Available Seniors in the 919 Worthy of Attention

The recruiting landscape is (for lack of a better term) wild. The industry is constantly shifting, teams are trying to copy one another in terms of what kind of personnel they prioritize, and a lot of talent finds a way to slip through the cracks. Luckily now you can freely move across college basketball as a player, so you're never truly stuck where you are. But there are still a lot of guys around the State that deserve attention and we're gonna do one of these on each area code this week but we'll start with my backyard in the 919.    Strand is a guy that is continuing to improve his game in all aspects at a steady rate. At 6'5" he can really shoot it from deep, he has a quick release and can make contested shots. He's becoming a more and more explosive athlete, getting chase down blocks and dunks with frequency. He's a quality passer out of double teams and is a constant presence on the glass for his team. Strand was a key piece this summer with Sw15h Elite on UA Rise showing that he can play high level competition. Strand should garner scholarship level attention throughout the rest of the season.     Walters is a very interesting player with a lot of physical gifts and high quality traits. He's a downhill specialist that is unstoppable going right. He's a true switchblade defensively that can guard all five positions at the high school level. He can bully smaller wings with his strength and is a + athlete in every category. He had a really strong summer with [program_tooltip program_id='2078516' first='No' last='Guts No Glory'] where he played in a lot of different spots and was comfortable doing so. A truly versatile prospect that is getting some recruiting traction but should start to see more as the season progresses.     Diop has grown to 6'3" and will see his ranking rise considerably when we update rankings in early 2026. As the catalyst on one of NC's most improved teams, Diop is a two way weapon with his ability to guard the point of attack or up in size and get to the paint on the offensive end. He's averaging 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists per night on a team that's already matched last season's win total. Diop is a no doubt next level talent and even has another gear to unlock. If he can find a way to get there, the recruiting traction will quickly follow.     Puckett has helped Panther Creek get off to a monster 4-0 start with his ability to apply unrelenting pressure on the opposing defense. He has deep range off the bounce combined with a quick first step making Puckett a flat out tough check regardless of who's in front of him. Puckett's slippery handle allow him to weave through defenders to make plays for himself and others. He's a big time above the rim athlete as well. He battled some injury stuff early in his career but appears to have returned to his original form and then some. He's averaging almost 20 PPG with almost 10 RPG on 46% from the floor. Productive, efficient, versatile, and a winner. Need I say more?     Williams has been a consistent presence in the area as a shotmaking guard with the ability to make plays for himself and others off the bounce. He's an elite student as well which should help him in recruiting. Williams can play both on or off the ball, he's a smart player that can flourish within a system or a wide open style. He's slowly added strength to his frame over the years and that's led to improved production. Cary Academy has played a really tough schedule early and McCoy is averaging 20.2 PPG through this stretch. A really high level student athlete that should garner more attention here soon.

The recruiting landscape is (for lack of a better term) wild. The industry is constantly shifting, teams are trying to copy one another in terms of what kind of personnel they prioritize, and a lot of talent finds a way to slip through the cracks. Luckily now you can freely move across college basketball as a player, so you're never truly stuck where you are. But there are still a lot of guys around the State that deserve attention and we're gonna do one of these on each area code this week but we'll start with my backyard in the 919.