The NCHSAA boys and girls playoffs start Tuesday with the higher seeds hosting the games.
The talent will be flowing, both with basketball players that NC State is recruiting, but also several football prospects that are playing with their prep teams. On the hoops side, NCSU has offered sophomore power forward Jarin Stevenson of Pittsboro Seaforth High, sophomore wing Paul McNeil of Rockingham Richmond County and sophomore wing Drake Powell of Pittsboro Northwood.
NC State women's basketball coach Wes Moore has offered sophomore center Blanca Thomas of Charlotte Catholic and sophomore point guard Zamareya Jones of Bethel North Pitt.
Related links: Boys Bracket and Girls Bracket.
NCHSAA Boys Playoffs
No. 32 Black Mountain C.D. Owen at No. 1 Rutherfordton-Spindale Central in 2A
Freshman power forward Zymicah Wilkins is the main attraction for R-S Central. He’s a strong 6-foot-7 low-post performer and a double-double threat.
No. 27 Pittsboro Seaforth at No. 6 Goldsboro in 2A
Sophomore power forward Jarin Stevenson is ranked No. 29 overall in the country by Rivals.com in the class of 2024. Goldsboro junior power forward Takorrie Faison has put together as good a season as anyone. The 6-7 Faison is averaging 26.8 points, 15.4 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game.
No. 29 Concord Northwest Cabarrus at No. 4 Morganton Freedom in 3A
Freshman point guard Amore Connelly might be the best player in the state few know about yet. He’s explosive, shoots well and has good size at 6-1. He’s the future of the state.
No. 27 Havelock at No. 6 Pittsboro Northwood in 3A
NC State has offered a pair of players in this game, with Northwood sophomore wing Drake Powell in basketball, and Havelock tight end Javonte Vereen in football. Northwood was runner-up in NCHSAA 3A playoffs.
No. 26 Burlington Williams at No. 7 Southern Durham in 3A
Freshman wing Jackson Keith has been a quality performer all season. The 6-foot-4 or so Keith has a smooth mid-range game and good length.
No. 25 Pisgah at No. 8 West Charlotte in 3A
West Charlotte freshman point guard Chadlyn Traylor is a smooth operator, who has a pass-first style and gets after it on defense. He’ll make the three-pointer if left open too. NC State has offered Lions reserve post player Darion Rivers in football as a tackle, and wing Chance Morrow is going to play wide receiver at Louisville.
No. 18 Bailey Southern Nash at No. 15 Carrboro in 3A
Rivals.com ranks sophomore point guard Jordan Vick of Bailey Southern Nash at No. 68 overall in the class of 2024. The explosive and entertaining Vick is the younger brother of NC State freshman defensive back Jackson Vick, who enrolled mid-semester.
No. 32 Cary Green Hope at No. 1 Rockingham Richmond County in 4A
Sophomore wing Paul McNeil is wired to score and ranked No. 31 in the country by Rivals.com in the class of 2024. He can get streaky hot from the perimeter with his pull-up game or when he tries step-back jumpers. NC State has offered him.
No. 31 Greensboro Northwest Guilford at No. 2 Asheville Reynolds in 4A
Sophomore wing Rakease Passmore is an electrifying athlete at about 6-3, but also has a nice mid-range jumper and is a threat from three-point land. The Florida native will likely get ranked in the future.
No. 23 Winston-Salem R.J. Reynolds at No. 10 Huntersville North Mecklenburg in 4A
Sophomore small forward Isaiah Evans is similar to Richmond County’s Paul McNeil, in that he has a sophisticated offensive package. He’s also getting more assertive and he knows how to get his shot off at 6-6 and 160 pounds. Senior shooting guard Jordan Crawford was a teal for College of Charleston.
No. 22 Charlotte Catholic at No. 11 Charlotte Myers Park in 4A
Charlotte Myers Park has a nice team centered around sophomore wing Sir Mohammed and junior power forward Elijah Strong. Rivals.com ranks Mohammed the No. 64 overall player in the class of 2024, and he’s the son of long-time NBA player Nazr Mohammed.
No. 20 Charlotte South Mecklenburg at No. 13 Charlotte Harding in 4A
Sophomore point guard Bishop Boswell has proven dominant at times for South Meck. The football wide receiver prospect can drive to the rim and finish, but also has deep range. He’s also an intense competitor.
Other high major football recruits in NCHSAA playoffs:
Defensive end Rico Walker, Hickory (NCSU offer)
Offensive tackle Sullivan Absher, Belmont South Point (NCSU offer)
Wide receiver Chris Culliver, Maiden (NCSU offer)
Defensive end Jaybron Harvey, Southern Durham
Tight end Vance Bolyard, Greensboro Northern Guilford
Defensive end Tyler Thompson, Cary Panther Creek
Wide receiver Alex Taylor, Greensboro Grimsley (NCSU offer)
Defensive end Gus Ritchey, Pittsboro Northwood
NCHSAA Girls Playoffs
No. 17 Goldsboro Eastern Wayne at No. 16 Bethel North Pitt in 2A
North Pitt features 5-6 sophomore point guard Zamareya Jones, who has a host of high major offers, including one from NC State last August. She’s known for her 360-degree layup and ranked No. 23 in the country in her class by HoopGurlz.
No. 29 Greensboro Page at No. 4 Charlotte Catholic in 4A
Sophomore center Blanca Thomas is ranked No. 6 overall in the class of 2024 by HoopGurlz, thanks to her incredible 6-4 length, soft touch and efficient game. She had 27 points to lead Charlotte Catholic to its conference tournament, and NC State has offered her.
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