By Justin Byerly

Note: Justin Byerly reviews the 2012 NC playoff pairings and here are his predictions for the first round match ups.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

MEN’S 2012 STATE BASKETBALL PLAYOFF PAIRINGS

CLASS 4-A

EAST

16 East Wake (9-14) at 1 New Hanover (22-1) Pick: New Hanover (Nigel Holley and Kadeem Allen are just too good to lose this one at home)

9 Laney (12-10) at 8 Middle Creek (16-8) Pick: This is a good one, Im going with Laney, Elijah Wilson (CofC) scored 43 the other night and may be a little to much for Quinton Ray and co.

12 Southeast Raleigh (12-7) at 5 Hoggard (16-6) Pick: Wilmington Hoggard (Tyler Thayer, three college offers, and co. should be able to get this win)

13 Athens Drive (12-10) at 4 Clayton (17-5) Pick: Clayton (Sophomore Gary Clark is really good. Clayton is really good. Should be enough to get to 2nd Round

14 Rose (10-12) at 3 Millbrook (19-5) Pick: Millbrook

11 Wake Forest-Rolesville (16-8) at 6 Broughton (17-7) Pick: Broughton (But this should be one of the best games of the first round)

10 Knightdale (11-12) at 7 Wakefield (16-6) Pick: Wakefield

15 Sanderson (10-14) at 2 Garner (20-2) Pick: Garner (Dominique Reed. The kid can play. Should not have any trouble in this one as they move to second round.

MIDEAST

16 Terry Sanford (12-12) at 1 Pine Forest (23-1) Pick: Pine Forest (Alex Bradley is a machine, and Pine Forest is a great team. Knocked off New Hanover earlier in year)

9 South View (12-12) at 8 Lumberton (14-9) Pick: South View (Nathan Faulk has a nice team in Fayetteville, Rian Holland and Treshawn Patterson will get the win IMO

12 Southeast Guilford (13-9) at 5 Green Hope (20-4) Pick: Green Hope

13 Northern Durham (11-11) at 4 Person (19-4) Pick: Person (Tyrone Outlaw is going to be a good one, Person should advance pretty easliy)

14 Jack Britt (8-16) at 3 Apex (21-3) Pick: Apex

11 Purnell Swett (14-8) at 6 Hillside (15-6) Pick: Hillside

10 Jordan (11-12) at 7 Seventy First (16-7) Pick: 71st

15 Holly Springs (13-11) at 2 Hoke (19-2) Pick: Hoke County

MIDWEST

16 High Point Central (10-14) at 1 Sun Valley (20-4) Pick: Sun Valley (Jalen Witherspoon and Shaun Stewart, a do-it-all G can score with the best of them)

9 Richmond Senior (17-5) at 8 David Butler (14-10) Pick: Butler (Not by much, but Zach Ferguson is a player, tough as nails and I have to pick one so it’s Butler HS and Coach Kirby)

12 Ben Smith (13-10) at 5 Davie County (17-6) Pick: Smith (This is a good one here, Tracy Gathings will need to have a big game, but I think he can. The age and experience might be enough to up-set the Martin twins, as long as Smith HS can stop Nate Jones.

13 East Forsyth (15-9) at 4 Northwest Guilford (15-9) Pick: East Forsyth (Craig Hinton can play, and throw in Drew Cone & Larry Curry, you have a win for an under-rated team in EF.

14 R.J. Reynolds (10-13) at 3 Mount Tabor (16-7) Pick: Mt Tabor (Matthew Madigan & Torey Baskin-may be able to play are a little too good to lost this one.

11 Glenn (13-10) at 6 Southwest Guilford (15-9) Pick: SW Guilford (Jordan Hanner has been playing really well as of late and I think he and SW will keep it up against Zane Waterman and co)

10 Reagan (14-9) at Dudley (13-9) Pick: Dudley HS (Sam Hunt…Period)

15 Rocky River (10-13) at 2 Page (19-4) Pick: Page HS (Frank Eaves is the real deal, going to be too much for RR)

WEST

16 South Caldwell (10-13) at 1 Olympic (24-0) Pick: Olympic HS (I said this earlier, I would not want to be facing Charlotte Olympic the rest of the season, sometimes it takes an L to see how good you really are, and these guys are GOOD.

9 Watauga (9-13) at 8 East Gaston (10-13) Pick: East Gaston (I see Desean Murray (2014) having a big game, the kid is young but he will end up being one of the top guns in Charlotte soon. He is a player)

12 West Mecklenburg (3-20) at 5 McDowell (17-6) Pick: McDowell (McDowell has some athletic players on the roster as does WM, but I think McDowell gets the W in this one.

