Title Contender: Greensboro Day School
Greensboro Day School remains the powerhouse in the NCISAA 3A and on the national level. The Bengals graduated 4 players for the 16-17 team, but still return experience with 5 players who played significant minutes in 16-17 and the influx of 4 new players! 4 of the 5 seniors have won 2 NCISAA State championships and participated in 2 Dick’s Sporting Goods National High School Tournament. Needless to say, they return a lot of experience.
3 returning seniors will play pivotal roles for the Bengals during the 17-18 year: John Newman, Alex Michael, Will Dillard. Will, John, and Alex’s chemistry is furthered by the fact that they have all played on the EYBL circuit on Team CP3 together for many years.
6-5 SG, John Newman ’18 attended the NBPA Top 100 Camp in July, and committed to Coach Brad Brownell at Clemson University over the summer. He gives teammate, Will Dillard, a tough run for his money as best-defender in the state as he boasts an impressive wing-span. John is ranked by PrepHoops as the #5 player in the state and #5 by PrepHoops for the Class of 2018. John was All-State and All- Conference for the 15-16 and 16-17 years and was the 2017 PACIS Conference Co-Player of the Year alongside teammate, JP Moorman ’17.
6-5 SG, Alex Michael ’18 is a good shooter and his range from the 3 point arc has vastly improved in the last 2 years. His understanding of team defensive principles makes it hard for coaches to not have him on the floor. Alex is receiving interest from Wofford, Furman, Roanoke College, Washington & Lee, and Randolph Macon. Expect Alex to have a breakout senior year. Alex is ranked #55 in the state by PrepHoops for the Class of 2018.
6-3 G Will Dillard ’18 has been on everyone’s radar since CP3 Rising Starts camp as a 7th grader when his wind-mill dunk was Sportscenter’s Top Play. You will not find a better defender in the state, maybe in the nation. No player gets lower and understands defensive principles better that Will, which often lead to his highlight dunks. During the 16-17 year, Will was tasked with guarding the other team’s best scorer. On 13 occasions, he guarded a player ranked in the ESPN TOP 100 and only 3 times did those players reach their season average. Will has offers from Wake Forest, College of Charleston, Georgia Southern, UNC- Greensboro, East Tennessee State University, UNC-Charlotte, Appalachian State, Old Dominion, and Presbyterian (where his brother plays). He is receiving more interest from Murray State and Chattanooga as well as a few others. Will is ranked #19 by PrepHoops for the Class of 2018.
This will be one of the deepest teams in recent GDS history:
6-3 Guard, Austin Inge ’19, will add a lot of depth to the Bengals’ squad this year. He is a tenacious defender. Austin has been hearing from Campbell, Liberty, East Carolina, and UNC-Greensboro. He is ranked #115 in NC for the Class of ’19 by PrepHoops.
6-9 Forward, Mike Fowler ’19, is a stretch four, who boasts offers from Hampton and East Carolina University.
Mike is a cerebral player that has excellent instincts around the rim. He’s not the most athletic guy
in the gym, but his overall skill set is advanced for his age/grade. Mike continues to hear from Providence,
Kansas St., Yale, Princeton, Bucknell, Wofford, UNC-Wilmington, and College of Charleston. He is ranked
#14 in NC for the Class of ’19 by PrepHoops.
6-5 Forward, Cason Pierce ’20, will provide quality minutes. He moves well without the ball and is definitely a player to keep an eye out for. He’s fundamentally sound and will provide quality depth for this talented roster. Cason is hearing from Elon, Campbell, and Liberty.
The Bengals have 4 newcomers who will see significant minutes this year:
6-1 Guard, Tripp Greene ’18, transferred from Forsyth Country Day School, where he was a PACIS All Conference player in 16-17 and the team’s leading scorer averaging 18 ppg. He will fit perfectly into GDS system. He has been seeing interest from schools such as Cornell, Bucknell, Houston Baptist, BostonUniversity, Miami (Ohio), Princeton, UMBC, Dartmouth, Yale, Furman, Wofford, and Appalachian State. He has been offered by West Virginia Wesleyan University.
6-3 Guard, Carson McCorkle ’21, is a highly touted young guard. Moving from Raleigh, he is already receiving major interest. Iowa, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, and Wichita State have offered and NC State offered before their coaching change, but he has stayed close to the new coaching staff at NCSU. He also continues to hear from Clemson and Yale. He is quoted saying, “He is here to win games!”
6-5 Wing, Noah Dunn ’19, may not be the flashiest guy on the court, but simply goes about his work. He’s your typical blue-collar lunch pail guy who will make winning and hustle plays throughout the course of the game. He was one of the top scorers playing for Team Felton on the UAA circuit. He is hearing from Kent State and Campbell.
6-7 Forward, Nicholas Evtimov ’19, is a highly skilled power forward that will impress you with his passingand nifty moves around the rim. Yale, Bucknell, Richmond, Lafayette, Santa Clara, Elon, Liberty, Iowa, Colgate, and Wofford have all showed interest among others. He has basketball in his pedigree as his father played at UNC-Chapel Hill and his uncle played at NC State University. He is ranked #27 in NC for the Classof ’19 by PrepHoops.
Greensboro Day School is once again playing a national schedule. Scheduled games include arch-rival Wesleyan Christian, Providence Day, and Christ School. They start the season at the Phenom National High School Showcase. The team will travel to Honolulu, Hawaii to participate in the ‘Iolani Classic from December 15-20th before returning home, going for their 7th consecutive HAECO Invitational Championship in Greensboro, NC. During MLK Weekend, they will travel to Nashville, TN to play in the Music City MLK Roundball Classic. Conference play will be tough in February and then the team looks to defend their 3A state championship. Another trip to the Dick’s National Tournament would be the ideal finish to the season.
‘Tradition’ is one word that is often associated with Greensboro Day School. Each year, they graduate players who go to compete at the next level. They’ve sent over 50 players onto play at the collegiate level including 19 in the last 6 years. They have won the PACIS conference 25 times and have made the NCISAA state championship games 17 times, wining it a record 9 times in the short 47 year history of the school.
Coach Freddy Johnson is entering his 41st season as Head Coach of the Varsity Boys’ Basketball team at Greensboro Day School. Coach Johnson has amassed 992 wins in his career at GDS and has won a record 9 NCISAA state championships in 17 appearances. In May 2016, Coach Johnson was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Coach Johnson was named the 2017 National Coach of the Year by BallisLife. Any opposing coach will tell you that the Bengals always come prepared to play.
Expect the Greensboro Day School Bengals to stay at the top of the state and national rankings throughout the 17-18 year. Experience and leadership will keep this year’s team on par with past seasons of success!