Under The Radar WNC Prospects to Monitor This Spring/Summer

The far western part of the State of North Carolina often gets lost in the shuffle for a myriad of reasons with one of the primary being the distance separating it from the major metro areas in the great state we call home. With that said, the 828/336 has produced immense next level talent over time and there appears to be a real crop of guys ready to potentially break out this spring/summer. Without further delay, let's take a deeper look at this group of guys from the mountains and valleys of WNC!    Flowers had a really strong sophomore season at Alexander Central under Coach Grant Hodges and will be with The [program_tooltip program_id='2078471' first='Carolina' last='Riptide'] this spring/summer as he looks to be on cement his status as a real prospect to watch in NC's 2028 class. As a sophomore he averaged 10.6 Points, 9.2 Rebounds, 2.0 Assists and 0.6 Steals per game. Flowers ability to provide a scoring punch while owning the glass makes him a double double threat every time he steps onto the floor. Flowers can make plays for others as he's comfortable operating in multiple areas on the floor along with having real touch around the basket and in the mid-range. The strong frame, feel, and skill for Flowers are very apparent, if he can continue to refine his game and become more explosive he will continue to gain real traction in the recruiting world over the next 6-12 months.     Shatley is off to a really strong start this season with Court Kings and had another productive weekend at the Phenom Rise Showcase as he averaged 21 Points per game for the event. Shatley's calling card(s) are arguably the most translatable in basketball... positional size and shot making. His ability to heat up from distance is notable along with the fact that he is showing that he can become a truly complete player when it's all over with. Shatley is comfortable attacking closeouts and making plays, he does a great job executing the concepts this team strives to operate with, and also finds a way to contribute on the glass. This Court Kings team plays a really strong brand of basketball predicated on ball movement and interchangeability at both ends of the floor making Shatley a perfect fit with the style and other prospects surrounding him. He had a sophomore year where he really established himself as a premier shooter in NC's 2028 class combined with the early returns that we've seen this spring, I fully expect to see Shatley in the 2028 rankings when they update next week.     Twitty is one of the more consistent bigs in NC's 2027 class with his versatile two way skillset after enjoying a really solid year at Christ School this past season. Twitty will be playing with [program_tooltip program_id='2227286' first='Team' last='Loaded South'] 3SSB 17u this spring/summer where that size and motor will be an incredibly valuable piece to the puzzle they're trying to build with that group. Twitty's calling card as a prospect at this point in time is his aforementioned motor and ability to rebound at both ends of the floor. He embraces his identity as a prospect about as good as any big in NC's 2027 class. His game isn't super flashy but he's available for dump offs around the rim where he's a consistent above the rim finisher. If he plays major minutes in a game he's a true double double threat every time he laces them up. Even if he's playing more of a backup role like he did at Christ School this past season, he's really productive in the time that he does play. With bigs like Twitty being so valuable and his trajectory being in the direction that it is, there's a really good chance Twitty's production translates to 3SSB and he gets a serious uptick in recruiting in the process. His skillset will be incredibly valuable to this team and that will translate to his stock rising over the spring/summer.     White enjoyed a very productive junior season at Hickory High School on a team with a ton of talent that won 75% of their games this past season. White averaged. 9.9 Points, 3.9 Rebounds, 3.3 Assists, 1.2 Steals, and 0.5 Blocks per game on 50/35/65 shooting splits. White played his first weekend with Fear No One at the Phenom Stay Positive showcase. White can operate out of ball screens where he's more than than comfortable getting to his spots or making the right read finding a teammate. He's got good positional size for a combo guard and is continuing to add strength to his frame. White is also a true combo guard, not just a guy that is on the ball but just looking to score. He can truly play off the ball effectively or be a real PG when it's in his hands, that will bode well for him this spring/summer as he'll be adjusting to new teammates from the high school season. White should enjoy a really productive spring/summer as he heads into his senior year at Hickory where he'll be an even more important part of that team than he was last year. White should be able to assert himself as a bonafide next level guy as more of those opportunities start to come his way.     Rogers is a really high level sniper out of Asheville Christian who will be playing with [program_tooltip program_id='2399240' first='Dub' last='Salem'] 16u this spring/summer. Rogers size and shooting ability allows him to make shots over defenders with relative ease along with having the ability to exploit smaller guards off the bounce when needed. Rogers plays the game the right way, he's super confident but doesn't force shots or try to make plays beyond the offense. Rogers has steadily progressed in his overall game becoming a truly more complete player as he heads into his 16u summer. With his size, willingness to do whatever it takes to win, and outside touch, I fully expect Rogers to have that building block 16u summer as he approaches his Junior year at Asheville Christian where I think he'll start to garner some next level attention as he is clearly tracking as a next level guy.     Thomas is on the verge of breaking out as one of the 2029s in NC that will be talked about for years to come after a really strong Freshman season at East Rutherford High School. This past season, he averaged 7.5 Points, 6.0 Rebounds, and 1.2 Blocks per game on 49/28/66 shooting splits. Thomas showing he can produce early with the ability to have a major impact on the glass while possessing the ability to make outside shots and show off that touch. Thomas will be playing with Upward Stars 3SSB 15u this spring/summer where he'll be able to showcase his game on a national stage. His combination of size, motor, and skill will make him a notable prospect for years to come and this team should be a great opportunity for him to play a big role alongside other high level talent. Thomas will continue to break out as a name to know in NC's 2029 class.

The far western part of the State of North Carolina often gets lost in the shuffle for a myriad of reasons with one of the primary being the distance separating it from the major metro areas in the great state we call home. With that said, the 828/336 has produced immense next level talent over time and there appears to be a real crop of guys ready to potentially break out this spring/summer. Without further delay, let's take a deeper look at this group of guys from the mountains and valleys of WNC!