Midlands HS boys basketball: Breaking down area’s top teams, best players for 2025-26
.JPG "Ben Lippen boys basketball player Braysen Stockman")
The high school boys basketball season is under way. Here is a look at the top teams and players in the area to watch for the 2025-26 season:
Midlands Teams to Watch
Class 5A
Ridge View: The defending Class 5A Division I champions are ranked as preseason No. 1 by the S.C. Basketball Coaches Associaition. The Blazers lost two of their top players when Korie Corbett (Oak Hill) and Yale Davis (Zephyrhills Christian) decided to finish their high school careers out of state. Still, Ridge View has a talented roster that includes senior Talan Staley, junior DJ Wylie and a pair of Division I prospects in sophomores in RJ Davis and CJ Moore.
Dutch Fork: The Silver Foxes are preseason No. 4 in 5A Division I and part of the loaded Upper State, which includes Ridge View, Dorman and Byrnes. Senior Justus Bell is the Silver Foxes’ go-to-guy for a Dutch Fork team that’s primed to make a deep playoff run.
Irmo: Alex Quillen is in year two as Yellow Jackets coach. Irmo is ranked No. 8 in the Class 5A Division II preseason poll and lost a few key players to transfer. But the Yellow Jackets have a strong roster and could make a run in Region 5-5A and the lower state playoffs.
Westwood: The Redhawks are ranked No. 6 in preseason, coming off an 18-win season in which they advanced to the third round of 5A Division II Lower state playoffs. Westwood’s strength is its backcourt that’s led by DeMarcus Thomas and Jayden Crews.
Class 4A
Brookland-Cayce: Former Gamecock great Larry Davis takes over the Bearcats. B-C is coming off a 19-win season and returns a good group of players, including Carter Jackson, Isaiah Daniels and Isaiah Oree.
Gray Collegiate: Dion Bethea is back leading the War Eagles program after spending a year in college as an assistant coach at Georgia Southern. Bethea led Gray to six Class 2A state titles, and the War Eagles are now in Class 4A. Gray has a solid roster with Kennesaw State signee Levi Ball and transfers Rickey Littlejohn, Luis Echevarria and Desmond Harrington.
Class 3A
Keenan: The Raiders are the defending 3A champions and return a strong group of players, including Broderick Anderson and Antioine Caughman.
Class 2A
American Leadership: The Patriots are in year two of the program and have 13 seniors, including all-region selection Brice Newton and Gray Collegiate transfer Justin Richburg.
Batesburg-Leesville: The Panthers are preseason No. 9 in 2A and return standout Ta’Maj Gilliam. B-L is coming off its first region title since 2006 and first trip to quarterfinals of the playoffs since 1989.
Class A
CA Johnson: Expectations are high for the Green Hornets, who advanced to the Class A Upper State championship a year ago. CA Johnson is the preseason No. 1 in Class A and returns its core from last season, including Tony Odom, Milton McCray and Aiassiac Germany.
SCISA
Ben Lippen: The Falcons won 18 games last season and return the area’s leading scorer Braysen Stockman and brother Maddox.
Heathwood Hall: The Highlanders won 17 games last season, most since 2019-20, and return seniors Henry Morris and Deuce Claxton to go with Lugoff-Elgin transfer Henry Collins.
Hammond: The Skyhawks made it to the SCISA 4A semifinals last season and bring back Jackson Ross.
Preseason Honors
The State’s Preseason Co-Players of Year: Levi Ball, Gray Collegiate; and Braysen Stockman, Ben Lippen
Players to Watch
Broderick Anderson, Keenan: Senior is committed to Francis Marion and averaged 8.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season.
Levi Ball, Gray Collegiate: Senior signed with Kennesaw State and was named one of the state’s elite boys to watch by the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association. Ball averaged 13 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game last season.
Justus Bell, Dutch Fork: Senior forward is committed to USC Aiken, was ranked a top five senior for 5A Division I by SCBCA and averaged 14 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last year.
