Around the State: 4A Southwestern Conference 2024-25 Preview

<!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Southwestern Conference saw the Independence Patriots nearly finish unbeaten at 11-1 in the conference standings this past season. Take a look at the early favorites and some prospects to know for each squad heading into another competitive season in the Southwestern Conference.</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>USE CODE<strong> anderson30</strong> for 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION!</em> <a href="http://www.prephoops.com/subscribe">Subscribe</a> today!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Charlotte Catholic</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>American University commit [player_tooltip player_id='1286838' first='Chris' last='Eagan'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2375700' first='Eddie' last='David'] are both back and [player_tooltip player_id='2415016' first='Noah' last='Noch'] is prime to showcase his abilities as a shot maker and playmaker in their backcourt after getting experience on the varsity stage as a sophomore. He also had a productive spring/summer on the grassroots stage. Eagan is a sizeable presence who should continue to show his production in the painted area and beyond this season. David is a combo guard who's shown he can make things happen on both ends of the floor and should flourish more on the rebounding front. 2026 6-foot-3 wing Joseph Kapsiak is the wild card for their group. He put up 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game on 10 made 3-pointers across 24 appearances in 2023-24. He'll be looked upon to do more with bigger minutes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Butler</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025s [player_tooltip player_id='2321491' first='Reece' last='Starnes'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2321494' first='Caleb' last='Milligan'] proved they could fit their roles for the Bulldogs this past season with Tyler Showalter leading the scoring charge and 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2175517' first='Terrance' last='Badio'] came on strong as well. Now, they'll need to show they can take things to the next level in the conference. Starnes produced 8.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest in 2023-24 and had himself a productive spring/summer with an offer from Johnson &amp; Wales University. Milligan is an underrated shooter on the NCHSAA 4A stage with 48 made 3-pointers under his belt in this past season. Badio is a junior to get an eye on who's shown he can rebound, distribute and score around the rim. [player_tooltip player_id='2635128' first='Eli' last='Grier'] is another 5-foot-8 speedy point guard to watch as well as he should emerge as their starter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Independence</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Patriots went 11-1 in the conference this past season but three of their top five producers from a season ago have graduated. [player_tooltip player_id='2055667' first='Jaxson' last='Neely'] is a sizeable name to keep an eye on with the Patriots in the 2026 class. He got a ton of experience on the varsity stage in 2023-24, producing 6,1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game and also recording a double-double. He's due for a bigger role heading into his junior year with a lot of departures from last year's roster. 5-foot-10 guard Kaleb Jasper is another senior to keep an eye on as well. He put up 5.8 points, 2.4 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game as a junior in 2023-24. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->