True floor generals are often hard to find. Northside High School has been home to one of the best in Virginia over the past four years in Nick Price.
The Class of 2018 prospect for the Vikings is the consumate point guard who knows how to run a team with a winning attitude, top-notch work ethic and a willingness to exert himself as much on the defensive end of the court as offensively.
Thanks in large part to the playmaking and leadership of the 6-foot-1 Price, Northside has compiled a 102-15 overall record the past four seasons with four trips to the State Tournament. That's quite a difference from their 5-17 mark in 2013-14 before his arrival.
On Thursday night, Price decided to take the next step in his basketball career, announcing via Twitter that he will play at nearby Division III Roanoke College in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
Roanoke College finished 20-8 overall this past season, bowing out to Emory & Henry, 72-70, in the Championship of the ODAC Tournament.
Price drew attention from several Division I programs, such as American University, The Citadel, Radford, UNC-Asheville and VMI. Even during his junior campaign, he received an offer from Southern University out of the SWAC before the Jaguars underwent a coaching change.
There also was an offer on the table from Millersville, a Division II program in Pennsylvania that has landed a handful of players from Virginia recently. But at Roanoke, it's likely he sees the floor right away.
Growing up, Price saw other family members achieve considerable success. His brother Jordan was on Christiansburg's 2012 basketball team that won the a state title, while his sister Aishia Wiley helped Northside win a Group AA softball state crown in 2011.
Nick also leaves behind a grand legacy at Northside, where his 1180 points fourth all-time in Vikings history. He departs as the program's career leader in assists with nearly 600 and steals with over 300.
During his junior campaign, Price pushed Northside on to the State Championship game - where they were beaten by Norcom - for the first time since 1995. He averaged 13.3 points per game, but was even better during the State Tournament with averages of 15.3 points, five rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 50% from the field and 76.2% at the charity stripe.
One of Price's best games came on the big stage as a junior against John Marshall, which won this year's State Championship. In that quarterfinal victory, he had 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go with eight rebounds, five assists and just one turnover.
This past year as a senior, Price averaged 10 points per game - third most on the team behind juniors Julien Wooden and Kasey Draper. He made 107 consecutive starts in a Northside uniform until a shoulder injury forced him to come off the bench.
The Vikings opened 28-0 overall, capturing a regional title and thumping Spotswood 72-47 in the quarterfinals before suffering their first defeat. Western Albemarle eliminated Price and the Vikings, 68-64 in overtime during the semifinals of the Class 3 State Tournament.
Four-year starting point guards - that stay dedicated and loyal to one school - don't come around too often anymore. Although he was denied a State Championship ring, Price's impact was felt. And Vikings fans will remember him as a winner.
Matthew Hatfield serves as Publisher for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a staff writer for Tar Heel Illustrated. Check out Hatfield’s Twitter page for more sports related updates, and you can also read his work in the Suffolk News Herald. To contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com, and don’t forget to listen to him every Saturday at 10 AM on ESPN Radio 94.1.
