HighSchoolOT is providing a sneak peek at the upcoming boys basketball season by releasing its yearly watch list for the six area codes in the state.

The telephone area code 828 is associated with several counties in Western North Carolina, including Buncombe, Watauga, Catawba, Caldwell, Burke, Alexander, McDowell, Avery, Madison, Yancey, Mitchell, Polk, Transylvania, Rutherford, Henderson, Graham, Clay, Swain, Macon, Cherokee, Jackson, and Haywood. According to our early rankings, Christ School holds the number one spot for boys’ basketball teams in the 828 area. They also rank sixth in the state overall.

These are the important things you should know about HSOT Watch Lists.

• This year, the number of athletes on each team was not predetermined.

• The Watch List categorizes athletes by their county and displays them in alphabetical order.

• Being included in the HSOT Watch List is taken into consideration for future accolades, such as HSOT All-State and HSOT Honors.

• The previous year’s all-state team and final rankings can be found at the end of this article, along with this year’s preseason rankings.

• Please inform us at [email protected] if any of the athletes listed below have been transferred during the offseason without our knowledge.

A few of these athletes were selected for the HSOT All-State Team in the previous year. The 2022-23 season’s HSOT All-State boys basketball team.

are referred to as the “Land of the Waterfalls”.

The counties of Polk, Transylvania, Rutherford, and Henderson are known as the “Waterfall Region”.

• Junior Caiden Brewer from East Henderson.

• Tre Crite, Brevard (senior)

• Junior Eli Griffin from Brevard.

• CJ Landrum, Hendersonville (senior)
• Jackson Lyda, West Henderson (senior)
• Marley McCall, Rosman (senior)

• Sophomore Noah Pierce from North Henderson

• Bryson Rowe, North Henderson (senior)
• Malachi Simpson, Hendersonville (junior)

are located in the mountains of North Carolina.

The counties of Mitchell, Yancey, Madison, Avery, McDowell, and Watauga can be found in the North Carolina mountains.

• Mason Bailey, Avery County (senior)

• Jace Loven is a junior at Mountain Heritage.

Counties included are Graham, Clay, Swain, Macon, Cherokee, Jackson, and Haywood.

• Dylan Baldwin, Nantahala (senior)
• Donovan Carpenter, Robbinsville (senior)
• Ty Clark, Andrews (junior)
• Max McClure, Franklin (junior)
• Zack Skogen, Murphy (senior)

• Aiden Southerds, a junior at Swain County.

• Jack Teesateskie, Cherokee (sophomore)
• Xander Wachacha, Murphy (senior)

have a poverty rate of 16.1%, which is higher than the national average of 14.1%

The poverty rate in Alexander, Caldwell, Burke, and Catawba counties is 16.1%, surpassing the national average of 14.1%.

• Junior Freedom, Love Connelly

• Senior John Holbrook from Hickory.

• Hickory’s senior, Jordan Lineberger

• Jamien Little, Hickory (junior)
• Raheim Misher, Maiden (junior)
• Jordan Patterson, West Caldwell (junior)

Buncombe County

• Jamari Briggs, Christ School (senior)
• Declan Brown, A.C. Reynolds (junior)
• Bryson Cokley, Christ School (senior)
• Ty Johnson, A.C. Reynolds (senior)

• Junior Zymicah Wilkins attends Christ School.

• Keenan Wilkins is a senior at Christ School.

Source: highschoolot.com