36 Gastonia, Shelby area high school basketball players to watch as NCHSAA playoffs begin

The NCHSAA basketball playoffs begin Tuesday for qualifiers from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties.

With one misstep ending a pursuit of a state title, having a go-to player in crunch time can be the difference between “surviving and advancing” or going home. Here are 36 area players — 22 boys and 14 girls — to watch as the high school basketball playoffs get underway.

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Boys basketball

A.J. Adams, Crest: Leads his team with 16.1 points per game, along with 4.9 rebounds and five assists.

Isaac Byers Jr., Ashbrook: Byers led Big South 3A with 20.2 points per game. He is also averaging team-highs in rebounds (5.7), assists (4.2) and steals (3.3).

Bobby Erwin, Piedmont Community Charter: Leads the Patriots with 16 points per game, along with 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 rebounds.

Jackson Fannon, East Lincoln: Fannon has made 45% of shots from beyond the arc this season, averaging 21.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

Bradley Floyd, Kings Mountain: Floyd leads his team in points (18.7), rebounds (7.1) and assists (4.7).

Kelan Flowers, Lincoln Charter: Leads the Eagles with 16.7 points per game, along with 3.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and two steals.

Z-Man Gladden, Hunter Huss: Gladden is averaging 11.6 points per game, along with 5.2 rebounds, three assists and 2.2 steals.

Drew Hollifield, Shelby: The Golden Lions’ senior sharpshooter recently joined the 1,000-point club, the first Shelby boys hoops standout to accomplish the feat since Quay Kimble in 2017.

Christan Jones, Mountain Island Charter: The Raptors’ freshman guard is shooting 53% from the field while averaging 21.3 points per game.

Kellen Karr, North Lincoln: Karr is averaging just short of a double-double with 18.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game as a junior, in addition to 6.1 assists and 2.8 steals.

Landen Lyerly, Lincolnton: Lyerly is averaging a double-double with 13.6 points and 12 rebounds per game during his junior campaign.

Caleb Nixon, Kings Mountain: The 6-foot-3 freshman is averaging 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, including a team-high 62 3-pointers.

Zii Phillips, Hunter Huss: Phillips is averaging a team-high 13.4 points per game as a freshman, along with 5.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 steals.

David Reed IV, Lincoln Charter: Reed is averaging 14.4 points per game, in addition to leading the team in rebounds (5.4 rpg).

King Rhodes, Crest: Rhodes is averaging 15.8 points per game, along with a team-high 9.8 rebounds.

Tucker Robinette, Kings Mountain: Robinette is averaging 10.1 points, along with 3.2 assists, 2.2 rebounds and two steals.

Ty Sanders, North Lincoln: The Knights’ junior standout is scoring better than 15 points per game, along with 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

Elijah Sherrill, Highland Tech: The Rams’ junior standout leads the team with 20.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and three assists per game.

Trent Sherrill, East Gaston: East Gaston’s all-time leading scorer, Sherrill is averaging better than 21 points per game as a senior.

Jamari Smith, Ashbrook: Smith is averaging 14.5 points per game. He is shooting 52% from the field.

Kamari Surratt, Burns: The Bulldogs’ senior standout leads his team with 13.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

Graham Williams, South Point: Williams is averaging a double-double in his senior season, leading the Red Raiders with 15.4 points and 10.3 rebounds.

Girls basketball

Kiara Anderson, East Lincoln: The Lady Mustangs’ sophomore guard is averaging just shy of 22 points per game, along with 6.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds.

Lyric Brown, Piedmont Community Charter: Leads the Patriots with 14.6 points, 4.5 steals and 2.6 assists per game.

Amya Graham, South Point: During her junior season in Belmont, Graham has recorded 24 double-doubles while averaging 18.5 points and 14.9 rebounds per game.

Kaylee Greene, Burns: The junior guard leads her team with 12.6 points per game.

Oshauna Holland, Stuart Cramer: Holland is averaging 26.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 6.7 steals and 1.4 blocks per game as a sophomore.

Kallie Lusk, Lincoln Charter: The Belmont Abbey signee leads the Eagles with 13.4 points per game.

Addie McCraw, Highland Tech: The Rams’ senior standout is averaging 15.1 points and 12.7 rebounds per game.

Emma Montanari, East Lincoln: Montanari is averaging 19.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 3.8 assists as a sophomore.

Amani Neely, Forestview: The sophomore guard leads her team with 13.1 points per game.

Kionna Pettus, Bessemer City: Pettus is averaging 22 points and 12.1 rebounds per game.

Tionna Pettus, Bessemer City: Pettus is averaging a double-double with better than 23 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Carolina Robinson, West Lincoln: She is averaging a double-double this season with 16.8 points and 14.3 rebounds, along with 4.8 blocks.

Ally Smith, North Lincoln: The freshman leads her team with 15.5 points and five steals per game.

Monica Surratt, Crest: Leads the Chargers with 17.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: NCHSAA basketball: 36 Gastonia, Shelby players to watch in playoffs