houston will be a key piece on a roster looking to replace the key, All-Conference performing leadership in Jaden Lyles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1975441' first='Alius' last='Bowser'], A Hidden Backcourt Commodity</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1975441' first='Alius' last='Bowser'] - Victory Christian's [player_tooltip player_id='1975441' first='Alius' last='Bowser'] is a 6-4 guard who primarily plays off the ball, with the frame and athleticism to impact the game on both ends. Bowser spent his 2022-2023 junior season playing with Victory Christian, where he averaged 11.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, and 0.5 BPG, while shooting 48% from the field &amp; 32% from 3 on 62 attempts. These numbers support a story of a reliable secondary offensive option with the ability to impact opposing guards defensively and score from within the arc. Bowser has fair athleticism, both laterally and vertically, with a solid frame that could translate well to the college game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='854883' first='Joshua' last='Bullock'], Floor General Looking to Repeat</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='854883' first='Joshua' last='Bullock'] - The Northside Christian Academy guard is coming off of a state championship season in which he maintained lead guard responsibilities. Bullock was the floor general of a talented, guard-heavy roster that would be equally tasked with making up for their lack of frontcourt size. Bullock contributed 11.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 6.4 APG, 2.4 SPG, and 0.5 BPG while shooting 65% from the field and 66% from 3 on 59 attempts. Bullock shines through his willingness and ability to defend the opposing team's primary scoring guards, distribute the basketball, and create scoring opportunities for both himself and his teammates. Will be stepping into a senior season role that will likely see an increase in either his PPG, APG, or SPG.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1730959' first='Kameron' last='Taylor'], One of the State's Buzzing Swingmen </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1730959' first='Kameron' last='Taylor'] - Olympic's [player_tooltip player_id='1730959' first='Kameron' last='Taylor'] had an eye-opening junior season, headlined by a 24 point, 16 rebound performance in a 63-62 win over eventual NCISSA 2A state champion Northside Christian Academy. In 2022-2023, Taylor averaged 17.5 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.4, and 1 BPG. Taylor's enticing length, rebounding ability, and defensive production will likely catch the eyes of coaches at the next level. The junior wing's eye-popping performances were closely monitored, considering Olympic's strong 23-5 season in which they started 17-0. Taylor had the second most double-doubles in NC's 4A West Division with 19. Coming into his senior season, there should be no shortage of expectations to heavily impact games on both ends.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1241705' first='Evan' last='Morton'], Perhaps Charlotte's Best Kept Secret</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1241705' first='Evan' last='Morton'] - In 2021-2022, [player_tooltip player_id='1241705' first='Evan' last='Morton'] aided Weddington in their back-to-back state championship, nationally ranked campaign. Solid positional size standing around 6-2 with a toned frame, excellent balance that is likely attributed to his strong lower body, and clear on-ball defensive capabilities. Last season, Morton averaged 10.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.1 SPG, while shooting 49% from the field and 37% from 3. Morton averaged 15.6 MPG on a team that had an array of guards that will be playing college basketball. Following two state championships in ‘21 and ‘22, to go along with a single-digit state championship loss in ‘23, and a roster that will likely have the talent to compete for another, Morton is a rare player that has had borderline-invasive proximity to 4 separate state championships.&nbsp; Of all the high-level combo guards in the Mecklenburg County-area, Morton is amongst the absolute best, despite averages that may tell the story of a reliable secondary contributor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1046670' first='Isaiah' last='Sutherland'], Seeking Postseason Redemption</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1046670' first='Isaiah' last='Sutherland'] - Out of all big men in the Mecklenburg County-area, [player_tooltip player_id='1046670' first='Isaiah' last='Sutherland'] is firmly cemented amongst the most talented. Sutherland impressed with his rim protection last season, which was some of the best in the area averaging 2.1 a game. Continuously one of the more enticing bigs in most settings he has played in, Sutherland's positional size at 6-9, steadily developing physical frame, agility, and rim protection instincts make him a commodity at the high school level. United Faith had a dominant 31-3 season where they fell short 7 points in the state championship game. Sutherland averaged 6.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, and 2.1 BPG in 2022-2023, and will likely see an increase in some of these statistical categories as he will be leaned on as one of the program's few seniors in 2023-2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->