With the 2026-2027 high school basketball season starting in a few weeks, we’re taking a deep dive into the top ten players by position. Here are the fifteen (15) best small forwards in the Tar Heel State, regardless of class. Keep in mind, these players are not listed in any particular order.
By: Southeast Hoops Report
6-6 SF Khaleil Walters, Good Better Best Academy (NC)- 2027
Walters is a strong, attacking guard who excels off the bounce, gets to the rim at the point of attack, and is an effective option from multiple levels. Walters has shown the ability to be a strong scoring option on the court, but he takes advantage of what is given to him. Walters utilizes his frame and size to his advantage, where he can really flourish in predicting where he wants to go and getting to his spots off the bounce, as well as scoring over multiple defenders. College coaches should be on high alert for Walters after having an impressive summer playing for No Guts No Glory on the grassroots circuit and is poised to have a strong senior season.
6-5 SF Geren Holmes, The Burlington School (NC)- 2027– VCU commit
Holmes is skilled, athletic, and comfortable with or without the ball in his hands. He possesses great positional size, with a strong body and the physicality to overwhelm opponents on both ends of the floor. On the offensive end, he’s actively making plays as a creator for himself and his teammates. On the defensive end, he has a solid rebounding presence, and it’s easy to see everything he brings to this group. Overall, he possesses great positional size with a strong body and the physicality to frustrate opponents on both ends of the floor. Look for Holmes to play more as a secondary guard option as well as out on the wing this season as well as when he gets to the next level.
6-6 SF Thomas Vickery, Myers Park HS (NC)- 2027– Featured image
The 6-foot-6 senior small forward has received offers from several Power 4 programs, including Clemson, NC State, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wake Forest. On the offensive end, he does a great job when it comes to embracing contact at the front of the rim, making him effective in traffic and a reliable scorer around the basket. He has also become more comfortable creating for himself as well as his teammates, hunting for his jump shot or using his frame to get paint touches and finish over multiple defenders. On the defensive end, Vickery is a capable rebounder and willing passer who knows how to operate without the ball in his hands.
Read more at: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/high-school/article314637612.html#storylink=cpy
6-6 SF Dillon Mason, Southlake Christian Academy (NC)- 2027
Mason has a strong frame with long arms, powerful athleticism, and the ability to physically overwhelm opponents on both ends of the floor. On the offensive end, Mason is a smooth shooter and quality finisher who confidently picks his spots from all levels, where he can operate both off the catch and off the bounce. Mason is comfortable creating his own shot or finding opportunities as an off-ball scoring threat. On the defensive end, he rebounds his position well and understands how to apply pressure in transition, both with and without the ball in his hands. He also possesses a high IQ, with good instincts on whether to be a primary ball handler in transition or make strong outlet passes to his teammates on the run.
6-5 SF Jaxon Dollar, East Lincoln HS (NC)- 2027
Dollar enters his senior season as he holds over two dozen offers from high-major programs all around. Schools like Rutgers, Wake Forest, Texas, Clemson, Maryland, Wisconsin, Georgia, and many others have extended an offer to him for his play on the football field. On the basketball court, Dollar currently holds offers from Division II Lees-McRae and the University of Illinois-Chicago. Overall, Dollar’s athleticism is pronounced on the basketball court; he operates at a different level than the vast majority of the players in his class. During his junior season, Dollar averaged 20.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 3.5 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game.
JAXON DOLLAR JUNIOR SEASON HIGHLIGHTS AT EAST LINCOLN:
6-6 SF Zeke Battier, Providence Day School (NC)- 2027– Harvard commit
The 6-foot-6 senior small forward brings a fluid overall game, something he has shown for quite some time now. He is comfortable in operating from multiple levels, scoring inside and out in transition, runs the floor, can space the floor well with his perimeter game, but also can attack the rim off the bounce. He’s also a smart passer who understands how to make the extra pass or effectively read the floor when attacking closeouts. However, he displayed a visible increase in toughness, creation skills, and ability off the bounce. Battier’s perimeter shooting is still his most valuable weapon. Overall, his combination of high IQ, size, and creation ability makes him a versatile matchup problem for opponents.
ZEKE BATTIER JUNIOR SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:
6-7 SF Janon Singh, West Charlotte HS (NC)- 2027
The 6-foot-7 senior small forward continues to impress with his two-way potential. He rebounds at a high rate on both ends of the floor, runs the floor with purpose, and shows the ability to finish above the rim with bounce as well as the catch. On the offensive end, Singh has become more comfortable when spotting up beyond the arc and has the speed to push the ball in transition. On the defensive end, he does a great job when he moves his feet well on the perimeter and shows flashes when he is guarding multiple positions, whether it’s playing above the rim or in the passing lanes.
