Team Preivew: Grace Christian (Raleigh)

<p>Grace Christian (Raleigh) has been the model of consistency under coach DeShannon Morris. The Eagles have won 19+ games in seven straight seasons, excluding the Covid shortened year. That type of winning does not come without a culture that works. It was evident that this culture was strong and genuine the minute I walked through the doors of the school.</p>   <p>Culture is often an overused phrase in basketball, but what Coach Morris has done during his tenure warrants praise for what he's built. The Eagles are coming off a 19-11 season and three points from going to the 3<sup>rd</sup> round of the playoffs. With the bulk of their roster coming back, Coach Morris is excited about the potential of this group. He praised how hard the group has been working and how connected they've been since the summer.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Rising Star</h2>    <p>The biggest misconception about Gradyn is that he's just a shooter. There is a lot more to his game than just the elite shooting. His size at 6'5 mixed with the high motor and skillset allows him to be an effective rebounder and versatile defender. The rebounding is a part of his game that will be better this year. The staff has challenged him with being a more high-level rebounder, which will result in more coast-to-coast opportunities. Gradyn in the open floor is as good as anyone in the conference.</p>   <p>Gradyn plays with maximum effort every possession and has upped his physicality this summer. Teams put a lot of emphasis on running him off the line, but he's improved on attacking closeouts and touching the paint more. His athleticism is an underrated aspect of his game as he flushed multiple dunks during the workout session. Coach Morris told me they want Gradyn to be more consistent with the ball in his hands as a playmaker. The more well rounded he is, the better the Eagles will be.</p>   <p>After coming off a successful freshman campaign, expect him to push for 20+ points per game this year. That's not just an opinion of mine, but the staff says they're going to need him to take over that role as a scorer due to how much of a mismatch he is.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">An Underrated Floor General</h2>    <p>Not enough people are talking about Colinn, but that will certainly change this year. Excellent positional size for a PG and his passing is some of the best in the state. He anticipates plays before they happen and has the vision to pass teammates open. Dynamite decision maker, especially in transition with the defense on their heels. Most importantly, he takes care of the ball and does not force anything that's not there.</p>   <p>Colinn is not a one trick pony on the offensive end. He's a much-improved shooter from outside and the staff hopes that progress continues. Speaking with Coach Morris, he put an emphasis on getting Colinn more consistent with his shot making from deep. His mid-range pull up is effective, as well as his downhill finishing. Combining that with a consistent outside shot puts him at another level. After leading the team in assists last year, expect the same this year but with more points per game as well.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">High Flying Two-Way Weapon</h2>    <p>Athleticism is the superpower and first thing that stands out when you watch Chris. He's an explosive jumper off one or two feet and consistently finishes above the rim. Although the athleticism is a plus, he's more than just an athlete. His blend of speed, power and strength allow him to guard multiple positions on defense. On offense that same mixture gives him the ability to blow by bigger defenders and overpower smaller ones in the post.</p>   <p>Off the ball, Chris is a violent cutter and navigates screens well to get away from defenders. His shooting off the catch is consistent and keeps teams scrambling due to his ability to put pressure on the rim. The work ethic Is paying off with how well he has developed and the numbers back that up. From 1.7 points per game as a freshman to 7.3 this year, Chris has also improved in nearly every other statistical category. The staff is relying on that trajectory to keep trending up and for Chris to have a massive year for the Eagles.</p>    <p>The Eagles will be a deep, versatile, and well-connected team this year. They have a bevy of players who can make shots consistently from all over the floor. Their ability to compliment the guys mentioned above will be critical to the Eagles' success. [player_tooltip player_id='1281017' first='Braylen' last='McRae'] led the team in points last year, but Coach Morris believes it's his on-ball defense that makes him special. Braylen has a good blend of speed, power, and finesse which helps him break defenders down with ease. Strong finisher at the rim but also a willing passer, as many of the Eagles rosters are.</p>   <p>An underrated duo to watch for the Eagles are Alister Murray and Jonathan Adams. Both guys will be utility guys for the Eagles who do all the things that don't get noticed in a stat line. Diving for loose balls, creating second chance shots, and defending at a high level is what this duo will do best. Not to mention, they're extremely athletic and can finish consistently at or above the rim.</p>   <p>One of the challenges for the staff in my opinion will be how to get all these valuable pieces on the floor. We've rattled off six players and still haven't talked about Joe DeGuzman and his shot making. Nor have we mentioned [player_tooltip player_id='3677201' first='Brody' last='Campbell'], who also can be a facilitator but more importantly, a shot maker. This Grace team will be as deep as any team in the classification and a handful to deal with. I think it's safe to pencil them in for another 19+ win season.</p>

Grace Christian (Raleigh) has been the model of consistency under coach DeShannon Morris. The Eagles have won 19+ games in seven straight seasons, excluding the Covid shortened year. That type of winning does not come without a culture that works. It was evident that this culture was strong and genuine the minute I walked through the doors of the school.