Carmel Christian basketball has been a pinnacle of the athletic department at the school. Throughout the years many great players and coaches have come and gone. Some of these coaches include Josh Coley, the current head coach of Christ School, a basketball powerhouse; Byron Dinkins, the director of player development at UNCC; Joe Badgett, Queens Grant’s head coach; and current Carmel Christian head coach, Tamar Slay. To be able to construct a list of the Top 5 players in Carmel History, I consulted the head of our athletic department, Grant Coffey. The criteria for this list include, statistics, state championship wins and appearances and success after high school. 

1. Donovan Gregory

   

   – Gregory’s time at Carmel was nothing short of spectacular. During this period, Carmel Christian made four consecutive state title appearances, winning two back to back during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Gregory’s senior year showed he was an all around player. He averaged 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game, with a field goal percentage of 61%, according to MaxPreps. One of Gregory’s most memorable moments came in the 2018 state championship game when he hit the game winning basket to win it all. Gregory would go on to have a famed Career with Appalachian State Basketball. He became to be the first player in program history to have accumulated over 1,500 career points, 600 rebounds and 400 assists. Gregory last played professionally with OKAPI AALST, a team in the Belgian Pro Basketball League.

2. Cade Tyson

   

   – Tyson and Gregory are pretty much interchangeable at the number one spot. Gregory’s edge comes from him playing one more season with the cougars. Many seniors in the class of 2025 will remember the name Cade Tyson for a while. He was one of the first great Carmel Players they got to watch with their own eyes. He helped Carmel win the state championship in 2022, contributing 31 points in the game. During his senior season, also in 2022, he averaged 24 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.9 steals per game. This spectacular season allowed him to be nominated for the Mr. Basketball award of North Carolina. He won this much deserved award. He amassed over 2,000 career points at the end of highschool career. Tyson would go on to play two seasons at Belmont University. He performed very well allowing him to transfer to UNC during the 2024-2025 season, where he currently plays.

3. Ben Burnham –

   

   Ben Burnham might have statistically been the best player in Carmel history. During Burnham’s senior year, he averaged 23.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He maintained a field goal percentage of 62%. He had two games with over 10 blocks, both of these games also came with a triple double from Burnham. He played with Tyson during the 2020 – 2021 season, his senior year. In this season, they made the state championship. Sadly, they fell short. Both had amazing performances and this season will still go down in Carmel history. Burnham committed to the College of Charleston after his Carmel career came to a close. Here he honed his skills and built himself a resume. Much like Tyson, Burnham decided to Transfer during the 2024-2025 season. He transferred to Virginia Tech where he is currently playing.

4. Kameron Taylor –

   

   Taylor had the shortest Carmel Christian career out of all the players on this list. Although his career wasn’t long, he proved himself to be one of the greatest pure scorers in program history. Taylor averaged 24.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game during his first and only season with the program. With a new head coach coming in, Tamar Slay, not much was expected from this team, but boy were the critics wrong. Although they didn’t make it too far into the playoffs during the year, the 2023-2024 basketball team was one of the most exciting in program history. Taylor would go on to commit to UNC Asheville where he is currently making a name for himself in the collegiate scene. He is averaging 8.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, with a field goal percentage of 48.8% and a free-throw percentage of 69.1%. He is also drawing a lot of interest from other colleges for a transfer following this season.

5. Myles Pierre –

Last but definitely not least comes Myles Pierre. Pierre was a part of the two state title teams with Gregory. Although his stats are not impressive as the others on this list, his impact on the school and his fellow teammates was unmatched. Pierre averaged 10.3 points, 4.2 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, during his senior year in the 2018-2019 season. Pierre surpassed 1,000 career points during his high school tenure with Carmel. Pierre would go onto play for Houston Christian University were he put up similar stats from his time at Carmel. Pierre would later transfer to Catawba College, then to Fayetteville State University where he played his final season in 2024.

Honorable Mentions: Although a top five has already been listed, many other names deserve to make this list. These names include Bryce Slay, Jaden Mustaaf and DeAngelo Epps. All of these players have, are, or will begin playing Division 1 basketball. Slay in his senior year at Carmel will likely crack the top 5 by the end of the season.