13 East Mecklenburg (13-10) at 4 Alexander Central (18-5) Pick: Alexander Central (IMO the Charlotte area teams are the strongest they have been in a while, but this one has to go to AC. I think thats as far as they can get though)

14 Mooresville (12-10) at 3 West Charlotte (19-5) Pick: West Charlotte (I would put pretty much anything I own on Mike Brown, a WCU signee. The kid is just a winner. Mooresville won earlier this season, but Meeks is playing better and Mark Blackmon has stepped-up.

11 Myers Park (15-9) at 6 North Mecklenburg (20-4) Pick: Toss-up (MP wins if they get a huge game from Patrick Wallace or North Meck wins with big game from one of the top PG’s in Charlotte Shivaughn Wiggins, should be one of the best games in the first round IMO. Both are seniors.

10 Mallard Creek (16-6) at T.C. Roberson (15-8) Pick: Mallard Creek (I dont think that some of these MAC teams can hang with the athleticism of some of the Charlotte teams this year).

15 Vance (13-10) at 2 South Mecklenburg (20-4) Pick: South Meck (SM should win this one with the height advantage of Matthews and Phillip, unless sophomore Brewer come up big again like he had been.

CLASS 3-A

EAST

16 West Carteret (10-12) at 1 West Craven (23-1) Pick: West Craven (Josh Cuthbertson is one of the top in the state, a D1 kid and will go pretty far this March.

9 Currituck (3-19) at 8 South Brunswick (8-12) Pick: South Brunswick

12 Hunt (11-12) at 5 South Central (19-3) Pick South Central

13 D.H. Conley (10-12) at 4 West Brunswick (12-10) Pick: West Brunswick

14 Southern Vance (8-11) at 3 Hertford County (19-3) Pick: Hertford

11 Southern Nash (7-12) at 6 Southern Wayne (17-6) Pick: Southern Wayne

10 Havelock (12-9) at 7 Nash Central (14-6) Pick: Havelock (Tyquan Nolan at 17ppg, is a tough one, I have them with the light upset)

15 Eastern Wayne (8-14) at 2 Rocky Mount (19-3) Pick: Rocky Mount (just has too much talent in this one)

MIDEAST

16 Southern Guilford (8-16) at 1 Chapel Hill (24-0) Pick: Chapel Hill (Denzel Ingram and CHHS will get over the hiccup from Friday and win big)

9 Asheboro (21-3) at 8 Webb (15-6) Pick: Webb (North Carolina commit Isaiah Hicks should come up big in this one, kind of like last week)

12 South Johnston (10-9) at 5 Eastern Alamance (18-6) Pick: Eastern Alamance

13 Union Pines (12-12) at 4 Westover (16-6) Pick: Westover (Murray St. signee CJ Ford is a winner and his finger is all good)

14 Eastern Guilford (12-12) at 3 Northern Guilford (18-4) Pick: N. Guilford

11 Cardinal Gibbons (14-10) at 6 Northeast Guilford (17-6) Pick: Northeast Guilford (NEG is playing very well right now, just won conference championship, and Bryce Benjamin will get the win)

10 Western Alamance (16-7) at 7 Southern Lee (17-6) Pick: Western Alamance (AJ Clark 28.5 ppg, with the seedings and only a day to prepare, I don’t know if thats enough time for a strong game plan against Clark)

15 Douglas Byrd (7-13) at 2 Triton (21-3) Pick: Triton

MIDWEST

16 McMichael (10-13) at 1 Concord (22-1) Pick: Concord (Kendall Knorr, Connor Burchfield, and Darren Black are just too good.)

9 West Rowan (14-10) at 8 Weddington (14-9) Pick: West Rowan (Rowan County and the Sherrill name are royalty in the area. Keshun is the latest. He is a scorer. Will be a good game.

12 Marvin Ridge (11-11) at 5 Anson (17-7) Pick: Anson (Will be a good game, Diondre Pratt will have to a really good game to keep the up-set away.)

13 Central Cabarrus (10-13) at 4 Charlotte Catholic (19-5) Pick: Charlotte Catholic (CC with Robert Champion (big time scorer) & 2013 Jr. Mark Pollack will not go out this early)

14 South Rowan (7-15) at 3 Statesville (17-3) Pick: Statesville

11 East Rowan (12-10) at 6 Jay Robinson (20-4) Pick: Robinson (A talented team that will surprise some teams in these playoffs)

10 Brown (15-8) at 7 Harding University (19-4) Pick: Harding HS (Jarvis Haywood, Emmanuel Patton, and Steven Burroughs along with newcomer will probably be around for a while in March) Haywood wins ball games. Kid has love for the game.

