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Janon Singh, center, welcomes West Charlotte Lions basketball team starters to the floor during introductions on Saturday, January 17, 2026. Singh, a junior is a top national recruit. West Charlotte hosted Hillside in a battle of traditionally black schools in the MLK Peace Basketball Showcase at West Charlotte High School in Charlotte, NC.
jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
The state’s top-ranked Class 8A high school boys’ basketball team is adding another talented player.
Janon Singh, a 6-foot-7, 195-pound junior, has enrolled at West Charlotte High and hopes to be playing as soon as Friday night. West Charlotte, the No. 1-ranked Class 8A team in the state rankings compiled by The Charlotte Observer and the Raleigh News & Observer, improved to 12-2 Saturday with a 64-36 victory over visiting Durham Hillside.
“I want to be able to come here and compete at a high level,” said Singh, who is leaving Oak Hill Academy of Virginia to enroll at West Charlotte. “As far as me getting in school and getting my schedule, exams are going on right now, so as soon as exams are over, I’ll be able to play.”
Singh is rated a three-star prospect by ESPN and 247sports.com, with 247sports.com ranking him the No. 4 prospect in Virginia (with former Lincolnton High star L.J. Smith, now at Oak Hill Academy, at No. 1).
On April 15, Singh played with Team United’s Nike-sponsored travel team at Phenom Hoops’ travel basketball event in Rock Hill. Phenom Hoops’ recruiting analyst Chris Ewell, who also coaches at West Mecklenburg, came away impressed with the new Lions’ player.
“Long, athletic, and loaded with upside, Janon Singh impressed with his two-way potential,” Ewell wrote for the recruiting website. “He rebounded actively, ran the floor with purpose, and showed the ability to finish above the rim with bounce. Offensively, Singh is comfortable spotting up beyond the arc and has the speed to push the ball coast-to-coast. Defensively, he moved his feet well on the perimeter and showed flashes of being a versatile stopper. With three-level scoring upside and a high motor, Singh’s ceiling continues to rise.”
West Charlotte plays in the N.C. High School Athletic Association, which allows players 24 regular-season games total. If Singh starts playing Friday at Chambers, the Lions would have a total of nine regular-season games remaining.
It’s not clear how many games Singh played at Oak Hill, which according to its MaxPreps page is 13-6 so far this season. Singh did not play for the Warriors when they played at West Charlotte on Dec. 19, which according to its MaxPreps schedule was Oak Hill’s 14th game.
West Charlotte’s 10th-year head coach Jacoby Davis confirmed that Singh was enrolled at his school and said Lions athletic director Aljamon “AJ” Alexander is going through the “checks and balances” to determine when Singh would be eligible to play.
Singh, who departed Grayson High (in Loganville, GA) to attend Oak Hill, said he expected to be in action Friday. West Charlotte, currently 2-0 in the Meck Power Six 7A/8A Conference that features two-time defending state champion North Mecklenburg, returns to league action this week with road games at Butler on Tuesday and Chambers on Friday.
“He brings a lot,” Davis said of Singh. “He brings energy, plays hard and is a tough kid. He seems to be a good kid too.” West Charlotte has been led so far this season by three talented underclassmen.
Sophomores Chacho Womack (17.8 average) and Kaharri Coleman (17.5) and junior Amen “AC” Pressley (14.8) are the Lions’ top scorers.
Coleman is a top 60 recruit nationally among sophomores.
“It’s a great team, a young team and I want to come in as a leader and win a state championship,” Singh said of West Charlotte.
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Richard Walker,Langston Wertz Jr.
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