SCBCA reveals preseason HS basketball state rankings, players to watch

The South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association gathered in Columbia Wednesday to reveal its preseason statewide rankings and to recognized players to watch in each classification.

Recent Winthrop signee RiKoya Anderson was singled out as a 5A girl to watch, and she and her Rock Hill teammates, including several other college signees, were picked third in the preseason rankings. Clover, which returns post player Renee Carter and promising freshman Aylesha Wade, was picked ninth.

Nation Ford’s boys made the 5A top-10 as well. College prospect Zeb Graham leads what should be an exciting and athletic bunch of Falcons.

York’s Malcolm Kennedy was among the players to watch in 4A boys’ basketball, while Lewisville’s boys and girls’ teams were ranked in the 1A preseason top-10. Michael McRay’s Lewisville boys barely lost the state championship to Hemingway last year and have key contributors returning, including senior Mikial Fourney, who was tagged a player to watch. Jimmy Duncan’s Great Falls Red Devils also made the 1A boys’ top-10.

An Elite 5 was picked for girls and boys’ basketball, acknowledging the top-five players in each gender, regardless of classification. Unique Drake (Westwood), Danae McNeal (Swansea), Quadijah Moore (Emerald), Dimadisen Smith (Greenville) and Amari Young (North Augusta) made up the girls’ top-five. And Christian Brown (Lower Richland), Alex Caldwell (Wilson), C.J. Felder (Sumter), Juwan Gary (Gray Collegiate) and Jimmy Nichols (Conway) were named the top-five boys.

5A

Girls

Defending champion: Goose Creek

Players to watch: RiKoya Anderson (Rock Hill), Skylar Blackstock (Wando), Quin Byrd (Hillcrest), Madison Golden (Dutch Fork), Alexis Tomlin (Carolina Forest).

Rankings: 1. Goose Creek; 2. Wade Hampton; 3. Rock Hill; 4. Woodmont; 5. Spring Valley; 6. Dorman; 7. Carolina Forest; 8. Irmo; 9. Clover; 10. Conway.

Boys

Defending champion: Dorman

Players to watch: Robert Braswell (Blythewood), Bradly Childers (Gaffney), Gabe Bryant (Dorman), Winston Hill (Irmo), Isiah Moore (Sumter).

Rankings: 1. Dorman; 2. Blythewood; 3. Gaffney; 4. Conway; 5. Sumter; 6. Wade Hampton; 7. Nation Ford; 8. West Ashley; 9. T.L. Hanna; 10. Irmo.

4A

Girls

Defending champion: North Augusta

Players to watch: D’Asia Gregg (Wilson), Jordan Strange (A.C. Flora), Sharita Godfrey (Richland Northeast), Jah’Che Whitfield (Crestwood), Casey Newton (Daniel).

Rankings: 1. North Augusta; 2. Ridge View; 3. Westwood; 4. Richland Northeast; 5. Crestwood; 6. Orangeburg-Wilkinson; 7. Wilson; 8. Myrtle Beach; 9. Greenville; 10. Greer.

Boys

Defending champion: Lower Richland

Players to watch: Grant Singleton (Lakewood), Kevin Williamson (Aiken), Wells Hoag (Greenville), Diamonte Brown (A.C. Flora), Malcolm Kennedy (York).

Rankings: 1. Wilson; 2. Lower Richland; 3. Aiken; 4. Lakewood; 5. Ridge View; 6. Greenville; 7. Berkeley; 8. North Augusta; 9. Travelers Rest; 10. Westwood.

3A

Girls

Defending champion: Bishop England

Players to watch: Mahogany Green (Manning), Tamia Grate (Pendleton), Quanaija Drayton (Ridgeland-Hardeeville), Kelsey Felks (Newberry), Jashiya Henderson (Berea).

Rankings: 1. Bishop England; 2. Newberry; 3. Ridgeland-Hardeeville; 4. Seneca; 5. Emerald; 6. Dillon; 7. Manning; 8. Fairfield Central; 9. Swansea; 10. Battery Creek.

Boys

Defending champion: Southside

Players to watch: Effix Miller (Swansea), Mon Quayveous McBride (Fairfield Central), Zay Hurley (Clinton), Jermaine Patterson (Bluffton), Dominique Perry (Brookland-Cayce).

Rankings: 1. Southside; 2. Ridgeland-Hardeeville; 3. Seneca; 4. Newberry; 5. Brookland-Cayce; 6. Berea; 7. Wade Hampton; 8. Dillon; 9. Bishop England; 10. Lake City.

2A

Girls

Defending champion: Mullins

Players to watch: Star Eargle (Saluda), Malaysia Gates (Batesburg-Leesville), Lauren Cook (Christ Church), Logan Taylor-McDaniel (Keenan), Zakiya Williams (Mullins).

Rankings: 1. Mullins; 2. Christ Church; 3. Batesburg-Leesville; 4. Keenan; 5. Marion; 6. Saluda; 7. Burke; 8. Lee Central; 9. Latta; 10. Landrum.

Boys

Defending champion: Burke

Players to watch: Foster Bridges (Landrum), Quinten Alston (Kingstree), Zach Johnson (Saluda), Kevon Wall (Central), Dijon Goss (Carvers Bay).

Rankings: 1. Keenan; 2. Calhoun County; 3. Gray Collegiate; 4. Carvers Bay; 5. Lee Central; 6. Greenville Tech; 7. Kingstree; 8. Landrum; 9. Marion; 10. Central.

1A

Girls

Defending champion: Estill

Players to watch: Crystal Preston (Ridge Spring-Monetta), Tamara Jackson (Green Sea-Floyds), Simone Durant (Lamar), Faith Vice (Denmark-Olar), Caitlin Timmons (East Clarendon).

Rankings: 1. Green Sea-Floyds; 2. Lamar; 3. Ridge Spring-Monetta; 4. Denmark-Olar; 5. East Clarendon; 6. Lewisville; 7. Timmonsville; 8. Blackville-Hilda; 9. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler; 10. Baptist Hill.

Boys

Defending champion: Hemingway

Players to watch: Mikial Fourney (Lewisville), Corey Fields (Baptist Hill), Tyrike Lewis (Hemingway), Mataeo Durant (McCormick), Jeblonski Green (Lamar).

Rankings: 1. Hemingway; 2. Lewisville; 3. Bethune Bowman; 4. Williston-Elko; 5. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler; 6. Ridge Spring-Monetta; 7. Great Falls; 8. McCormick; 9. Baptist Hill; 10. McBee.

This story was originally published November 15, 2017 at 3:03 PM with the headline "SCBCA reveals preseason HS basketball state rankings, players to watch."