Davidson Day starts the season No. 1 in The Observer’s preseason Sweet 16 basketball poll

In February, Davidson Day won its last seven games in a row and won the N.C. Independent Schools 2A state championship.

Not long after that, head coach James Long left for Division II University of Charleston in West Virginia, something he called a dream job.

The Patriots, who begin the season No. 1 in The Charlotte Observer’s Sweet 16 regional basketball poll, were wondering what might come next.

“That was very hard, finding out,” said senior Isaiah Denis, a top 50 national recruit committed to North Carolina. “I had heard rumors, and just kind of coming off winning a state championship with a new coach and building that bond with him, that was kind of upsetting. But once he told me it was his dream job, I understood. I really care for him and love him and I was there to support him. He was there to support me. But I knew coach Ricky (Hickman) was coming in. He was with us last year, so it was an easy transition.”

Hickman takes over a team that features multiple Division I and Division II recruits. Hickman played college basketball at UNC-Greensboro and then had a 14-year career in Europe before he retired from basketball in 2020.

In his first season as a head coach, he doesn’t plan to change too much of the formula that helped Davidson Day finish 24-7 last season.

“I think we have the potential to be very good,” Hickman said. “The challenge is to make sure we build good habits, play the right way and share the ball. If we do that at a high-level, we’ll be very good.”

The Patriots sit atop the region’s oldest high school basketball poll due to all that promise.

The Sweet 16 began in the 1984-85 school year and ranks the top teams in the region, which includes schools in the following counties: Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Union in North Carolina, along with Lancaster and York in South Carolina. The team that finishes atop the poll at the end of the season is declared Sweet 16 champion and receives a large banner to hang in its gym.

Only teams in recognized state associations — the N.C. High School Athletic Association, the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Assocation, the S.C. High School League and the S.C. Independent Schools — are eligible for inclusion in the poll.

Davidson Day has never started the season this high in The Sweet 16.

Hickman and Denis said the goal is to repeat as a state champion — and to finish at the top.

“I think we have a great chance to be even better than last year,” Denis said. “There’s a lot of skill set on our team this year. Last year, we had height and skill, but this year, I feel like we have a lot of people who can put the ball in the basket and we have more athleticism. But we’ll be the hunted this year. It’ll be a big adjustment for a lot of people, especially me, obviously, with people now knowing who I am nationally. I know they’ll come after me. So it’ll be a big adjustment but it’ll be fun.”

Denis and Davidson Day began the season last week. The Patriots lost to Combine Academy’s national team 61-54 on the road, facing off with a school that recruits nationally. Davidson Day also beat N.C. private school power The Burlington School, 80-76, in double-overtime.

Most public schools kick off this season this week.

Next up for the Patriots is a huge home game Tuesday with Gaston Christian (1-0). Gaston Christian, coached by former Duke star Chris Duhon, is No. 13 in the preseason Sweet 16 poll.

“At the end of the day,” Hickman said, “I love the process of each day trying to get the kids better and better. I know the goal is to do what we did last year, but one of my biggest goals is to see these kids maximize their dreams, and if I can be a part of that, I’m excited.”

Preseason Sweet 16 rankings

▪ Note: The rankings are compiled by longtime N.C. recruiting expert Rick Lewis, a co-host of The Observer’s “Talking Preps” streaming show.