Triad Preview Series: Greensboro Day

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>There's no better time to sign up for PrepHoopsNC! Get 30% OFF payment on your first billing cycle with offer code: JESSEGORDON30. Sign up&nbsp;TODAY!</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we enter the Dog Days of summer, high school squads across North Carolina have begun to prepare for the 2023-2024 season. Among them are teams from the Triad, an overlooked, underrated region home to big-time prospects and programs. Welcome to the Triad Preview Series, a five-part, in-depth look at the best basketball the Triad has to offer. Today's piece will feature Greensboro Day, reigning NCISAA-3A state champions. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Greensboro Day has dominated high school hoops in the triad for quite a while now. Last season was no different. State championships are becoming the standard for Freddy Johnson's program, and the Bengals will compete to take another title back to campus this season. With a nice core returning, let's look at some key pieces that make this roster championship-caliber.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["854907"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"In his first season with Greensboro Day, class of 2024 guard Will Otto was an integral piece in the Bengals NCISAA 3-A state championship. Otto, formerly with Broughton High School in Raleigh, left the Capitals for that very reason, to win a state championship. Taking the title back to Greensboro was the ultimate goal, and he's got one more year to run it back. Will Otto looks to go 2-for-2 ahead of his second season with Greensboro Day, the groundwork for which laid this summer.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eAt 6'4″, Will Otto is a big, physical guard who plays with patience and poise. Otto plays with an elite basketball IQ and a feel for the game. As a pass-first guard who can also score the rock, he is a tough prospect to defend. Otto does a great job of attacking the paint and distributing the ball to playmakers. His ability to collapse defenses and find the open man is incalculable. Otto is crafty with the ball and can get to the basket. Although he tends to reserve his outside shooting, he's got a good-looking, consistent stroke that adds another level of versatility to his offensive play.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eI like what I've seen from Otto on the defensive side of the floor this summer. While the plays are not as flashy as a u003cspan class=u0022pn-tooltip pn-player-linku0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022name-pointeru0022u003e[player_tooltip player_id='1098355' first='Zion' last='Walker']u003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003e , the effort and intent are there. Otto plays a solid, fundamental style of defense that is consistent. His length and size allow him to stand his ground on tough defensive duties off switches and ball screens.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eWith a Greensboro Day Squad looking to capitalize on the return of the core to their championship roster, expect Will Otto and the Bengals to be back competing for the title.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1284842"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Another prospect out of Greensboro Day is class of 2025 small forward u003cspan class=u0022pn-tooltip pn-player-linku0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022name-pointeru0022u003e[player_tooltip player_id='1284842' first='Addison' last='Newkirk']u003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003e . With veteran leadership and experience a cornerstone of Bengals head coach Freddy Johnsons' coaching philosophy, we've seen u003cspan class=u0022pn-tooltip pn-player-linku0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022name-pointeru0022u003e[player_tooltip player_id='1284842' first='Addison' last='Newkirk']u003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003e ‘s game slowly ascend. Newkirk is currently the 67th-ranked prospect in the state and has started to gain big-time recognition on the grassroots and high school scene. Ahead of his junior season with Greensboro Day, let's break down what makes this guy special.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eAt 6″6′, u003cspan class=u0022pn-tooltip pn-player-linku0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022name-pointeru0022u003e[player_tooltip player_id='1284842' first='Addison' last='Newkirk']u003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003e has a physical presence on the court that can not be overlooked. He's got size, length, and athleticism in every facet of his game. He moves well, has great footwork, and has control of his body. Newkirk is a disciplined wing who uses his size to his advantage. He is a scoring threat on all three levels. He's a crafty downhill driver, can knock down contest shots on the perimeter, and has developed a consistent ball from behind the arc. He's got the size to go to work down low and the ball handling and shot-making ability to cause problems in the open court. Newkirk is a dynamic scorer who is a versatile threat.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eAll six-foot-six of Newkirk shows up on the defensive end of the floor. He's got the size to protect the paint and the speed to apply pressure on the ball. Newkirk's athleticism and get-after-it mentality are at the forefront of his defensive abilities. He can get up and grab rebounds and push the pace in transition, turning effort on the boards into an easy two points.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eAs u003cspan class=u0022pn-tooltip pn-player-linku0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022name-pointeru0022u003e[player_tooltip player_id='1284842' first='Addison' last='Newkirk']u003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003e enters his junior season with Greensboro Day, expect him to have a prevalent role in the Bengal's offense. 2023-2024 will be a big year for Newkirk, and he's got the right pieces around him to take command.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"Alphonso Hopkins","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"6'2u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"77247","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"Greensboro Day","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"While Hopkins did not see a ton of minutes in 2023-2024, there's an opportunity for this guy to earn his spot in the Greensboro Day rotation. What standouts most about his game is his commitment on the defensive end of the floor. Has an active hand in the passing lane that accounts for a ton of easy steals in transition. Can step up and guard 1-5 efficiently off switches. Moves well for a bigger guy. Hopkins has an improving jump shoot that is at a point where defenders have to play him honestly. Has a really quick step which allows him to explode to the rim off a pump fake. With a Greensboro Day squad that has a couple of key departures and a couple of guys coming back, it'll be fascinating to see the rotation in 2023-2024, but expect Hopkins to contribute meaningful minutes when his number is called.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"DJ Pritchett","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"77246","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"Greensboro Day","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_3_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"An intriguing piece to this roster is class of 2024 guard DJ Pritchett. I see Pritchett excelling in a role backing up Will Otto and [player_tooltip player_id='1284842' first='Addison' last='Newkirk'] in the back-court. Pritchett is a tough, physical guard who is capable of holding it down while Otto and other guards take a quick breather. Although we've seen Pritchett take the hardwood sparingly, we've seen enough that give us confidence he can develop into an effective primary ball handler and floor general when his number is called. Pritchett has an elite handle, a high basketball IQ, and takes care of the basketball. I'd like to see more explosiveness blossom from his game this season. I'd like to see Pritchett adopt more of a scoring mentality. He's an athletic kid who has proven he can make plays on all three levels. When his game is polished, DJ Pritchett has the potential to be a high caliber backup that could play an integral role in this team's success come the postseason.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":4,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64b831ca9b254"} /-->