By Marc Pruitt
MaxPreps.com
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Some of the best boys high school basketball players in North Carolina and South Carolina assembled Saturday at Bobcats Arena for the 11th annual Carolinas All-Star Classic.
Three of the 10 players on the North Carolina roster will attend ACC schools in the fall on basketball scholarships, and a fourth, E.J. Abrams-Ward of Thomasville, will attend Tennessee on a football scholarship.
For the seventh time in the series, Team North Carolina got the upper hand and edged South Carolina, 84-80.
Bo Ingram of Kinston earned Most Valuable Player honors after scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. It's been quite the last few weeks for Ingram, who also led Kinston to the 3-A state championship on March 15 and was named the MVP of the state championship game.
Ingram is undecided about his college choice and is leaning toward attending a prep school next season to play, but joined the sentiment of his fellow All-Star teammates, who all enjoyed being part of such a great collection of talent.
"Man, we really had a lot of talent out there, and I really appreciate this award," Ingram said. "We only had two days to practice and get ready for this, so you never really know what to expect. I just wanted to try and play hard on every play, and it was a lot of fun playing with some of the best players in the state."
Joining Ingram on the North Carolina squad were several big-name (and big- bodied) recruits that will be attending prominent schools next season.
Ty Walker, a 7-footer from Wilmington New Hanover, has signed to play at Wake Forest. Walker scored 10 points and had seven rebounds in the winning effort.
The effervescent Reginald Johnson of Winston-Salem Prep, at 6-8, 290 pounds, muscled his way to 18 points and 14 rebounds and set a new rebounding record in the game. Johnson, who has signed to play at Miami (Fla.) next season, also led his team to the 1-A state championship and, like Ingram, was also named as the MVP of the state championship game.
Johnson was still all smiles after the game and admitted he relished in some of the good-natured ribbing he was involved in with some of his All-Star teammates, some of whom he'll be doing battle with in the years to come in the college ranks.
"Just being selected to play in this game was a real honor," Johnson said. "You get to hear and read about a lot of these guys all year, but getting to chance to play with them has been quite an honor. It feels good and I'm glad we won. But all weekend, me, Ty (Walker) and C.J (Williams, who will attend N.C. State in the fall) have been going back and forth about who was going to do what in the ACC. We were just having a little fun with it. I can't wait for it."
Williams, who played at Jack Britt High in Fayetteville, finished the game with 13 points and five rebounds.
Other members of Team North Carolina included teammates Malik Stith and Titus Robinson of East Mecklenburg, two big factors for East in winning the 4-A state title three weeks ago. Robinson was the MVP of the 4-A state championship game, giving North Carolina three state title MVP's on its roster for the game.
Hunter McClintock of Northern Durham scored six points and Zack Hollifield of 2-A state runner-up Canton Pisgah, added eight points.
Danny Nieman of Concord didn't score, but loved every minute he got to soak up on the floor with his teammates.
"I really can't think of a better way for my career to end," Nieman said. "I've been fortunate to have some great teammates at Concord, and these guys I played with today are the best of the best. I didn't score, but it was just a lot of fun to be out there."
Abrams-Ward, who was the most sought after football prospect in North Carolina, was also held scoreless. Abrams-Ward shook off his shutout, however, and appreciated the experience.
"Just a great experience, and quite an honor to be a part of this," Abrams-Ward said. "I got to play on the same floor as a couple of guys who are going to be playing in the ACC. This was a lot of fun, a great experience, and to be able to play at Bobcats Arena really made the whole thing extra special."
Abrams-Ward said he also intends to play hoops for the Volunteers once his football obligations have concluded, with the blessings of coaches Phil Fulmer and Bruce Pearl.
"Coach Pearl told me that everything is looking OK as far as basketball goes," Abrams-Ward added. "So as long as my grades are holding up and it's not too much of a stretch, I'll be playing basketball too."
Butch Blalock of Gastonia Highland Tech was the head coach for North Carolina and was joined by George Drawhorn of Wilson Fike. Blalock has been a player and a coach for numerous All-Star games, but thought that the roster of talent assembled in this game was the finest he had seen.
"I don't think there's any question," Blalock said. "Three of these guys are going to the premier league in the country (the ACC), one is going to play football in the SEC, and several are going to D-II or prep schools. This is probably the highlight of my coaching career. "
Marc Pruitt is a freelance sports writer for the Winston-Salem Journal and covers North Carolina for MaxPreps.com. Email him at MPruitt71@gmail.com.
