Basketball time in Virginia..here's an outlook

**PVVikings2006** · November 13th, 2006, 12:16 PM

Region A Preview

1. King William
2. Essex

Teams to look out for are Essex with all starters back from last year, King William with possibly the best inside outside combo around, Washington and Lee should be ok with Jermaine Weldon back. Surry loses Ed Barham but still has some good players including Johnny Newmans. Northampton made it to the Region A Semifinals last year.

King William will be a team to beat this year. Led by one of the most potent inside/out combinations in the state, Junior PG Jeff Clark (6'0) and junior F/C Isaiah Hill (6'7). Watch out for Reginald Fletcher (5'10) who has a nice shot to compliment his amazing quickness. He was also 1st team all district last year. They also have size down low with Michael Townes and Dustin Baer (both 6'4). New coach, Joe Harper, led a talented girls team to a State playoff birth last season and is expected to lead an underachieving boys team deep into the playoffs.

Essex returns all 5 of their starters including 6'4 sophomore John Dille and 5'11 senior guard Ryan Lowe.

Region B Preview

1. Clarke Co. - The reigning state champions are looking realistically at repeating this year. With Chandler Rhodes back to lead the way along with big man Christian Waters in the post and a "bevy" of young talent that is said to be better then the group they are replacing, this one's a no brainer.

2. Chatham - Surprise! These guys may lose the Region B POY in Cordarrel Word, but much like Clarke they return some players that will have them right at the top of the pack. Trevor Calloway has led the team in scoring since his Sophomore year and can hit from nearly anyspot on the court and Demario Guy gets better every year, especially as the season goes on. Youngsters Marcus Fuller and Solomon Witcher are both beasts.

3. Riverheads - Brake, Hizer and Fox have these guys as loaded as they seem to be every year and as big as well. They seem to grow 'em like trees up their in Harrsionburg.

4. Goochland - A great run was cut short by Chatham last year when they embarrased them in the Regional Quarter Finals at Altavista, but with Point Guard Ryan Leabough back along with the big and talented man-child in Junior D.J. Coles they should have no problem being the team to beat in the JRD.

5. Altavista - Not to overuse a cliche, but the old phrase still rings true in A-town, they don't rebuild, they reload. Trevor Hall looks to lead this team in scoring, but Devon McRae is said to have improved between his Senior and Junior years much the way Kenny Hunt did between his Freshman and Sophomore years. Roger Woodruff adds to their firepower along with some transfers from up North that are supposedly big dudes. The Dogwood looks to be as strong as ever this year with William Campbell looking at putting a very strong team on the floor with Watson back and Slayton transferring in from Altavista and Nelson returning one of their top scorers along with their young big guy.

Bubbling Under :

Chesterfield, George Mason, Buckingham (any of these teams could easily be in this Top 5)

Pretty good top 5. Folks are telling me Clarke has the players to make another run at a A title, but let's not forget the three role players they lost to graduation. Matt Hardesty made all-region and was their top defender. Lee Liggins was a streak shooter that rescued the Eagles in the state semis against Chesterfield. And Jesse Racer, well Racer could light it up with the best of them (remember the 9 3-pointers he had at Hampshire?). If one post season turned a player into an instant star, it shined brightly on Chandler Rhoades. He's a fun player to watch and I see his scoring going up to 20 a game this season if Emmart allows it. Waters, now there is The Worm. He looks and plays like a mini Rodman, and no one's going to take a rebound away from him. The Eagles had a very good JV team and I've heard Racer's little bro is a pretty good player too. What helps this team so much is Emmart makes his kids believe in the program. He has them out there working their a$$$$ off at 6 in the morning. Now that's dedication. So I think Clarke will roll through the Bull Run (possibly without a district loss) and make another trip to Richmond.
I won't say much about the rest of the top five, only that Chatham was one of the most underachieving teams I've seen the last 10 years when they played Clarke last season. They had the athletes and I was baffled how terrible they played together. They were pointing fingers at each other before the half was over and Clarke taught those guys how basketball is supposed to be played. That street ball style just doesn't work, Cavaliers. Same goes for Chesterfield. Emmart outcoached them all, easily.
And Riverheads? That school is actually in Greenville, a few miles south of Staunton.

Region C Preview

Hogoheegee District

1. Chilhowie - Given that all these kids play, 4 returning starters and many more off the bench give this team the edge in leadership, experience, and ball handling. If they don't choke like every over hyped Chilhowie team in the last decade, this may be their last chance for a run at the title for a long time, even with a smaller district up and coming.

2. George Wythe - It's in their blood. They lose a lot of leadership but maintain enough fire power and quickness to threaten any team they face. Copenhaver's true test will be to coach a team without a proven Davis.

3. Lebanon - A strong football season means a late start in basketball- even without basketball skills, the athleticism of the kids pulls them through. A scrappy offense and defense can be a lethal threat in a tight district like the Hogo looks to be always be prepared for the Pioneers.

