Long before the opening tip of the 2026-27 high school basketball season, coaches across southeastern North Carolina are already laying the groundwork for success.
That philosophy will be on display this weekend as Clinton High School hosts the annual Dark Horse Jamboree, a two-day boys basketball event that will bring nine teams to Clinton for a weekend focused on development, competition and preparation for the months ahead.
Games will be played Friday at Sampson Middle School and Sunset Avenue School before shifting to Clinton High School’s main and auxiliary gyms Saturday.
Participating schools include Clinton, Union, Hobbton, Lakewood, Wallace-Rose Hill, North Duplin, Triton, Cape Fear and Smithfield-Selma. Four of those programs — Clinton, Union, Hobbton and Lakewood — represent Sampson County, giving local basketball fans an early opportunity to see many of the county’s top returning players and teams in action.
For Clinton head coach Michael Boykin, the importance of the jamboree goes far beyond the final score.
“Championships aren’t won during the season,” Boykin said. “If we’re being real, we have maybe two weeks before our first game once basketball season gets here. June is a pivotal month for high school basketball to try to get the concepts for your teams kind of solidified in place.”
While football programs benefit from spring practices and months of offseason workouts, basketball coaches often have a much smaller window to prepare their teams before games begin counting in November.
Because of that, Boykin views June as one of the most critical months of the year.
“To get your program, or in my case our program, to a place that we want it to be at, we have to do things in June,” he explained. “I don’t want to have to go back and reteach concepts. I want them to already be instilled in them.”
Boykin believes summer events such as the Dark Horse Jamboree should be a priority for basketball programs looking to improve.
“Absolutely,” he said when asked whether similar opportunities should be available across the state. “AAU basketball is predominant, too, so that helps out tremendously. But to get your program to a place that you want it to be, you have to do things in June because of the concepts and stuff.”
The jamboree also serves as a valuable evaluation tool for coaches entering a new season. Summer months often bring roster changes, player development and the arrival of younger talent moving up through a program.
Clinton, which enjoyed a breakthrough season under Boykin last winter, will be looking to build on the culture established during the coach’s first year at the helm.
Boykin was recognized as Coach of the Year following the season, but he quickly deflected the credit to his players.
“First thing, you’ve got to thank God because without Him that wouldn’t happen,” Boykin said. “But without the players it wouldn’t happen either. The guys had to buy into what we were doing.”
He continued, “That award is not an indication of what I’ve been doing. It’s an indication of what the players have been doing. They came in, believed in what we were doing and worked extra hard in June. When the season started, we started reaping the rewards.”
As the Dark Horses prepare for another season, Boykin said his approach remains straightforward.
“This culture is there,” he said. “You’ve just got to coach who’s there. Try to get the best out of the talent that you have and understand what their strengths and weaknesses are.”
Across the county, Union head coach Randy Jordan shares a similar philosophy about the value of summer basketball.
“The old saying is if you’re not doing it, then you’re falling behind,” Jordan said. “We can’t afford to fall behind. We want to give them every opportunity we can during the summer to try to get a little bit better.”
Jordan said the jamboree provides players with a chance to improve individually while also strengthening team chemistry.
“These games don’t count on your permanent record,” Jordan said. “It’s just about giving guys an opportunity to work on their game, get better and build team bonding. We’re looking forward to it.”
Like many coaches at smaller schools, Jordan must balance the demands of multiple sports as athletes divide their time between football workouts, basketball activities and summer commitments.
To make participation easier, Union’s coaching staff has worked closely with the football program to coordinate schedules.
“We’ve arranged our schedules so the guys can come to basketball, have about an hour-and-a-half break and then go to football workouts,” Jordan said. “That way mom and dad don’t have to make two trips.”
Jordan believes that relationship between coaches is essential, particularly at rural schools where many athletes compete in more than one sport.
“At a school our size, it’s vital,” Jordan said. “We’re not Myers Park. They don’t share athletes. We do.”
He added that cooperation benefits not only the programs, but also the student-athletes themselves.
“Coach Oates and I work together and put together a summer schedule so they can do both,” Jordan said. “We encourage them to play two or three sports. It only makes you a better athlete, a better person and a better teammate.”
Friday’s action begins at 10 a.m. with Clinton facing Union at Sampson Middle School and Wallace-Rose Hill taking on Lakewood at Sunset Avenue School.
Hobbton will square off against Smithfield-Selma at 11 a.m. before facing Triton at 2 p.m., while Lakewood will also meet Cape Fear later in the afternoon. Clinton returns to the court at noon against Triton.
Saturday’s schedule shifts to Clinton High School, where 11 games are scheduled throughout the day beginning at 10 a.m. and concluding at 5 p.m.
Clinton is slated to face Wallace-Rose Hill, Smithfield-Selma, North Duplin and Cape Fear, while Union, Hobbton and Lakewood will each play multiple contests against regional competition.
For coaches and players alike, the results this weekend may not impact standings or playoff positioning. But both Boykin and Jordan agree the lessons learned, habits formed and relationships built during June can play a major role when winter arrives.
And for programs with championship aspirations, that work starts now.