Good Guys vs. Cancer Standouts (Part 1)
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The annual Good Guys vs. Cancer event took place this past week at First Flight High School in the Outer Banks, featuring some of the top teams from North Carolina and Virginia. There were nationally ranked matchups, some great matchups…
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Continue ReadingThe annual Good Guys vs. Cancer event took place this past week at First Flight High School in the Outer Banks, featuring some of the top teams from North Carolina and Virginia. There were nationally ranked matchups, some great matchups between teams from both states and tons of high level talent throughout the event.
I was there Friday and Saturday, and here’s part one of the many standouts from the NC teams in attendance.
Austin Swartz Austin Swartz 6'5" | SG Cannon | 2024 State #40 Nation NC | 6’5” WG | Cannon School 2024
Swartz wasted no time getting to it on Saturday in their close loss to STAB, going for 31 points on 11-for-19 shooting and 8 rebounds and 6 assists, and followed it up with another big game in their win over Millbrook. The Miami commit was just simply unguardable on the offensive end, showing his ability to make tough shots from all over the court with relative ease and little to no space. He gets to spots off the bounce and has the footwork to create space, he can hit contested shots in the midrange and he has range well out beyond the NBA line too.
Matt Kirby Matt Kirby 5'11" | PG Greenfield | 2024 State NC | 5’10” PG | Greenfield 2024
Kirby was very good for Greenfield in their win over Blue Ridge, as he was their top scorer at 23 points and split time handling the basketball as well. He shot the ball very well from deep, working off the ball to get open and showing a quick release with good range and a lot of confidence as a shooter. He attacked closeouts and was good in pick-and-rolls, and he set the tone early as the senior leader on this team.
Nik Edwards | 6’3” CG | Greenfield 2024
Edwards is a high academic senior that coaches should really take a look at, as he is a highly competitive and athletic guard with a ton of upside moving forward. He gets after it on both ends of the floor, showing the ability to pick up full court and jump passing lanes defensively to get easy buckets in transition. He thrived in transition with his athletic finishing ability above the rim, he made shots from multiple levels and he rebounded well too.
Bishop Boswell Bishop Boswell 6'4" | PG Myers Park | 2024 State #68 Nation NC | 6’4” PG | Myers Park 2024
Boswell was a huge reason that Myers Park was able to beat fellow nationally ranked John Marshall in a game they trailed by 9 heading into the fourth quarter on Friday, and followed it up with another good game in a convincing win over Word of God. The Tennessee commit looks the part as he has great positional size that makes him a tough matchup, as he can use his size to see over defenders and get shots off with little to no space. He played with poise and made great decisions with the ball, he made plays on both ends and he showed a lot of toughness in clutch moments hitting big shots for them when they needed him to.
Alex Olander Alex Olander 6'4" | SF Millbrook | 2024 State NC | 6’4” WF | Millbrook 2024
While Millbrook didn’t have the best showing in their loss to Cannon School, but Olander showed a lot of toughness and was very productive for them as their second option throughout the game. He really got after it defensively, showing great help side instincts and good hands to knock the ball free, fighting for loose balls and showing great hustle and he rebounded very well for his position too. He was efficient offensively showing the ability to score on cuts around the basket and he made shots from deep when he was left open too.
Ty Burton Ty Burton 5'10" | PG Moravian Prep | 2024 State NC | 5’10” PG | Moravian Prep 2024
Burton didn’t put up huge numbers for Moravian in their convincing win over a very talented STAB team that I watched, but he made a huge impact that didn’t show up on the score sheet with his intense defense and leadership he displayed. He guarded STAB’s best player the length of the floor, face guarding him and denying him the entire game, and while he still had a good game Burton frustrated him and made him work for every bucket. He handled pressure well and got them into their sets, he picked his spots for his shots and he made great decisions and plays for his teammates too.