15 Hickory Ridge (14-10) at 2 North Forsyth (20-3) Pick: North Forsyth (Kedrick Flomo and co are too good)

WEST

16 South Point (12-8) at 1 Freedom (21-2) Pick: Freedom (Taylor Williams will probably have a big game for SP but Rob Noyes (offer from LR) and Chris Bridges and Darrion Evans will be too much)

9 Hunter Huss (12-10) at 8 St. Stephens (14-10) Pick: St. Stephens (Hunter Huss goes from de-fending champion to bowing out in first round)

12 Fred T. Foard (13-10) at 5 Enka (13-11) Pick: Enka (McCurry is a winner, the QB will prob be WNC Player of the Year also)

13 Clyde Erwin (11-11) at 4 Tuscola (17-6) Pick: Tuscola

14 R-S Central (10-12) at 3 Forestview (17-5) Pick: Forestview

11 Ashbrook (15-7) at 6 Asheville (16-6) Pick: Ashebrook (Ashbrook plays a tougher schedule and height will make a difference)

10 Burns (7-12) at 7 Franklin (16-8) Pick: Burns (This may be a stretch, but Burns’ QB and PG Brandon Littlejohn will probably have staff from WCU at the game (he signed) and will have a great game, he has scored 30+ many times this year)

15 East Henderson (7-16) at 2 Hickory (21-3) Pick: Hickory (HHS will be too good)

CLASS 2-A

EAST

16 Warren County (10-13) at 1 Bunn (22-2) Pick: Bunn (2015 Deshawn High, will have a good game, he averages 17 a game)

9 Richlands (17-5) at 8 North Brunswick (12-7) Pick: Richlands

12 North Johnston (13-10) at 5 Beddingfield (15-5) Pick: Beddingfield

13 Jacksonville Northside (16-7) at 4 Pasquotank (14-9) Pick: Northside (I see senior Mark Chinn having a big game and Jr. Jamal Parker finishing off the upset)

14 Roanoke Rapids (14-9) at 3 Kinston (19-4) Pick: Kinston (Nothing but good basketball comes out of Kinston, year after year)

11 Holmes (13-8) at 6 Topsail (16-7) Pick: Topsail

10 North Pitt (17-6) at 7 Northeastern (12-7) Pick: North Pitt

15 Farmville Central (10-7) at 2 Croatan (19-2) Pick: Croatan

MIDEAST

16 Clinton (15-7) at 1 Trinity (22-2) Pick: Trinity (But I would not be surprised if this is one of the best games of the first round. JT Miller of CHS is that good)

9 Carrboro (15-8) at 8 Cummings (14-6) Pick: Carrboro

12 Graham (17-7) at 5 West Bladen (17-6) Pick: West Bladen

13 Granville Central (15-9) at 4 Northwood (18-6) Pick: Granville Central (Martin Alston could lead them to an upset)

14 Durham School of the Arts (17-7) at 3 Fairmont (19-4) Pick: Fairmont

11 East Bladen (18-5) at 6 T.W Andrews (17-6) Pick TW Andrews (The little guy from TW is a winner)

10 St. Pauls (3-18) at 7 Corinth Holders (17-6) Pick: Corinth Holders

15 Jordan-Matthews (15-8) at 2 Reidsville (20-3) Pick: Reidsville

MIDWEST

16 North Surry (11-12) at 1 Cuthbertson (23-1) Pick: Cuthbertson (Shelton Mitchell is that good)

9 Starmount (16-7) at 8 Central Davidson (17-6) Pick: Central Davidson

12 Carver (9-12) at 5 Surry Central (15-9) Pick: Carver

13 Wheatmore (11-12) at 4 Forest Hills (15-8) Pick: Forest Hills

14 Thomasville (4-14) at 3 Lexington (13-9) Pick

11 Piedmont (11-12) at 6 East Lincoln (10-13) Pick: East Lincoln

10 North Lincoln (14-8) at 7 Salisbury (10-13) Pick Salisbury (Tony Nunn will not go down in the first round, the soph will be one of the top in state in two years.)

15 Bunker Hill (6-17) at 2 West Stokes (19-4) Pick: West Stokes

WEST

16 Maiden (9-13) at 1 Ashe County (22-2) Pick: Ashe County (Big guy is just too good to lost first round game)

9 Pisgah (18-6) at 8 Shelby (16-5) Pick: Shelby (Daylan Fuller, Gabe Devoe and co. are just too good to fall to Pisgah and one of WNC’s top scorers Rory McClure. Shelby will find a way to hold him under 16 and its over.

12 Newton-Conover (15-9) at 5 West Caldwell (15-5) Pick: West Caldwell

13 North Henderson (8-14) at 4 Lincolnton (17-4) Pick: Lincolnton (Jalen Littlejohn and Patrick Rendelman will be too much for NH, LHS just way more athletic)

14 Owen (4-18) at 3 Smoky Mountain (18-3) Pick: Smoky Mountain (Will Carpenter and the Mustangs have won four straight conference championships, this one should be a easy one.

