Kinston Roots Run Deep as Dory Hines Returns Home with Myers Park
Dory Hines’ Return Home Adds Meaning to Brandon Ingram Invitational
When Myers Park steps onto the floor at Kinston High School next Saturday, it won’t just be another high-profile matchup in the Brandon Ingram Invitational.
For Dory Hines, it’s a return home.
A former Kinston High championship point guard, Hines is now the head boys basketball coach at Myers Park, guiding one of the state’s most recognizable programs. His return brings him back to the same gym where expectations were always high — and where winning was the standard.
“It feels good, man,” Hines said. “When I first got the job, Coach Tyndall reached out to me. He was actually my middle school coach. He invited us down, and then Don Ingram came to see us play last week and told us he was excited to have us come down. I really appreciate Coach Tyndall and Don Ingram for bringing our team down.”
The moment also carries a family connection. Hines’ mother, Shonda Hines, is currently an assistant coach with the Kinston girls basketball program, adding another layer of meaning to his return to Lenoir County.
While the schedule won’t allow him to catch her in action this time, the significance of being back isn’t lost on him.
“Our bus leaves at 10,” Hines said. “We’re coming down, doing a team shootaround, pregame meal, all that stuff. We try to keep our same routine and make sure the guys don’t get thrown off.”
Hines’ coaching journey has taken him from Mount Olive to Charlotte, but the expectations at Myers Park feel familiar.
“It’s really nice coaching in the Charlotte area,” Hines said. “Myers Park is one of the biggest high schools in Charlotte, if not the state. To me, it’s one of the most prestigious jobs. It’s kind of like Kinston — everybody expects you to win. You have to understand what it means to wear a Myers Park uniform.”
That pressure, he says, is part of the privilege.
“As a coach, you want a good job and you want to win,” Hines said. “High expectations — pressure is privilege. To me, it’s what you prepare your whole life for.”
Myers Park enters the Brandon Ingram Invitational with a 9–5 record, backed by a roster that blends experience, youth, and depth.
Junior guard Thomas Vickery (6’6”) headlines the group as one of the state’s top prospects, holding offers from NC State, Clemson, Virginia, California, and several other ACC programs.
“He’s really, really good,” Hines said.
The Mustangs also feature senior guard Mack Walters (6’3”), junior guard Cash Hall (6’3”), sophomore forward Ayo Awosanya (6’5”), and sophomore point guard Rucker Jamison (6’4”), the son of former UNC star and NBA standout Antawn Jamison.
“To me, he’s one of the best sophomores in the state,” Hines said of Awosanya.
What’s fueled Myers Park’s success, though, goes beyond the starting lineup.
“Our starting five is really good, but what’s really helped us is our bench,” Hines said. “Jalen Hayes, Max Azevedo, S.J. Willis — those guys have been playing really well. Our bench has really stepped up.”
That depth includes contributors like Tristan Gaddy, Jackson Burns, Smithen Chisholm, Niles Nelson, Tyler Redmann, Coleman Hunt, Jack Hudson, and Henrique Lima, allowing Myers Park to maintain tempo and intensity throughout games.
When Hines told his team they would be heading east for the Brandon Ingram Invitational, the response was immediate.
“They were excited,” he said. “I showed them videos of the Brandon Ingram Invitational and the environment. My guys love that kind of stuff. I like taking them to play high-level competition.”
The atmosphere at Kinston High is part of the appeal.
“It’s going to be packed in there,” Hines said.
Hines has followed the Brandon Ingram Invitational from afar for years, watching it grow into one of the state’s premier high school basketball showcases.
“I think Don Ingram and Coach Tyndall do a great job bringing high-level teams down there,” Hines said. “It’s packed. You can’t ask for a better high school environment.”
Despite being locked into his own season, Hines still keeps tabs on the Vikings.
“I watch the games on NFHS Network,” he said. “I keep up with them a lot. Coach Tyndall does a great job — he was my middle school coach, so I’ve got a ton of respect for him.”
Hines’ return also highlights the deep basketball ties between Myers Park and Kinston beyond just the players.
Former Kinston High standout CJ Bradshaw serves on Hines’ coaching staff at Myers Park, bringing another familiar name back to the gym. Bradshaw’s father, Chris Bradshaw, is the head coach of the Kinston girls basketball program, where Shonda Hines serves as an assistant — a full-circle connection linking generations of Kinston basketball.
As Myers Park prepares to take the floor, the return represents more than basketball. It’s a reminder of where Hines came from — and how those early lessons continue to shape him as a coach.
Next Saturday, the Brandon Ingram Invitational won’t just showcase elite programs.
It will welcome one of Kinston’s own back home.
Myers Park will play in Kinston versus New Hanover at 7:00