Christian Brown, Irmo: Junior is the Yellow Jackets’ top returning scorer and averaged 8.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game last year.
Rashawn Brown Jr., Fairfield Central: Senior point guard was Region 3-2A Player of Year last season and averaged 12 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals.
Kenton Caldwell, Newberry: Senior and quarterback on the Bulldogs football team averaged 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Antoine Caughman, Keenan: 247Sports ranks the sophomore as the No. 1 player in the state for 2028 and top-25 nationally. Caughman averaged 11.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.3 blocks and 2.2 steals per game.
Jayden Crews, Westwood: Senior is committed to Converse and averaged 9.2 points and 3.4 rebounds last season.
RJ Davis, Ridge View: Sophomore is one of the top-ranked players in state for Class of 2028 and averaged 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game as a freshman.
Brayden Francis, Chapin: Senior guard is the leading returning scorer from last season.
Aiassiac Germany, CA Johnson: Germany is considered one of top five seniors to watch in Class A by the SCBCA and averaged a double-double last season.
Ta’Maj Gilliam, Batesburg-Leesville: Senior was Region 2-2A Player of Year last season and averaged 16.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals for the Panthers.
Carter Jackson, Brookland-Cayce: Junior averaged 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.4 steals.
Peyton Jennings, White Knoll: Junior averaged 12.7 points a game last season for the Timberwolves.
Rickey Littlejohn, Gray Collegiate: Gaffney transfer averaged 12.4 points, 3.1 assists and 2.5 rebounds last year.
Kaleb Long, Lugoff-Elgin: Senior averaged 12.5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists per game.
Milton McCray, CA Johnson: Junior averaged 17 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 blocks last season.
Payton Miles, Lexington: Transfer from American Leadership averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds per game last season.
Sam Mills, Lexington: Senior will start the season injured but will be back in December. The 6-foot-11 center has Division I interest and averaged 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds last year.
CJ Moore, Ridge View: Sophomore is a top-50 ranked player nationally by Rivals/On3 and will see his minutes increase this year. Moore averaged 5 points, 5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game last season.
Tony Odom, CA Johnson: Senior averaged 19.5 points and 3.5 assists per game and was named a Top 5 senior for Class A by the SCBCA.
Dewayne Patterson, Spring Valley: Senior averaged 13 points per game last season.
Jackson Ross, Hammond: Junior averaged 16.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.2 steals per game and is a Division I prospect in football.
Talan Staley, Ridge View: Senior point guard was named Top 5 senior for Class 5A Division I by the SCBCA and averaged 8 points, 3 assists and 2 steals per game last season.
Braysen Stockman, Ben Lippen: Senior has scored more than 2,000 points in his career and led the area in scoring at 29.2 points per game, 9.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.7 steals.
Maddox Stockman, Ben Lippen: Junior averaged 11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.4 steals last season.
DeMarcus Thomas, Westwood: The Redhawks’ leading returning scorer from last season and also averaged 2.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds.
DJ Wiley, Ridge View: Junior part of the talented Ridge View roster and averaged 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks last season.
Others to watch
Jordan Brown, Dreher; Kendall Byrd, AC Flora; Deuce Claxton, Heathwood Hall; Hunter Collins, Heathwood Hall; Braylen Davis, Batesburg-Leesville; Joshua Davis, AC Flora; Luis Echevarria, Gray Collegiate; Samajae Govan, Dutch Fork; Desmond Harrington, Gray Collegiate; Reece Jackson, Richland Northeast; AJ Jeter, Newberry; Wade Marsh, Cardinal Newman; Asa McQuaker, Blythewood; Donovan Mickle, Blythewood; Henry Morris, Heathwood Hall; Brice Newton, American Leadership; Bennett Nicholson, Richard Winn; Isaiah Oree, Brookland-Cayce; Antwoine Pierce, Irmo; Justin Richburg, American Leadership; DJ Slaughter, Ben Lippen; TJ Troy, Blythewood
This story was originally published November 24, 2025 at 2:35 PM.