11 Polk County (14-10) at 6 Mountain Heritage (14-9) Pick: Mountain Heritage (Alex Biggerstaff is a winner, that should not change in this game)

10 East Burke (17-7) at 7 Wilkes Central (19-3) Pick: Wilkes Central

15 Draughn (14-10) at 2 East Rutherford (20-3) Pick: East Rutherford (Devonte Boykins (Brother of Marshall U’s Devince Boykins is BIG TIME, & that wins these games)

CLASS 1-A

EAST

16 Pinetown Northside (12-10) at 1 Northampton-West (17-4) Pick: Northhampton-West

9 Mattamuskeet (11-8) at 8 Northampton-East (13-9) Pick: Mattamuskeet

12 Gates County (9-14) at 5 East Carteret (14-9) Pick: East Carteret

13 South Creek (14-10) at 4 Ayden-Grifton (15-6) Pick: Ayden-Grifton

14 Southeast Halifax (11-10) at 3 Plymouth (15-4) Pick: Plymouth (Carl McCray has been playing very well this season as of late and will probably keep it going)

11 Southwest Onslow (10-10) at 6 Lejeune (20-2) Pick: Lejeune (Gaven Allen and co. will make it look easy in this one.)

10 Riverside Martin (16-7) at 7 Camden (16-7) Pick: Camden

15 Jones (4-16) at 2 Creswell (17-4) Pick: Creswell

MIDEAST

16 Spring Creek (9-11) vs. 1 Roxboro Community (17-6) at Granville Central Pick: Roxboro Community (Jalen Bass and co. will not lose this one)

9 Lakewood (11-10) at 8 Rosewood (10-9) Pick: Rosewood

12 Chatham Central (12-11) at 5 Princeton (13-11) Pick: Princeton

4 Rocky Mount Prep (20-5) at 13 Union (9-13) Pick: Rocky Mount Prep (Donte Samuels will be a key in this one.)

14 Franklin Academy (7-19) at 3 West Columbus (10-10) Pick: West Columbus

11 Goldsboro (13-10) at 6 East Columbus (9-11) Pick: Goldsboro

10 Red Springs (4-17) at 7 Wallace-Rose Hill (10-13) Pick: WRH

15 Hobbton (7-13) at 2 James Kenan (16-6) Pick: Kenan

MIDWEST

16 Mount Airy (10-14) at 1 Winston-Salem Prep (22-1) Pick: WS-Prep (One of the nations top kids Greg McClinton and PG Raekwon Harney will be too much for Mount Airy)

9 River Mill Academy (6-18) at 8 Elkin (8-15) Pick: Elkin

12 North Wilkes (6-16) at 5 South Stokes (14-10) Pick: South Stokes

13 Bishop McGuinness (12-12) at 4 South Davidson (20-4) Pick: South Davidson (The Hatfield brothers and Wil Collins will be hard to beat this early)

14 East Montgomery (9-13) at 3 Monroe (14-9) Pick: Monroe (Brandon Roddy will not go down in the first round)

11 East Surry (14-9) at 6 Union Academy (11-10) Pick: East Surry (A upset on paper, but I think ES has played better this season)

10 Albemarle (15-5) at 7 Lake Norman Charter (12-11) Pick: Albemarle

15 West Montgomery (9-11) at 2 North Rowan (20-3) Pick: North Rowan (Oshon West & Michael Connor will be too much for E.M.) Wichita St recently got involved with West and Connor is a soph.)

WEST

16 Murphy (8-16) at 1 Hayesville (24-0) Pick: Hayesville (un-defeated for a reason, brings back memories of Brett Brackin and Joeseph Chilton)

9 Thomas Jeffferson (12-10) at 8 Hiwassee Dam (10-10) Pick: Thomas Jefferson (Waldrop-Rodriguez will come to play)

12 Blue Ridge (6-12) at 5 Highlands (8-15) Pick: Highlands

13 Cherokee (12-11) at 4 Alleghany (9-15) Pick: Cherokee (Tsaldi may be too tough of a match-up)

14 Rosman (12-12) at 3 Highland Tech (15-5) Pick: Highland Tech (Jevon Patton is big time, and big time wins first round games…most of the time)

11 Cherryville (12-12) at 6 Mitchell (17-6) Pick: Cherryville (Warren & Tuft may be too much for the Mountaineers)

10 Swain (12-11) at 7 Robbinsville (13-9) Pick: Swain (State Champion football players are hard to beat even in basketball when its all on the line)

15 Bessemer City (10-12) at 2 Hendersonville (21-0) Pick: Hendersonville (Sam Wilkins, Rashad Felton and co. will be too much for BC)