5: John I Burton: On the list due to record but I really think they are a mystery and are going to be a mystery for most of the season. The Raiders play the weakest schedule in the area and they are going to rack up the wins. The LPD is not very good either, with the exception of Union (who has a losing record to this point) they won't face much in league play. Burton has a solid starting five, Deaton, Hunter, Beaty, Robinette, and Maggard are all capable. Burton's problem could be depth and the ability to guard teams with two post players. I'd love to see them play Twin Springs or Hurley so we could better gauge them.

4: Virginia High: I am putting Virginia High here due to potential. Thus far, they have struggled with some of the weaker teams in the area while having Hurley on the ropes only to lose at home. The Bearcats season will come down to regional seeding, they really need to win the Clinch Mountain District title for seeding points. It's almost as if Virginia High is having a hard time recovering from the home loss to Hurley. The squeaked by an Abindgon team they had previously hammered by four points before beating Eastside (who has had two scoreless quarters already) 67-63. The Cats had defeated Eastside by 18 two weeks prior.

3: Twin Springs: Luck, skill, and coaching have the Titans number three on my list. Finch and the foreign exchange student are one of the best duos in the region. Each kid has the ability to play inside and out, Finch can be deadly from the perimeter as a shooter while the exchange student can handle the ball and cause problems getting into the lane. The Titans have to be thinking it's a special season, Twin Springs has already won two overtime games while winning another by two points. We are early in the season but, at this point it seems abundantly clear that Twin Springs and Hurley are destined for a meeting in the regional title game.

2: Hurley: Fresh off a trip to the state tournament, Coach Cooper and the Rebels are poised to make a run at the state title. The Cooper boys and Waynick will pose match up problems for any team in the state at the D1 level. In addition, Hurley already has the biggest win in the region with a win at Virginia High earlier this month. Unlike other D1 contenders, Cooper's bunch is not afraid to be challenged. The Rebels will head to Bristol next week to compete in the Arby's Classic where they will undoubtedly pick up a few losses. The Black Diamond District will have some challenges as Honaker and Haysi have fielded quality teams but it would be a shock if the Rebels are not one of the top two seeds in the regional tournament.

1: Gate City: Austen Arnold is hands down the best player in the region and Coach Vermillion's defense and depth will send most teams into submission early. Arnold has help too, Ervin is more than capable than scoring 20 points on a given night. Thus far, Gate City has not been tested; the Blue Devils hammered Burton in a benefit game while blowing out Central and easily handling Abingdon. The only game that has been within ten points is a 72-63 win at Wolfe County, Kentucky. In my opinion, this is the best team Gate City has fielded since they made a final four run a few years back. Local teams should be thankful the Devils aren't at full strength or Gate City could beat most teams in the region by 30.