HoopSeenNC’s Justin Byerly will spend the next four days previewing the NCHSAA state championships from all four classifications. A rundown of what to expect, a look at potential match-ups and a final thought section of how the games may transpire. 

Bishop McGuiness vs Henderson Collegiate

The Rundown: Henderson Collegiate is 31-2 overall including a mark of 14-0 in conference play. Henderson Collegiate took down Washington County in the Regional Finals behind the play of  2021 guard Javonte Waverly. The 6-foot-1 guard is a threat to knock down shots from the outside. He has a strong upper-body that allows him to finish plays in the paint and he can get from one end to the other really quick. He is averaging 16.6 points and 5 rebounds per game. Also a big contributor for Henderson was 6-foot-3 Akhiris Holden, a long and athletic backcourt threat that gets a lot of his points near the basket. 6-foot-3 Kalib Matthews in a long and athletic small forward that can handle the ball, uses his length well on defense and uses his quick first-step to perfection. 

Bishop McGuiness is no stranger either to being this far into the playoffs as Head Coach Josh Thompson led his squad to the 2009 state championship. This years’ team is led by Cameron Caroway, Jake Ledbetter and Andrew Budzinski. Another key to this year’s team is the transfer of Noah Allred, a quick, skilled guard. The 6-foot-6 Caroway is averaging near 18 points per game and really creates a match-up problem with his size. Budzinski is one of the more athletic players for Bishop-McGuiness and has some solid post moves. Ledbetter is a shooter that can get hot from the outside and can rattle-off some big baskets quickly.

Keys to the Game: This state final will come down to who can get out in transition and cause the most turnovers. Both teams handle the ball well and are not where they are in the late stages of the season without doing so. A key for me is going to be controlling the tempo of the game from the on-set and taking advantage of turnovers. Both teams are good at finishing in transition and getting the ball up the floor. Also, controlling the shooting of Waverly for Bishop-McGuiness is going to increase The Villians’ chances.

In His Own Words: Head Coach Josh Thompson had this to say about the upcoming game, “It’s an amazing feeling to be competing for a state championship.  Henderson Collegiate is a high-level team, and we will have our hands full trying to stop their high-powered offense.  They have so many guys who can dribble pass and shoot, and score at all 3 levels.”