Difference Making Defensive Stars in NC

Offense gets all the headlines, we know that. Naturally, the stuff that gets the attention is what occurs on the offensive end of the floor and the stuff that wins you games defensively, isn't always the sexiest to the common viewer. We are lucky in the State of North Carolina that we have a bevy of really high quality two way players that bring genuine positive contributions to their team on that end of the floor. Let's take a look at some of the top defensive impact guys in North Carolina right now.    Silver is leading North Carolina in blocks per game at 6.9 and he has a true calling card for anchoring a defense and protecting the rim. With Northern Nash sitting at 16-1 on the year there's no doubt that Silver is incredibly integral to the team's overall success. Silver has steadily improved as a prospect over the course of his career. He's averaging 7.3 Points, 9.0 Rebounds, and 6.9 Blocks. He's further ahead on the defensive side of the ball right now but his instincts, understanding of responsibilities, and his physical gifts make him a game breaking defensive player. The amount of offense he provides by blocking shots and allowing his talented teammates to run out in transition is super valuable to this team. Silver is proving to be a viable late 2026 gem in NC's class.     Crayton is honestly the 2027 version of [player_tooltip player_id='1672424' first='Chris' last='Silver'] in a lot of ways. A truly dynamic rim protector and interior defender for his team that contributes in many other ways, but still has room to grow on the offensive end of the floor. Orange as a team has struggled this season, they've played a very difficult non-conference schedule. Now that they've settled into conference play, they're 4-2 in the league with everything appearing to be headed in the right direction. Crayton is averaging a really impressive 11.6 Points, 11.4 Rebounds, 6.2 Blocks, and 1.4 Steals per game. He's doing all of that while shooting 57% from the floor. Offensively it's almost all at the rim, he's shown some mid-range touch from time to time as well. Crayton is still getting better, but he does a lot at a really high level right now and plays hard consistently.     Dollar is one of North Carolina's most well rounded athlete's and it's on full display when he's guarding with a real purpose. With East Lincoln off to a 15-3 start with a 9-1 conference record, Dollar is a true tone setter for them with his pest like defense on the perimeter, and willingness to engage on the physicality on the interior. Dollar is having one of the most impressive statistical seasons in North Carolina right now. He's averaging 20.8 Points, 10.4 Rebounds, 6.8 Assists, 3.4 Steals, and 1.6 Blocks per game. He's doing all of that on 54/31/67 splits as well. He's a capable and gifted two way player that leaves it all out there every time for his group. Dollar is a big time football prospect as well but it won't surprise me if a basketball coach tries to make that decision difficult. He is ranked as the 3rd best TE in America in the 2027 class according to 247Sports.     Now a member of the class of 2027, it will be hard to rank Brown outside of the top ten with his defensive upside and real progression in the rest of his overall game. Sometimes with bigs, it just starts to happen, that appears to be the case with Brown who showed consistent flashes of greatness, but is now making those flashes who he is with regularity. Switchable, explosive, and extremely coachable are three incredible traits for a young big man to have. Playing a national schedule, Amabassador is 13-10, a record that might not be impressive on paper, but when you look at the trajectory of their season, and who they've played, this is one of the state's best teams right now with Brown as a a huge reason why. Brown is averaging 8.9 Points, 7.2 Rebounds, 2.2 Blocks, 0.9 Steals, and 0.8 Assists on 64% from the floor. Brown is going to have a big weekend in the live period at some point this spring/summer and see the recruitment start to really pick up some steam.     Daniels is having a really productive senior season at Middle Creek and showing that he's a well rounded two way player that is deserving of next level opportunities. He's always been a great glue guy regardless of setting and he's now really coming into his own as a primary offensive option. Middle Creek is having a winning season at 10-7 with Daniels leading almost all major statistical categories. He's averaging 17.9 Points, 6.0 Rebounds, 5.1 Assists, and 2.6 Steals. Daniels has taken the primary role and run with it, showing consistent growth in his game and confidence as a player. Expect Daniels to help lead Middle Creek into the playoffs where they'll be a truly tough out in 6A.

Offense gets all the headlines, we know that. Naturally, the stuff that gets the attention is what occurs on the offensive end of the floor and the stuff that wins you games defensively, isn't always the sexiest to the common viewer. We are lucky in the State of North Carolina that we have a bevy of really high quality two way players that bring genuine positive contributions to their team on that end of the floor. Let's take a look at some of the top defensive impact guys in North Carolina right now.