Triad Preview Series: Mount Tabor (NCHSAA)

As we enter the dog days of summer, high school squads across North Carolina have begun to prepare for the 2024-2025 season. Among them are teams from the Triad, an overlooked, underrated region home to big-time prospects and programs. Welcome to year two of the Triad Preview Series, a two-part, in-depth look at the best basketball the Triad has to offer. Today's piece will feature Mount Tabor, a Winston-Salem program that is fresh off a big-time 2023-2024 regular season and deep playoff run.   Mount Tabor had their best season to date in 2023-2024. The Spartans over-exceeding expectations was an understatement by early March of last year. This team performed at the highest level all season and made an impressive post season in the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs. Mount Tabor finished the 2023-2024 regular season 22-5, 12-2 in-conference, and as the #4 seed in Western quadrant of the state championship bracket. A first round matchup with #29 Palisades (15-11) set Mount Tabor's postseason run on the right foot with a convincing 68-44 win. Next up was #20 seed Mooresville (18-9) who had upset #13 seed West Forsyth (20-7) in the matchup prior. An all-around team effort gave the Spartans a comfortable double digit cushion they were able to maintain and finish things out with. Round 3 was #4 seed North Mecklenburg (27-3). In their most competitive matchup of the season, Mount Tabor fell short 45-42. Their 2023-2024 season ended with a loss to the eventual NCHSAA 4A state champion Vikings. As hard as it may have been to digest, a 3-point loss to the consensus most talented roster in the state is not a bad way to go out. Mount Tabor is back in business this season, and has spent much of this summer getting prepared to meet the rising expectations around this program in 2024-2025. Let's take a look at some key guys who can help them carve their way deep into next years playoff bracket.    [player_tooltip player_id='1786681' first='Shamarius' last='Peterkin'] is a guy I've been high on for a while now. A recent Virginia Tech football commit, I felt like it was still appropriate to highlight what he can do on the hardwood. With a bright future playing ACC football on his horizon, the dual-sport athlete has one more year of organized basketball left in his career. You better believe he'll seize it. There is no doubt the 6'3" combo guard will be an integral part of this team's identity heading into 2024-2025. Peterkin's athleticism sets him apart. A lethal wide receiver in the fall, his supreme footwork, hand-eye coordination, and translate into an elite scorer on the basketball court. Peterkin is a tough, physical guard who thrives when he is playing on the ball. He's an elite downhill driver who has proven he can finish through contact and make plays. Peterkin is a versatile shooter who can do damage around the perimeter and behind the three-point line off the dribble or catch and shoot. His leadership on and off the floor give him credibility for his teammates to trust him to make the right plays at the right time. Peterkin is an elite, hard-working defender who utilities his football fundamentals to his advantage when guarding and rebounding. With a Mount Tabor team that needs their best out of [player_tooltip player_id='1786681' first='Shamarius' last='Peterkin'] to compete for a state championship, expect the football commit to show up and show out as he enters his last season of being a dual-sport ball player.     Next up is [player_tooltip player_id='2329662' first='Jadon' last='Blair'], another dual-sport athlete whose talents will be utilized in more ways than one to help this basketball team make another deep postseason run. Blair, similar to his backcourt mate [player_tooltip player_id='1786681' first='Shamarius' last='Peterkin'], established himself as a key part of this team in 2023-2024 and will no doubt be called upon with higher expectations. At 6'5", Blair is a long, athletic wing whose athleticism and aggressiveness make him an elite two-way prospect. Blair excels when he is attacking the basket with pace and is a gifted finisher at the rim. He's got a consistent mid-range game that adds another level of depth to his skillset that is hard to guard. Becoming more of an outside threat is something I would like to see phased into Blair's arsenal in 2024-2025 and would make him an elite three level scorer. Defensively, he's a vocal leader and loves to compete on the glass and in the trenches. Blair is an elite rim protector whose athleticism allows him to get up and get boards and facilitate fast breaks. While there is no doubt [player_tooltip player_id='2329662' first='Jadon' last='Blair'] has some big football decisions looming this fall, expect him to be locked in this winter when it's time to help this team bring a championship back to Winston.     [player_tooltip player_id='2454791' first='Amare' last='Robinson'] is an under-the-radar guy who has steadily increased his stock since his first season with Mount Tabor. At 6'4", Robinson is a well-sized wing who utilizes his toughness and his frame to compete on both ends of the floor. Robinson is a jack-of-all-trades in the sense that his versatile skillset shows up in different situations night in and night out. He's an elite rebounder whose athleticism gives him an edge on 50/50 balls. Robinson is an elite defender whose size allows him to matchup with opposing bigs when the Spartans play small and want to space the floor. While scoring is not at the forefront of his game, nor is it one of his main responsibilities on this Mount Tabor team, Robinson has shown he can knock down shots along the perimeter and behind the three point line and create for himself when he's given the opportunity to. What I like most about Robinson's game is his basketball IQ and unselfish nature. Robinson excels in his role as an elite rebounder, rim protector, and occasional shot-taker. He's an unselfish guy who does what his team needs him to do to win. [player_tooltip player_id='2454791' first='Amare' last='Robinson'] is one of the most important pieces to this roster in 2024-2025.     Things start to get a little more interesting now as we dive into some class of 2026 guys. The rising juniors have a big year ahead now that they have had two years in this Mount Tabor system. They're now expected to contribute meaningful minutes and produce when they're on the floor. [player_tooltip player_id='2303266' first='Will' last='Koonin'] will be one of those guys that will be forced to step up. Similar to senior guards [player_tooltip player_id='1786681' first='Shamarius' last='Peterkin'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2329662' first='Jadon' last='Blair'], Koonin is a dual-sport guy who is a tough competitor and elite playmaker. At 6'3", Koonin is a good-size combo guard who is an excellent option to play with and behind guys like Peterkin and Blair. What I like most about Koonin is his ability to do damage without the ball. He moves well in the open court, sets good screens, grabs 50/50 balls that facilitate second chance buckets, and is one of the most competitive defenders in his class. With a Mount Tabor roster that will need more of a scoring presence from Koonin this season, I expect him to evolve into a consistent three point shooter before we hit the prime of the high school season in 2025. Expect big things from [player_tooltip player_id='2303266' first='Will' last='Koonin']. He's an underrated, dual-sport guy who is as hard working and competitive as they come.     [player_tooltip player_id='1259506' first='Hunt' last='Murfee'] is an intriguing prospect to keep an eye on on this Mount Tabor team. With a Spartan roster that is loaded with elite guard play, it can be hard to appreciate some of the guys on the bottom of that list. I think there's a ton of potential here with Murfee as someone who can mold into an elite, high IQ guard who plays meaningful minutes this season behind guys like Peterkin and Blair. Murfee is an elite floor general whose ability to create for others makes him a must-have piece to this roster. I expect Murfee to see a significant increase of playing time in 2024-2025 and start to find his groove with this talented roster. [player_tooltip player_id='1259506' first='Hunt' last='Murfee'] won't be in the spotlight this preseason, but expect him to cement himself as a key role player on an extremely talented, competitive Mount Tabor team.

As we enter the dog days of summer, high school squads across North Carolina have begun to prepare for the 2024-2025 season. Among them are teams from the Triad, an overlooked, underrated region home to big-time prospects and programs. Welcome to year two of the Triad Preview Series, a two-part, in-depth look at the best basketball the Triad has to offer. Today's piece will feature Mount Tabor, a Winston-Salem program that is fresh off a big-time 2023-2024 regular season and deep playoff run.