Triad Preview Series: Northwest Cabarrus (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 two-part, in-depth look at the best basketball the Triad has to offer. Today's piece will feature Northwest Cabarrus, a Concord, N.C. program that is anticipating a balanced roster loaded with talent.   For a roster with their caliber of talent, it is fair to say that Northwest Cabarrus underperformed in 2023-2024. The Trojans finished the regular season 14-11, 8-8 in conference, and as the #22 seed in the West of the NCHSAA 3A state playoffs. A first round 75-71 win against #11 seed Kings Mountain (21-7) bought Northwest Cabarrus a second round date with #6 East Henderson. In a competitive, low-scoring, defensive-oriented matchup, East Henderson got it done 51-48. With a Northwest Cabarrus squad that is older, deeper, and hungry to reestablish themselves as a competitive program in North Carolina's Triad, there's a lot to like about this team's ceiling in 2024-2025. Let's take a look at some key pieces to this roster that can help them move into that next tier of legitimate contenders to win a state championship next March.    [player_tooltip player_id='2173816' first='Anderson' last='Lee'] is a guy I first discovered in September 2023. A junior at the time, I was intrigued by his athleticism, versatility, and two-way skill set. Since then, I've seen him develop into an elite point guard who makes plays on both ends of the floor. At 6'2", Lee is a well-sized, athletic guard who embraces his physicality and competitive edge. He's a consistent three-level scorer who uses his length and speed to attack the basket and finish through contact. Lee has developed into a knock-down perimeter shooter who can hit contested shots off the dribble and ball screens. What I like most about Lee's development is his improvement with the outside shot. He's become a consistent three-point shooter which adds another level of depth to his game that makes him a legitimate scoring threat. Lee is a tough defender who loves to compete. He's an underrated rebounder who thrives as the outlet on fast breaks. Lee runs the floor exceptionally well and has got a high basketball IQ which allows him to make the right play in transition. With a Northwest Cabarrus team looking for senior leadership, especially at the guard position, expect class of 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2173816' first='Anderson' last='Lee'] to step into that role and help this team get back on track.     Elite guard play is going to be a strength for Northwest Cabarrus in 2024-2025. The Trojan's have got some serious depth in their backcourt, and class of 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2175519' first='Tylor' last='Gichaba'] is another name to know. Similar to teammate [player_tooltip player_id='2173816' first='Anderson' last='Lee'], Gichaba is a versatile two-way playmaker on both ends of the floor. What stands out most about Gichaba to me is his ability to defend. That's what sets him apart. I like to compare his skillset on defensive to that of UNC junior Seth Trimble, one that is rooted in athleticism and strength. Gichaba provides elite on ball pressure and is capable of matching up with and locking down 1-3 when needed. Offensively, there's a lot to like about this guy. Gichaba is an established guard on this roster who has proven he is trustworthy of running the offense and taking care of the basketball. He's got an elite handle, is an unselfish distributor, and can create plays for himself when his team needs him to. It will be interesting to see how this Northwest Cabarrus coaching staff utilizes their pool of talent at the guard position, but I expect [player_tooltip player_id='2175519' first='Tylor' last='Gichaba'] to be firmly in the mix.     [player_tooltip player_id='2479045' first='Jyaer' last='Gonzalez'] is a young guy whose shown flashes of being an elite point guard at the varsity level. With one year of high school ball under his belt, I expect him to take that critical step all good prospects take from year one to year two. Gonzalez is a true floor general in every sense of the word. He's an elite ball handler who operates with poise when he's out on the floor. Gonzalez is a versatile scorer who uses his quickness and speed to get to his spots and make plays. I like his unselfish play and pass first nature. I think that approach will be his best route to seeing meaningful minutes on the floor this season. If he can be a guy who can run this teams second unit effectively, that will put him in a prime position to slowly earn more time in the backcourt as the season progresses. I'd like to see Gonzalez fill out a little more physically. We've seen just how advantageous it is to have a strong, physical status with guards like [player_tooltip player_id='1786681' first='Shamarius' last='Peterkin'] and Tayshawn Mann. If Gonzalez can put on some more weight, he'll be able to work his way into that same tier of elite point guards. Sky's the limit for [player_tooltip player_id='2479045' first='Jyaer' last='Gonzalez'], he's a young guy who is surrounded by a ton of talent at the guard position. If he can be a sponge and take his coaching to heart, I can see him developing into a big-time guard who will be the future of this program in years to come.     Landon Rowe is an older guy whose established himself as a leader on this ball club. At 6'4", he's a well-sized combo guard/wing who really stretches the floor for this Northwest Cabarrus squad that is extremely deep at the guard position. Voted captain by his teammates in 2023-2024, Rowe's got a veteran leadership quality that is priceless for a highly talented roster trying to break ties with mediocre expectations. Rowe is a high volume shooter, elite defender, and is a high intensity guy who loves to compete. He'll be a standout in the stat sheet this season as he takes on more of a scoring role on this years Trojan team. Landon Rowe is a big time player, and I'm excited for people to get to know his game and his leadership style.     Justin Gonder is a young guy who's really established himself as a leader in this team's backcourt throughout his first two seasons of high school basketball. He made that jump from year one to year two last season and put together a complete season from November to March. I was really impressed with his poise and maturity. He's a vocal leader and a guy his teammates rally behind in practice and weeknights. At 6'2", Gonder is a big, physical guard who is an elite playmaker. He's got a versatile skillset and is easy to play alongside. He's a high IQ, patient guard who makes the right read. I'm intersted to see who joins him in the backcourt next season. My guess is that it will be a number of these guys we've covered today. Gonder is this squads starting point guard, and I'm excited to see how his game progresses in 2024-2025.

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 two-part, in-depth look at the best basketball the Triad has to offer. Today's piece will feature Northwest Cabarrus, a Concord, N.C. program that is anticipating a balanced roster loaded with talent.