As the football season comes to a close, the school sports scene only has more excitement to come. The upcoming Myers Park Men’s basketball season will bring thrill and competition this year.With Myers Park’s new number-one ranked student section in Charlotte, according to The Charlotte Observer, the atmosphere will be just as thrilling as the games. With themes, chants, and passionate supporters, our student section will be the leading encouragement for the teams’ success this season. The team currently stands at 29th in the nation, as well as number 1 in The Charlotte Observer’s Sweet 16 poll, where the title read “‘How good we can be is crazy.’ Myers Park, chasing history, starts No. 1 in The Sweet 16”, MP will undoubtedly be bringing competition to the court.
The 2022-2023 season is said to be the best our school has seen with top performers, including but not limited to, Elijah Strong, Sir Mohammed, Santana Lynch, Sadiq White, Jr, Sam Walters, and Bishop Boswell. The team has 3 top 100 ranked players in the country, and the team as a whole has a total of 5 D1 offers, 1 D2, and 3 D3 offers, along with visits from the top-ranked college basketball teams in the country. However, that is only the start. There is one commit, senior back Elijah Strong, who was SoMECK player of the week last year and plans to play at Wofford College.
When asked about what he looks forward to most this season, Elijah says, “Just playing and competing with my guys, and just having fun during my senior year.”
As we spoke about the difference in last year’s season to this year, Elijah exclaims that “We just got better, it’s that simple. We got better and closer as a team and as a program.”
The team’s hard work in the off season will be proven on the court this year. As we spoke more about top competitors and goals of this season, it was clear there is one goal this team hopes to accomplish: making it to states with high hopes of claiming the school’s first state title.
“State championship or bust, and I’m confident in the group we have today, we’re really talented across the board.” Elijah exclaims.
With this talented team, the crowds it draws in is fascinating. The MP fanbase is said to be the best in Charlotte, and it is certain we are prepared to carry on the same energy into the basketball gym. Myers Park’s highlighted article in The Charlotte Observer was nowhere short of exciting for students, faculty, administration, and alumni as its title read “A Myers Park tradition: What makes the Mustangs’ fan base Charlotte area’s best?” In the Observer’s article, they say that “Myers Park High annually draws hundreds of alumni to games and it doesn’t matter if the Mustangs are winning.” The energy exhibited from the stands of any games held at home, or even away, has never failed to show the opposing teams the spirit our school holds.
When speaking with senior Elijah, he was asked if the MP student section makes a difference in the game’s energy on the court, and to that he says:
“Yea, absolutely, it makes everyones adrenaline go crazy.”
Students and athletes have proven that the energy exhibited is part of something deeper than just a game.
As the season is kicking off, be sure to check out the team’s Instagram page @myerspark_hoops, where you can find some of their incredible promotion videos and photos of the team and crowd. Tickets to the games can be found on the Hometown Fan app, and every fan matters! Whether the season concludes with the state title as hoped, or wins with an exhilarating crowd, this Myers Park basketball team’s talent will not be something you want to miss seeing.