The Jordan Brand Classic is finally coming to the home state of its namesake, and there will be plenty of local talent on display.
After starting in Washington D.C. and moving to New York City, the 10th edition of the high school all-star basketball game will take place April 16 in Charlotte. Among the 22 players selected for the game are the top six players from MaxPreps list of the top seniors, and 10 of the top 11.
The rosters also include two players from North Carolina —
Quincy Miller of Westchester Country Day (High Point) and
Sir'Dominic Pointer of Quality Education Academy (Winston-Salem).
MaxPreps video of Quincy MillerMiller, who is from Chicago and will attend Baylor, is a 6-foot-9, 210-pound power forward who transferred from Quality Education Academy to Westchester Country Day before his senior year. His selection was somewhat surprising — not because of his talent (he's No. 4 on the MaxPreps recruiting list), but because he hasn't played since tearing his ACL in December.
Pointer, a 6-6, 195-pound small forward from Winston-Salem, is a combo forward who is headed to St. John's. Ironically enough — considering Miller's transfer away from Pointer — the two won't be reunited on the court. Despite attending schools 20 miles apart, Miller is on the East team and Pointer is on the West team.
Before the all-America game at 8 p.m., there will be a regional game at 5:30 featuring 20 of the top players from North Carolina. Bill Boyette of
Terry Sanford (Fayetteville) will coach the East team, which stars Baylor-bound
Deuce Bello and N.C. State-bound 7-foot center
Joseph Uchebo. Andy Muse of
Mount Tabor (Winston-Salem) will coach the West team, which features Christ School teammates
Marshall Plumlee (Duke) and
Damarcus Harrison (BYU).
Complete regional rosters for the Jordan Brand ClassicWESTERN N.C. DOMINATES IN BASKETBALLThe NCHSAA divides the state into the Western and Eastern regions for the basketball state tournament, with the two regional winners meeting in the final. The balance of power has resided in the West for the past decade and this year was no different — seven of the eight state champions came out of the Western region.
The only exception was the 3A girls tournament, in which
South Central (Winterville) needed overtime to defeat Hickory 61-58.
The NCHSAA provides the details — the West went 6-2 in '10 and '09 and 5-3 in '08 and '07, and the East has just one winning record in 12 years ('06). Since the regional format was started 30 years ago, there has been a clean sweep just one time — when the West did it in 2002.
SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE TITLE IS IN REACH FOR BISHOP McGUINNESSBishop McGuinness (Kernersville) tied the state record of six straight state titles when it beat Southwest Onslow 57-43 in the girls 1A championship game. Hayesville also won six in a row from 1988-93.
"To sit here with six straight championships is pretty humbling," coach Brian Robinson told the Winston-Salem Journal. "I never thought we would be here nine years ago, when I took this job. It's very rewarding. I couldn't be happier for my girls and I know my school and alumni are very proud of what happened today."
There's a good possibility that Bishop McGuinness will have the record to itself next season. The Lady Villains have just one senior, North Carolina-bound
Megan Buckland, and returning players scored 50 of the 57 points against Southwest Onslow. Buckland did have 15 rebounds and five assists to collect the third finals MVP of her career.
NO BOYS-GIRLS SWEEPBishop McGuinness (Kernersville) also won a boys title in 2009, making it the 10th school to win boys and girls titles in the same year since the girls tournament was started in 1972. Two more schools had a chance this year — Millbrook (Raleigh) in 4A and South Central in 3A — but the South Central girls were the only ones to come back with a championship.
Harold Gutmann covers the state of North Carolina for MaxPreps.com. He lives in Durham and can be reached at haroldgutmann@gmail.com.