6-9 SF Noah Dobyns, Winston-Salem Christian (NC)- 2027
Dobyns is an intriguing prospect who moves and runs the floor extremely well for his size. On the offensive end, he can get to the rim in transition as well as off the bounce and operate down in the post, is comfortable from the perimeter with his face-up game, and can be a versatile piece both on the offensive and defensive end of the floor. Dobyns is an explosive finisher and lethal perimeter shooter who doesn’t require a ton of touches to make an impact. Overall, Dobyns needs to be more physical as a finisher, rebounder, and defender in the post.
6-6 SF Travis Cooper, Leesville Road HS (NC)- 2028
Cooper has the tools: his legitimate size, defensive tools, and blossoming skill set; there’s a lot to like about his game. He’s a long, fluid athlete who knows how to impact the game with or without the ball in his hands. He has become more comfortable at the rim, but is comfortable when spacing the floor and handling the ball as needed. Cooper is a quality rebounder who knows how to push the break when transition allows. Overall, his tough and physical approach allows him to shut down opponents on the defensive end. The next phase in his game in his development is working on the use of his off-hand, as it would make him a better creator on the offensive end.
6-8 SF Andrew Juergens, Greensboro Day School (NC)- 2028
Juergens is coming off a strong summer where he played with Boo Williams on the Nike EYCL circuit. He is a 6-foot-8 prospect who is able to get to the rim as well as be a knockdown shooter from outside on the offensive end, as Juergens continues to see more interest come his way from programs around the region. He currently has interest from several schools such as Clemson, Virginia Tech, East Carolina, Purdue, UNCG, Bowling Green, Liberty, Coastal Carolina (Offered), and UCF (Offered). Overall, he has added more strength to his frame, which will also help him handle contact and make better use of his size on the wing this upcoming season.
6-5 SF Dillon Robinson, Gaston Day School (NC)- 2028
Robinson is a versatile wing with a combination of size, skill, and athleticism to create constant matchup problems for the opposition. On the offensive end, Robinson is a smooth creator who displays a quality feel and ball skills with the right balance between his unselfishness and awareness. He has become more comfortable with or without the ball in his hands, and mixes it up well as a scorer from all three scoring levels. On the defensive end, he rebounds well for his size and defends multiple positions without much difficulty. I can fully expect Robinson to turn a lot of heads over the foreseeable future where he could be gaining some interest from college coaches in the next two years.
6-7 SF Aiden Dalton, Forsyth Country Day School (NC)- 2028
Dalton has great size, athleticism, and skill. He is a versatile forward who has the ability to guard multiple positions. He has a strong frame, so he’s capable of defending bigger players on the interior with his strength. But more importantly, he has good footwork at that size and can switch onto smaller guards and stay in front of them on the perimeter. On the offensive end, Dalton is comfortable operating inside and out; while he is capable of spacing the floor, he is at his best using his strong frame to finish at the rim both off the catch and off the bounce.
6-8 SF Aaron Parker, Good Better Best Academy (NC)- 2029
Parker comes into his sophomore season with his long frame and athleticism, as he is going to be a name you hear a lot more about. During his freshman season, when he played with Team United 15U on the Nike EYBL circuit, Parker delivered highlights that automatically caught our attention, whether it was his length and bounce in finishing at the rim, his ability to score off the bounce, stretch the floor from outside on the offensive end, or his overall versatility on the defensive end. He is already receiving offers from Clemson, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, FIU, NC State, and Texas A&M.
6-5 SF Ayo Awosanya, Charlotte Christian (NC)- 2029
Awosanya brings a combination of skills: production, physicality, and motor on both ends of the floor. Awosanya has a relentless motor, where he can create paint touches with and without the ball in his hands, as well as finishing over multiple defenders, embracing contact, attacking off the bounce, and being strong on the glass overall; much of what we will see all season long from him. He continues to be one of the clear leaders for this team. He has quickly emerged as a Top-5 ranked player in the state of North Carolina for his class, where he could be in for a big summer on the recruitment trail. He will look to lead Charlotte Christian this upcoming season, which has a roster that has balance and weapons all around, there isn’t much of a surprise that Awosanya looks to lead them all as a sophomore.
6-6 SF Peyton Fogle, Greenfield HS (NC)- 2029
The 6-foot-6 sophomore small forward handles the ball well for his size, creating off the bounce and shooting with confidence from the three-point line. Fogle also contributes defensively and on the glass, giving him multiple ways to impact the game beyond his scoring. The combination of his three-level scoring and competing on the glass could spell a big sophomore season for Fogle, where he has the size and motor to play multiple positions.
Information About Southeast Hoops Report
For Southeast Region Basketball News and Information, please visit https://sehoopsreport.com/, follow us on our social media platforms (SEHoopsReport on Facebook), SEHoopsReport on Instagram, and @SEHoopsReport on X)
Ross Van De Griek has been a Southeast Region Scout for On The Radar Hoops since 2024 and has been the Owner/Founder of Southeast Hoops Report since June 2026. You can follow along with his work on X (@SEHoopsReport), Instagram (sehoopsreport), and Facebook (@sehoopsreport).