NCHSAA East Region State Playoffs Round 2 Preview

<p><em>Round one of the state tournament gave us plenty of fun matchups and a few upsets that not many were expecting. We can expect more outstanding matchups during this round and there are several teams that seem like they may be finding their rhythm as the right time.</em> <em>Let take a look at one matchup from each division that has a chance to be special!</em></p> <p><em>Lumberton @ Pine Forest</em>: Pine Forest is a team that has hit their stride over the past few weeks and will look to continue their high level of play tonight. Senior Guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="848090" first="Tristin" last="Harkins"]</strong> and Junior W/F <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="854901" first="Jordan" last="Jones"]</strong> have both been playing at nice level and it’s led to the overall team playing at a high level and gaining wins. Lumberton HS is a squad that has been dangerous during state tournament time and this year is no different. They have a nice number of players that can all contribute to the success of the team with Junior Guards <strong>Cobe Oxendine</strong> and <strong>JerMel Brockington</strong> being two of the players that lead the way.</p> <p><em>West Columbus @ Henderson Collegiate</em>: Both of these teams play the game with a high amount of physicality and toughness so don’t be surprised if you see this matchup go down to the wire. HC may be the deeper squad talent wise, but the Guard plays of WC has been very impressive this season and they are playing well at the right time. West Columbus Sophomore Guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1317663" first="Unique" last="Kelly"]</strong> is a very talented young man with impressive athleticism and the ability to score the ball at a nice level. Henderson Collegiate is led by Unsigned Senior Guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1082589" first="TJ" last="Ragland"]</strong>, who has been on an absolute tear this season, scoring at a high level while also getting the job done on defense. </p> <p><em>Washington @ Kinston HS</em>: Although this is a matchup between the #2 and #15 seeds, don’t be fooled, this matchup has a chance to be a good one! Kinston HS features Senior Wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="577842" first="Jeremy" last="Dixon"]</strong> who recently committed to WSSU while Washington HS features one of the better unsigned seniors on the east side of the state in Guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1364734" first="Ashton" last="Woolard"]</strong>. Both teams look to get the job done by committee and they each have some outstanding guard play that will be key down the stretch. </p> <p><em>Cape Fear @ 71st HS</em>: These teams are not far from each other in distance, and they have matched up this season multiple times. Cape Fear is a squad that you don’t want to be forced to match up with during tournament time as they feature a very gifted backcourt. Junior Guard <strong>Masuan Bryant</strong> and Senior Guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1136373" first="RJ" last="McDonald"]</strong> both can score plenty of points in a small amount of time and will be players that 71st will have to find ways to stop. 71st HS on the other hand features one of the top overall players in the area in Junior Guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1068193" first="Xavier" last="Tubbs"]</strong> who shown the ability to score at an extremely high level. The area that this matchup may come down to is the battle in the post between Cape Fear Junior Forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1180894" first="Jeremiah" last="Melvin"]</strong> and 71st Junior Forwards <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1323453" first="Jared" last="Davis"]</strong> &amp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1168305" first="James" last="Scott"]</strong>. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p>