Region: 7-AAAAAAA

Coach: Jesse McMillan

2025-26 record: 11-17, 7-7 Region 7-AAAAAA, first round state playoffs

Returning regulars:

G Fulvio Dos Santos, Sr.

G Duke Howell, Soph.

F Cruz Jackson, Soph.

F Cayden Robinson, Soph.

G Marlin Johnson, Jr.

Others to watch:

F Shane Collins, Fr.

G Justin Rosado, Fr.

Outlook:

After experiencing some growing pains with a very young roster last season, Norcross is a little bit more experienced, but still trends towards the younger side of the ledger.

The Blue Devils have one returning senior, but outside of that have a team full of incoming freshmen and sophomores who got reps last year and still have even more room to improve.


“Our final roster numbers may be 14 to 16 guys and a lot of those guys are going to be ninth grade to 10th grade,” McMillan said. “We’re pretty inexperienced in regard to that, but it’s a talented group. The vibes have been great, the energy’s been great, they’ve worked really, really hard and we do have a couple of guys that are sophomores that got a lot of time last year as freshmen, so that experience level is going to be important as we get going this year.”

With such a young but talented roster, the Blue Devils feel like they will have an advantage over a lot of opponents in terms of athleticism and energy, and are hoping to use that to generate easier offense while the defensive side of the game develops.

“We’re a very skilled offensive team,” McMillan said. “We feel like transition is our strength. We have a lot of guys that can do some great things with the basketball. Our success will be dependent on how well we play defense and how many stops we can get. I feel like if we’re having a good year and having some good games, we’re out in transition and moving the basketball well.”

The senior Dos Santos will be counted on as a leader, and is a skilled guard who will be crucial with both handling the ball and scoring.

“From the freshmen and sophomores I’m seeing a lot of growth,” Dos Santos said. “Not just in their play, but in their physicality. Together as a group, you just see the maturity levels rising.”

Howell, Jackson and Robinson make up a trio of sophomores who all played significant minutes last season, and the junior point guard Johnson gives the backcourt some stability.


Overall even with all of its youth last year, Nocross salvaged a 26th consecutive trip to the state playoffs thanks to a region tournament win over Berkmar, and it feels it has the pieces to build off that success this year.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations individually and as a group of just the history of the program and a lot of the accomplishments that we’ve had,” McMillan said. “I think they understand it. They understand the magnitude of where they play. They also understand that this year is different with the PSR and the rankings and things. It’s a group that I’ve really enjoyed being around each day, and we’re excited to get going with practices.”

Norcross opens the season Nov. 14 against Tri-Cities.