Triad Preview Series: Page (NCHSAA)

As we enter the dog days of summer, high school squads across North Carolina have begun to prepare for the 2024-2025 season. Among them are teams from the Triad, an overlooked, underrated region home to big-time prospects and programs. Welcome to year two of the Triad Preview Series, a five-part, in-depth look at the best basketball the Triad has to offer. Today's piece will feature Page, an NCHSAA program just outside of Greensboro, N.C.   Page is one of the Triad's oldest programs that prides itself on a disciplined, team-centered brand of basketball. The 2023-2024 season did not reflect the talent the Pirates had on their roster. Page finished the regular season 15-11, 10-5 in conference, and the #26 seed in the Western quadrant of the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs. A back-and-forth, pound-for-pound first round matchup against town rival Grimsley sent Page back to Greensboro sooner than they expected. There is no doubt that 2023-2024 was unsuccessful for a program like Page. This is a program with a tremendously talented roster and capable coaching staff who can get the job done and make a deep postseason run in 2024-2025. This is a battle tested roster with a bad taste in their mouth. That's a dangerous combination. Let's meet some key pieces to this roster that can help reestablish this program's reputation as one of the Triad's best.    Out of the class of 2027 is true point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1811583' first='Kasai' last='Poindexter']. There's a lot to like about this prospects game. Listed at 5'10", although I'd argue he's a solid 6'0", Poindexter has the height, length, and athleticism of a true point guard who is still growing physically and mentally into a big-time floor general for the Pirates. He's a below the radar kid who's taken tremendous strides so far in his short stint at Page. Poindexter is an elite ball handler who utilizes his quickness and speed to attack the basket and make a play for himself or his teammates. He's got a consistent stroke around the perimeter and a developing three ball that make him a versatile scoring threat on and off the ball. Poindexter is a tough, physical kind of guard who has proven he can finish through contact and execute at the rim. What I like most about his game is his leadership and vocality on both ends of the floor. As just a freshman, Poindexter emerged as a leader on the floor and is a guy his teammates rallied behind. With a young Page roster hitting the hardwood in 2024-2025, Poindexter has the opportunity to build upon last seasons success and earn key minutes on the floor.       [player_tooltip player_id='1832532' first='Porter' last='Davis'] is another under the radar, gritty guard who has crept his way into our class of 2026 official rankings and emerged as a savvy floor general who deserves more recognition. Davis a maestro in the half court and excels in his role commanding the offense. He's an elite ball-handler, great distributor, and plays with an intensity that makes him great. Davis has a nice feel for the game and knows where to find open shot makers. He's a high IQ guy who takes care of the basketball and rarely turns it over. A pass-first kind of guard, Davis is still developing his scoring abilities. He's proven he can score the ball underneath the basket and make plays around the perimeter. Davis is still continuing to develop a consistent three ball, which will be crucial in his individual success and the success of this Page team come postseason. With a Page squad that has got a ton of young, talented guards, expect Davis to be in the mix competing for playing time in 2024-2025. This is a tough, scrappy prospect who can bring an element of physicality to a program that is looking to restore it.     [player_tooltip player_id='2454782' first='Tyren' last='Martin'] is an established combo guard prospect out of the class of 2025. Currently sitting at the #14 best guard and #51 best overall prospect in the state, Martin is a big-time prospect on the verge of a standout senior season. This is a guy with an all-around, complete skillset who loves to compete. He'll also be the first to tell you that there are still parts of his game he can improve. That mentality has earned him his stripes so far and is what will carry him throughout his senior season at Page and hopefully to the next level. At 6'4", Martin is a strong, physical guard who's length and size add a level of versatility to his game that is hard to match up with. Martin's athleticism sets him apart. He's a crafty playmaker and elite finisher at the rim. Martin plays quick and with poise which is dangerous combination on the fast break which he excels. He's a high energy guy who plays with a get-after-it mindset which translates to making the extra play for himself and his teammates. Martin is an elite defender who can matchup with 1-4 because of his frame. With a Page squad lacking depth on the perimeter, expect Martin to fill a bigger role on the wing in 2024-2025. He's a guy who can play effectively on and off the ball and knows when to turn it on. Expect him to continue to improve his game while keeping that competitive mentality.     Pierson Murphy is a guy we haven't covered on Prep Hoops yet. I'm glad he's getting some love this summer. I have no doubt there is more to come. Murphy is another guard for this guard-heavy Page roster who excels in his role as an elite distributor and defender. He's a high quality shotmaker who can knock down the three ball at a consistent level and takes good looks when he's looking to attack. Murphy is a guy who will be vital playing behind, and at times with, guys like Martin and Poindexter. If he can excel in the role as a 10-15 minute a game guy who gives everything on the defensive end of the floor, hitting a couple three-balls here and there, he'll be in a nice position to see value time on the floor and be a contributing player on a really good basketball team.     There is no doubt the 2024-2025 Page Pirates will lack some depth at the 4 and 5. That is just the reality of where there roster is currently situated as of now. With that being said, there are some dudes on this roster who I believe can show up and show out to fill that void and help complement this very talented group of guards. Among them is class of 2025 dual athlete Nathan Moore. At 6'4", Moore is a strong stretch 4 who loves to compete in the paint. He's an underrated rebounder and finisher at the rim who is a reliable defender and shot blocker down low. Moore needs to develop a more consistent mid-range game. That will add another level of versatility to his game that will force defenders to play up on him at the high post. With a bunch of quick, talented guards who love to go backdoor and curl off pin downs and hit open shots, that would be a skill Moore would love to add to his game. Expect Moore to take a big leap offensively in 2024-2025 which will help his talented group of guards make plays in the backcourt.

As we enter the dog days of summer, high school squads across North Carolina have begun to prepare for the 2024-2025 season. Among them are teams from the Triad, an overlooked, underrated region home to big-time prospects and programs. Welcome to year two of the Triad Preview Series, a five-part, in-depth look at the best basketball the Triad has to offer. Today's piece will feature Page, an NCHSAA program just outside of Greensboro, N.C.