4. John Battle - More and more of a threat each year, very capable of upsetting top 3. Cody Calloway's health is key- he's what the Trojans may call the "glue" to the team. Just a guess.

5. Patrick Henry - Lost a lot of leadership, maintains a good enough squad and a decent sophomore coach to be competitive.

Region D Preview

1. Castlewood ? This is the year that they finally win the Cumberland and beat Twin Springs twice in one year in the process. If the Blue Devils can't beat the Titans this year, its predictable that they never will again for a long time.

2. Twin Valley ? Baldwin is now the center of the Twin Valley offense. Along with being very experienced, he runs the floor well and takes up a lot of space with his huge 6'7 frame. Having longtime Council coach Rick Goodman, who coached current ETSU player Brad Nuckles and his 6'9 frame, as an assistant on the Twin Valley bench to help guide Baldwin should be a huge benefit to the Panthers.

3. Powell Valley ? Great nucleus of young talent coming on along with the new energy of new coach Zack Moore should be a recipe for success for the new look Vikings. With a new brand and style of basketball along with disciplined play, these Vikings may be the sleeper for a Region D Championship.

4. Twin Springs ? Mark Dockery is THE best player in ALL of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee for that matter. One on one, there should be no one to challenge this guy up until you enter the Roanoke city limits going north or the Knoxville city limits going south from Nickelsville. As a group, the Titans will miss the all out play of Keith Warner and fellow guard Pance Kecev. This will probably be the first year Twin Springs does not capture the Cumberland but should most definitely have a spot secured in the Region D Tournament come February.

5. J.I. Burton ? A late run into December in football is projected but do not count out the Raiders as an underdog to challenge Powell Valley for the LPD Championship and punch a ticket to the Region D Tournament this year. What the Raiders may not have in size, they make up for in quickness plus the greatness of Coach Stan Wilson on the bench will make up for any other lapses that the Raiders may have.

6. Haysi ? Young nucleus of talent last year will be much more experienced and much more capable of challenging Twin Valley's hold on the Black Diamond District.

7. Gate City ? Decimated by injuries in football, riddled with inexperience in key positions, and losing 6 seniors including the versatile Josh Kilgore to graduation, the Blue Devils will be experiencing some hard times this year in basketball. Key point guard Tihlee Anderson suffered a huge blast to the head from a Powell Valley Viking defender in the next to last game of the year sending him to the hospital with a severe concussion. His progress is yet undetermined. The Devils next huge threat in the guard position, Tyler Parks, tore a hamstring against Clintwood and his return to the Blue Devils is questionable. The LPD Tournament co-MVP, alongside Anderson, was Jamie Hackney. The versatile forward for the Blue Devils who suffered a foot injury during the year. His return to the Blue Devils is questionable as well. With the exception of court savvy guard Cody Salyers, the Blue Devils will be searching for people in the hallways of the school who can actually dribble a basketball and think at the same time. In short, the Blue Devils return to the Region D Tournament may have ended last year with the semifinal loss to Twin Springs with no outlook of a near return in the future.

**1inStripes** · November 13th, 2006, 12:57 PM

Is this your opinion, or did you copy and paste from somewhere?

**Hokie** · November 13th, 2006, 01:17 PM

To answer your question Stripe- Those are cut and pasted from the VA Preps board.

**imported_KellyHoops41** · November 13th, 2006, 01:18 PM

[img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]I was thinking the saaame thing...lol...You know I'm starting to think this guy is from GC and not PV. Because he seems to know an awful lot about them Blue Devils.,

**1inStripes** · November 13th, 2006, 01:19 PM

Thanks Hokie. I hadn't been to VAPreps lately.

**PVVikings2006** · November 13th, 2006, 01:30 PM

Yes sir. I do know a lot about them Blue Devils cuz I have sum connectoins over there. Coach Smith, the girls hoop coach dates one of the Houserights. My buddy Katrice Jones used to date the Anderson dude but got dumped by him(he must have really got his bell rung by my boy), and the Hackney guy dates my friend Tessa and I hear all about the Parks guy from her too so yes I do know a little bit about what goes on over in GC. Funny, there must not be any girls worth dating over there... all the GC guys seem to want to date our girls. Things must really be screwed up in Scott County these days. By the way, I just got done eating lunch with Katrice. She said that Cedric is ready to eat Anderson's lunch this year. Go Vikes!!

**imported_trumpet1988** · November 13th, 2006, 01:41 PM

Took a girl from there to our prom in 06. Glad that she came with me.

**imported_KellyHoops41** · November 13th, 2006, 01:42 PM

LMAO you crack me up man! You do make a pretty good point I guess. I have heard of quite a few PV girls dating GC guys.

**ocean360** · November 13th, 2006, 01:49 PM

so where DID they come from?

**PVVikings2006** · November 13th, 2006, 01:51 PM

Trust me its more than a few. I've always known that Wise County had some fine women but dang dude... when a guy from the great sports mecca of GC has to travel 45 minutes east just to get some lovin...haha... thats sayin a lot for Scott County dont you agree?