Plenty of high school coaches emphasize the establishment of great cultures. Very few are able to make that vision a reality.
That’s certainly not the case at Greensboro Day.
Over the weekend, Greensboro Day won its third consecutive state championship in the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association. It was also the program’s 11th title overall.
Legendary head coach Freddy Johnson has been at the helm through it all. He has recorded over 1,000 wins in his 42 years as coach.
After defeating Christ School (Arden, NC) by a score of 67-53 in the 4A title game, Johnson reflected on the culture which has led to so many victories.
“I think it’s really important,” Johnson said. “Our culture is the key to our program. We had John Newman (now a freshman at Clemson), Alex Michael (Wofford freshman) and Will Dillard (Georgia Southern freshman) for six years in the program. And I think they put down a tradition for us.”
The chemistry of John Newman, Alex Michael and Will Dillard was undeniable when they shared the floor. It was a chemistry that was formed not just at Greensboro Day, but also during the offseason. The trio played for Team CP3 during the spring and summer months on the Nike EYBL circuit.
Photo: Michael Sumner, Greensboro Day School
It took some time for Greensboro Day to re-establish the culture passed on by Newman, Michael and Dillard. And that process was prolonged even further after seniors Noah Dunn and Banks Handy suffered injuries which sidelined them for the first part of the season.
The loss of Dunn was especially devastating. He tore his ACL back in May and needed to embark on a 7-month journey to get back on the court.
“I was playing some of my best basketball before it happened,” Dunn said. “It’s been a long time. I missed half the season and really didn’t start playing again until January.”
After the game, Noah found his Mom in the midst of the celebration. The 6-foot-5 forward wrapped his arms around her and buried his head on her shoulder as the tears began to flow.
“From the day that I tore my ACL, she has been there for me,” Noah said. “Every day helping me when I was down and helping me with my crutches and everything like that, she’s been there no matter what.”
Photo: Dunn Family
With the infusion of Dunn and Handy back in the lineup, the Bengals hit their stride. Greensboro Day won 11 consecutive games to end the regular season, and then crushed the competition in the postseason winning by an average of 16 points.
“It took a little time to get the chemistry right,” Johnson said. “When you’re missing two of your key seniors who were both hurt for the first month, we had to step in with some younger kids.”
Those ‘younger kids’ happen to be three of the most talented sophomores in the entire country. Cam Hayes, Josh Taylor and Carson McCorkle will give the Bengals a good chance at claiming a 4-peat next year.
Hayes is an athletic 6-foot-3 guard boasting offers from Clemson, NC State, Tennessee, Wake Forest, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Taylor holds early offers from LSU, St. John’s, TCU, Texas Tech and Wichita State.
McCorkle is a 6’3 knockdown shooter committed to Virginia.
Photo: Michael Sumner, Greensboro Day School
This was the first year for Cam Hayes and Josh Taylor at Greensboro Day. The duo transferred over from Ben L. Smith (NC) and Columbia (GA) respectively. Their integration was a process, but they gained the leadership of seniors like Austin Inge, Nick Evtimov and Mike Fowler to guide them along.
And not to be overlooked, the great X-Factor in Greensboro Day’s success is the community surrounding the team. Freddy Johnson does a tremendous job with involving so many different people, that it legitimately feels as if the entire school has a hand in the team’s success.
Before tip-off, six chairs were added to accommodate all the people representing Greensboro Day. Sitting at the front of the bench were four students recording stats, followed by seven assistants and 12 more players. Standing in the rafters was another student filming the game. Two more students sat behind the bench to support the coaching staff.
Photo: Greensboro Day School
And finally, over in the corner was a team of cheerleaders and a rowdy group of students yelling and chanting, while the opposing student section sat the entire game.
You can’t manufacture this type of participation in a program. It only comes from a culture that continues to produce success after success.
Michael McLamb is the High School Hoops Editor at Mars Reel
