So, here's how it works. You send your questions to me over the course of the week, I pick some to answer on the blog. Questions must be submitted by midnight on Friday, because I will be answering your questions each and every Saturday! Keep in mind, I'm not going to pick your question if you can't keep it G-rated.

If you would like to submit a question, there are three ways to do so. One, you can email it to me at stevens@ncsportsreport.com. You can send me an AIM Instant Message to ncsportsreport. Or, if you're a member of our Facebook.com group, send me a facebook message.

Q: Nick,
Just kind of wondering, is Knightdale really that good?
          - Caleb, Apex High School
A: Yes. There is no question that Knightdale is truly "that good." Obviously, "that good" has a lot of different definitions, but if you define it the same way I do, the answer is obvious. Although the Cap-Seven and Tri-Eight may be tougher conferences than the Greater Neuse this season, Knightdale has still managed to remain undefeated in the conference. Don't forget, the Knights have only lost once the entire season (not counting the Glaxo loss to Starmount). The lone loss came on November 17th to Millbrook, 76-54. The non-conference schedule was tough for the Knights too, playing the likes of Wake Forest-Rolesville, North Johnston, and Goldsboro. Coach Battle Watkins has his kids playing fast, up-tempo, athletic ball - averaging 74 points per game. Am I saying that Knightdale will win a state championship this season? No, but they could.

Q: Why does Green Hope insist on running the spread offense when they are up by 10 with 5 or 6 minutes left? They need to keep attacking the basket, that's why they lose close games!
          - John, Cary
A: Why not? First of all, I don't see Green Hope running the spread offense that often, but even if they did, what's the problem with that? Coaching high school basketball is much different than coaching college and professional basketball, and one of those differences is the lack of a shot clock. When you're up by 10 points and have just 5 minutes left, you figure you can take 40-60 seconds off the clock, get a good look, then play defense. Green Hope is normally a decent defensive team, so I see no problem with them running a spread offense in that situation. And, just a side note, the spread offense isn't why they keep losing close games, it's because they turn the ball over too much. How many times have you seen them standing at the point when the defender swipes the ball away and connects for the easy lay-up? Too many if you're a Falcon fan.

Q: Who will win, Apex or Middle Creek?
          - Danny, Holly Springs
A: Whoever is lucky that night. These two  teams are so evenly matched and well coached that they both have a chance. Middle Creek beat the Cougars on the road, 61-49, on December 15; but Apex beat Middle Creek in the Glaxo Invitational 67-56. Just because Middle Creek is at home, where they are undefeated this year, and the fact that the Creek Crazies are some of the loudest fans in Wake County, I give the edge to the Mustangs - but we'll see what happens.

Q: Why are NCHSAA officials so bad? They look like they don't know the rules!!
          - Bob, Garner
A: I don't know if you honestly think they're bad, or if they're inconsistent. Those are two different things. Keep in mind, these referees had to pass a test to be in their position, so they must have a pretty good grasp of the rules. The real question may be, do you know the rules? Rules are much more complicated than you might think, so before you go bashing on a referee in public, make sure you know what you're talking about. The thing about NCHSAA referees is, they don't have a state-wide union like most states in the US have. States like Texas, Ohio, Florida, Alabama, New York, and Indiana all have referee unions. Maybe we'll see a change in the NCHSAA sometime. Players need to stop worrying about the officiating though, and adjust to how the officials are calling the game.

Q: Green Hope beat Hoggard on Friday night, 80-72. What does this mean for the Falcons? Is Hoggard really that good?
          - Jess, Morrisville
A: This means a lot for the Green Hope players, coaches, and fans. After the loss to Middle Creek last Friday, many people seemed to have given up on the Falcons, but Coach Mickey Bissette got his players back on the winning track. Hoggard was ranked No. 8 in the statewide Media Poll hosted by NCPreps.com, and came into the game with a 15-2 record. The Vikings have some very good and athletic players, but Green Hope was able to contain them, and the Falcons got great post play from Daniel Watts, but also from J.D. Pelham. Green Hope's defense was smothering as well. Andrew Duke will take the credit for several steals late in the game, and most of those were turned into points. The fact that Green Hope pulled out a close game and won with the lead is an improvement. As for Hoggard, yes, they are a very good team. The Vikings have wins over  Top 10 teams such as previously SI No. 1, New Hanover. If Green Hope plays as well as they did Friday, they have the ability to do something special in the conference and state tournaments.

Q: Nick,
Say you are a coach in the Tri-Eight Conference and you are about to go up against Apex. Defensively, what is your gameplan?
          - Josh, Cary
A: Simple. If I were a coach in the Tri-8, I would start the game off running a Box-And-1 against Apex. The box would allow for my players to play zone, but the one-man would be responsible for covering Yorel, and Yorel only. We saw Sanderson do this against Apex, and it worked. Yorel had just 17-points in that game against the Spartans. Stopping Yorel wouldn't be my main plan, though. Certainly I want to limit Yorel, but Yorel is going to score his points no matter what defense you run. Instead,  I would focus on stopping the other four players on the court. Scott Bedoe, Andrew Fiedler, and Tim Plummer have the ability to put up impressive numbers on any given night. Say Yorel scores 30, but my team holds everyone else to under 9 or 10 points, we have a decent shot at winning. If one of the other players did get off to a hot streak, I'd simply change my defense to a Triangle-And-2. I honestly believe that this defensive plan would work. I don't understand why coaches in the Tri-Eight are so hesitant to run it.

Thanks to everyone who sent in questions this week, I appreciate it. Keep them coming, and check back here next Saturday for a brand new "Q&A with Nick" special. In the meantime, stay with WRAL.com for prep sports coverage you can count on!