Keenan boys No. 1; Midlands teams well-represented in SCBCA preseason polls
After coming short of winning the state championship last season, the Keenan boys start this season at the top.
The Raiders are ranked No. 1 in Class 2A as the South Carolina Basketball Coaches released their preseason polls Wednesday. Keenan lost to Burke last season in the state championship game.
Keenan is one of Midlands 19 teams ranked in the polls and 15 Midlands players were named to the senior and elite boys and girls lists. Gray Collegiate, which lost to Keenan in 2A Upper State Final is No. 3 and Juwan Gary is on the Elite Boys List.
In 5A, state runner-up Blythewood begins No. 2 with Irmo at No. 10. The Bengals’ Robert Braswell and Yellow Jackets’ Winston Hill are two of the top senior boys.
Defending state champion Lower Richland begins the year ranked No. 2, and Christian Brown is on the Elite Boys List. Ridge View is fifth and Westwood 10th. A.C. Flora’s Diamonte Brown is a top five senior.
In 3A, Newberry is fourth and Brookland-Cayce is fifth. B-C’s Dominique Perry, Swansea’s Effix Miller and Fairfield Central’s Quayveous McBride are top five seniors.
On the girls’ side, Ridge View, Westwood and Richland Northeast are Nos. 2-4 in Class 4A. Westwood’s Unique Drake is on the Elite Girls List, and RNE’s Sharita Godfrey and A.C. Flora’s Jordan Strange are on the top five seniors list.
In 5A, Spring Valley is No. 5 and Irmo No. 8. Dutch Fork’s Madison Golden is on top five seniors list.
In 3A, state runner-up Newberry is No. 2 with Fairfield Central eighth and Swansea ninth. Swansea’s Danae McNeal is on the Elite Girls list while Newberry’s Kelsey Felks is a top five senior.
In 2A, Batesburg-Leesville is No. 3 and Keenan fourth. B-L’s Malaysia Gates and Logan Taylor-McDaniel are top five seniors.
Preseason Polls
As selected by the SC Basketball Coaches:
GIRLS
Class 5A
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
Class 5A Senior Girls: RiKoya Anderson, Rock Hill; Skylar Blackstock, Wando; Quin Byrd, Hillcrest; Madison Golden, Dutch Fork; Alexis Tomlin, Carolina Forest
Class 4A
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
Class 4A Senior Girls: D’Asia Gregg, Wilson; Jordan Strange, A.C. Flora; Sharita Godfey, Richland Northeast; Jah’Che Whitfield, Crestwood; Casey Newton, Daniel
Class 3A
1. Bishop England; 2. Newberry; 3. Ridgeland-Hardeeville; 4. Seneca; 5. Emerald; 6. Dillon; 7. Manning; 8. Fairfield Central; 9. Swansea; 10. Battery Creek
Class 3A Senior Girls: Mahogany Green, Manning; Tamia Grate, Pedleton; Quanaija Drayton, Ridgeland-Hardeeville; Kelsey Felks, Newberry; Jashiya Henderson, Berea
Class 2A
1. Mullins; 2. Christ Church; 3. Batesburg-Leesville; 4. Keenan; 5. Marion; 6. Saluda; 7. Burke; 8. Lee Central; 9. Latta; 10. Landrum
Class 2A Senior Girls: Star Ergle, Saluda; Malaysia Gates, Batesburg-Leesville; Lauren Cook, Christ Church; Logan Taylor-McDaniel, Keenan; Zakiya Williams, Mullins
Class A
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
Class A Senior Girls: Crystal Preston, Ridge Spring Monetta; Tamara Jackson, Green Seas Floyds; Simone Durant, Lamar; Faith Vice, Denmark Olar; Caitlin Timmons, East Clarendon
SCBCA Elite Girls
Unique Drake, Westwood; Danae McNeal, Swansea; Quadijah Moore, Emerald; DiMadisen Smith, Greenville; Amari Young, North Augusta
BOYS
Class 5A
1. Dorman; 2. Blythewood; 3. Gaffney; 4. Conway; 5. Sumter; 6. Wade Hampton; 7. Nation Ford; 8. West Ashley; 9. TL Hanna; 10. Irmo
Class 5A Senior Boys: Robert Braswell, Blythewood; Bradly Childers, Gaffney; Gabe Bryant, Dorman; Winston Hill, Irmo; Isiah Moore, Sumter
Class 4A
1. Wilson; 2. Lower Richland; 3. Aiken; 4. Lakewood; 5. Ridge View; 6. Greenville; 7. Berkeley; 8. North Augusta; 9. Travelers Rest; 10. Westwood
Class 4A Senior Boys: Grant Singleton, Lakewood; Kevin Williamson, Aiken; Wells Hoag, Greenville; Diamonte Brown, AC Flora; Malcolm Kennedy, York
Class 3A
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
Class 3A Senior Boys: Effix Miller, Swansea; Mon Quayveous McBride, Fairfield Central; Zay Hurley, Clinton; Jermaine Patterson, Bluffton; Dominique Perry, Brookland-Cayce
Class 2A
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
Class 2A Senior Boys: Foster Bridges, Landrum; Quinten Alston, Kingstree; Zach Johnson, Saluda; Kevon Wall, Central; Dijon Goss, Carvers Bay
Class A
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
Class A Senior Boys: Mikial Fourney, Lewisville; Corey Fields, Baptist Hill; Tyrike Lewis, Hemingway; Mateao Durant, McCormick; Jeblonski Green, Lamar
SCBCA Elite Boys
Christian Brown, Lower Richland; Alex Caldwell, Wilson; CJ Felder, Sumter; Juwan Gary, Gray Collegiate; Jimmy Nichols, Conway
This story was originally published November 15, 2017 at 10:49 AM.