In today’s N&O, D. Clay Best wrote how both the Millbrook girls basketball team and Southeast Raleigh have improved for the better since their lone meeting back in the GlaxoSmithKline Holiday Invitational in December, a 32-23 victory for Millbrook.

There’s a lot to be said about both of these teams, who were dominant in the Cap Eight and Greater Neuse River conference. A lot of things have changed since then as the two teams will meet again later tonight in the 4-A Eastern girls basketball regional.

Then again, the keys for Millbrook (29-1) beat Southeast Raleigh (24-3) again and be just one game from the state championship are pretty similar to what worked in the Glaxo.

GET A LEAD EARLY

This might be the most important factor mentally for Millbrook, a team full of sophomores. Since defeating Southeast Raleigh in December, the Wildcats have led in almost every minute of every game. The last time Millbrook trailed in the fourth quarter was against Sanderson in the Cap Eight Tournament final, and that was just a one-point deficit. The Wildcats haven’t faced the pressure of coming from behind late in the playoffs. There’s no need to deal with that now, and a good first quarter could propel the Wildcats.

Leslie, Cothron, Bullock, Harrow and Tabb all set to play in Glaxo in December.

Johnny Whitfield asked me an interesting question while the GlaxoSmithKline Holiday Invitational was going on at Broughton two weekends ago, and to my surprise I knew the simple answer despite never thinking of it myself.

He wanted to know why all these Texas, Georgia and Canadian schools came to Raleigh for a basketballl tournament when our teams never travel that far.

It was like a lightbulb exploded in my head when I remembered seeing Roy Williams on day one.

Raleigh is the Mecca of basketball. Well, really it's probably somewhere in Cary (in-between Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh), but think about UNC, N.C. State and Duke, how close they are to Raleigh — and the roots the Broughton program has and history of the gym — and you tell ME why we don't have to go anywhere!

Knightdale didn't fare so well in the GSK tourney this year, similar to last year, but did have some big moments.

Those that saw Stan Okoye in the game against Panther Creek probably heard the announcers state he had cross the 1,000 point barrier on his career — nothing too flashy unless, like Stan, you didn't play for nearly an entire season for knee injury (last year).

Although the Knights fell off in rounds two and three, their future college players got some time in the spotlight to showcase skills any school would love to have on the court.

GSK finals could sell out

GSK Invitational is loaded this year.

GlaxoSmithKline sets pairings for the Dec. 26-30 boys basketball tournament in Raleigh.