Under The Radar Winners In NC

It takes a lot to build a program with sustained success here in North Carolina. There's always some new shiny attraction in town, there are high quality programs all over constantly thinking of creative ways to get an edge over the opposition. Most of the time, it comes down to having talented kids that are willing to buy in and if necessary, sacrifice individual success for the greater good. Let's take a look at some guys that are contributing to a whole lot of winning even though it might be a little under the radar.    Larry Williford and Farmville Central know only one way... they win basketball games and don't really lose them all that often. That sentiment remains true this season as Farmville Central is currently 21-0 on the season and find themselves in the driver seat in the NCHSAA 3A title picture. Dixon is one of the many key contributors this group has as they truly get the job done by committee. Per MaxPreps, he's averaging 12.6 Points, 10.1 Rebounds, and 2.3 Steals per game. Dixon is a physically gifted guard with a nose for the basketball and an incredible understanding of his coach and programs big picture philosophy. Turn the pressure up, make them fold into the pressure, score on them. Dixon helps secure and finish possessions for Farmville Central and a deep playoff run will really cement his status as a bonafide next level prospect. Dixon plays with an unrelenting motor and competitive fire that has earned the trust of Coach Williford. That same approach will be necessary for Farmville Central to get yet another NCHSAA State Championship.     Johnson recently announced his commitment to Fayetteville State all while enjoying a really impactful season at The Burlington School. Johnson's ability to play on or off the ball allows him to easily gel with the other talented guards on this roster. TBS has played a really difficult schedule and put themselves in line for another run at the NCISAA 2A title. For 16-10 The Burlington School, Johnson is averaging 14.4 Points, 2.2 Rebounds, 2.4 Assists, and 1.4 Steals per game. Add in the 45/39/67 shooting splits and you find yourself with an efficient backcourt contributor. Johnson has deep range off the catch and the handle + feel to make plays for himself and others off the bounce. Johnson does a good job spotting up in transition for high efficiency looks from deep. He does a great job moving without the ball for a kid who has spent a ton of time in his career with the ball in his hands. I fully expect Johnson to be a key piece in TBS's quest for another State Championship.     Arnold is a classic do whatever it takes to win type of guy and every team he plays for greatly values what he brings to the table each and every night. Davidson Day finds themselves as a real threat to win the NCISAA 3A title despite their 19-10 record. They've played a very difficult schedule and brought a lot of new pieces in so it took some time for everything to gel. Davidson Day has put together 5 consecutive wins at the time of writing so they're hitting their stride at the right time. Arnold brings so many important things to the table for a team with a lot of talent. He has a very selfless approach, willing to pick up whatever slack is left for him to grab whether it be scoring, rebounding, or playmaking. He's able to be a truly disruptive defender and then on the offensive end, he's consistently in the paint, drawing attention and then making a play for a teammate. He's just a great utility guard to have on your roster and should find himself with more and more next level opportunities presenting themselves if he can help Davidson Day put together an impressive State Title run.     Frye and Southern Wake are the bonafide NCHSAA 1A contender as they have a 16-4 record after really testing themselves in the non-conference portion of their schedule. Frye is averaging 12.2 Points, 3.7 Rebounds, 1.8 Assists, and 3.1 Steals per game. He's doing all of that on 53/33/51 splits as well. Frye is a real mismatch at the 1A level as he's a wing with real positional size, above the rim athleticism, and the ability to showcase his perimeter skill. There's still some refinement that is bound to happen in his game but he's a really tough check regardless of the level and the fact that he's in 1A makes him primed for some big moments on what is shaping up to be a special playoff run for Southern Wake. As Frye continues to stack reps and experience, I fully expect him to make more and more noise as we head into his 17u summer and senior season.     Montgomery is such a solid and useful guard in NC's 2028 class at Queens Grant and he's poised to help lead this group on a deep playoff run in the NCHSAA 2A classification. Queens Grant is 26-3 with 22 consecutive wins at the time of writing. Montgomery is averaging 11.7 Points, 2.1 Rebounds, 3.0 Assists, and 1.3 Steals. All of that is with 42/34/83 splits. He's got a pair of special sophomores right next to him as well in [player_tooltip player_id='2194641' first='Mekhi' last='Allen'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2194636' first='Chase' last='Smith'] making his ability to produce while fitting in even more impressive. Montgomery's ability to hit off the dribble three's with his quick release make the spacing for Queens Grant's offense advantageous towards success. He helps run the offense at a high level and really competes when guarding the ball defensively. Montgomery continues to shape himself into a prospect worth monitoring in NC's 2028 class.

It takes a lot to build a program with sustained success here in North Carolina. There's always some new shiny attraction in town, there are high quality programs all over constantly thinking of creative ways to get an edge over the opposition. Most of the time, it comes down to having talented kids that are willing to buy in and if necessary, sacrifice individual success for the greater good. Let's take a look at some guys that are contributing to a whole lot of winning even though it might be a little under the radar.