Who’s No. 1? Top teams, players? SC basketball coaches’ first rankings for new season
The South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association released its top 10 polls and players to watch for the 2023-24 basketball season.
Here are the top teams and players to keep an eye on this season:
Class 5A Boys
1. Lexington; 2. Summerville; 3. Byrnes; 4. Dorman; 5. Goose Creek; 6. TL Hanna; 7. Sumter; 8. Clover; 9. Cane Bay; 10. Blythewood
Class 5A Girls
1. Mauldin; 2. Sumter; 3. Rock Hill; 4. Summerville; 5. Spring Valley; 6. Dorman; 7. Carolina Forest; 8. Ashley Ridge; 9. Dutch Fork; 10 . Byrnes
Class 4A Boys
1. Ridge View. 2. Greer; 3. Wilson; 4. Catawba Ridge; 5. Lancaster; 6. Westside; 7. North Augusta; 8. James Island; 9. South Florence; 10. Riverside
Class 4A Girls
1. North Augusta; 2. Westwood; 3. Wade Hampton; 4. AC Flora; 5. South Pointe; 6. James Island; 7. Pickens; 8. Bluffton; 9. Hartsville; 10. Lancaster
Class 3A Boys
1. Powdersville; 2. Crestwood; 3. Wren; 4. Orangeburg-Wilkinson; 5. Travelers Rest; 6. Daniel; 7. Lower Richland; 8. Clinton; 9. North Charleston; 10. Dillon
Class 3A Girls
1. Camden; 2. Wren; 3. Lower Richland; 4. Blue Ridge; 5. Loris; 6. Walhalla; 7. Orangeburg-Wilkinson; 8. Fountain Inn; 9. Dillon; 10. Clinton
Class 2A Boys
1. Gray Collegiate; 2. Oceanside Collegiate; 3. Keenan; 4. Andrew Jackson; 5. Hampton County; 6. Woodland; 7. Landrum; 8. Marion; 9. Newberry; 10. Strom Thurmond
Class 2A Girls
1. Gray Collegiate; 2. Silver Bluff; 3. Andrew Jackson; 4. Bishop England; 5. Blacksburg; 6. Keenan; 7. Chesterfield; 8. Fairfield Central ; 9. Lee Central; 10. Oceanside Collegiate
Class A Boys
1. Christ Church; 2. Great Falls; 3. Whale Branch; 4. Denmark-Olar; 5. High Point; 6. Calhoun Falls; 7. Baptist Hill; 8. Carvers Bay; 9. Hannah-Pamplico; 10. Bethune-Bowman
Class A Girls
1. Military Magnet; 2. Denmark-Olar; 3. Carvers Bay; 4. Lake View; 5. McBee; 6. High Point; 7. Christ Church; 8. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler; 9. St Joseph’s; 10. Allendale Fairfax
Players to Watch
Elite Boys
Cam Scott, Lexington; Tre Maddox, Gray Collegiate; Josh Leonard, Wilson; Hayden Assemian, Powdersville; Jordan Watford, Lancaster; Julen Iturbe, Riverside; Braylhan Thomas, Gray Collegiate; Tristan Thompson, Wilson
Elite Girls
Joyce Edwards, Camden; Kiara Croskey, Sumter; Raina McGowens, Wren; Delilah Solty, Mauldin; Aubrey Stevenson, Rock Hill; Quinasia Abercrombie, Wade Hampton; Terriana Gray, AC Flora
Top 5 Class 5A Senior Boys
Jaxson Prunty, Lexington; Yannick Smith, Summerville; Christian Andrews, Dorman; Jaquarious Patterson, TL Hanna; Will Fowler, Byrnes
Top Class 5A Senior Girls
De’Ashaj Crawford, Rock Hill; Dianna Blake, Ashley Ridge; Rickel Brown, Sumter; Nakiyah Kelly, Dorman; Genesis Young, Spartanburg
Top 5 Class 4A Senior Boys
Justin Ray, Eastside; Zyan Hager, Catawba Ridge; Jayden Pretty, Ridge View; Jamari Brown, South Florence; Joshua Smith, Ridge View
Top Class 4A Senior Girls
Victoria Star Morris, South Pointe; Tacoya Heyward, Bluffton; Andrea Duncan, James Island; Ahri Scott, Westside; Jasmine Frierson, Hartsville
Top 5 Class 3A Senior Boys
Alex Atkinson, Lower Richland; Keishawn Gibson, Union County; Isahiel Mackling, Camden; Drew McKibben, Travelers Rest; Lucas Towe, West Oak
Top Class 3A Senior Girls
Zikira Henderson, Blue Ridge; Ahleria Leaphart, Gilbert; Jenia Haigler, Orangeburg Wilkinson; Zamara Wilson, Loris; Marnie Baxter, Walhalla
Top 5 Class 2A Senior Boys
Ghaleb Wilson, Andrew Jackson; Travis Stickney, Oceanside Collegiate; Connor Cannon, Fox Creek; Franklin Davis, Landrum; Ellis Graham, Gray Collegiate
Top Class 2A Senior Girls
Shyrique Parker, Blacksburg; Ahmiah Taylor, Silver Bluff; Katlyn Chinn, Strom Thurmond; Kierra Diggs, Chesterfield; Izzy Woods, Bishop England
Top 5 Class A Senior Boys
DJ Harvey, Christ Church; Daquean Lewis, Calhoun Falls; Deathony Ross, High Point; Aaden Fair, Great Falls; Anthony Williams, Bamberg-Ehrhadrt
Top Class 5 Class A Senior Girls
Diana Williams, McBee; Trinity Mickell, Allendale-Fairfax; Jerchel Geathers-Washington, Carvers Bay; Alexandria Bennon, Christ Church; Gwendasia Page, Lake View