Is Dorman the best SC basketball dynasty of all time? State hoops experts weigh in
The Dorman boys basketball team’s run of state championships continued Friday night with 65-46 win over Dutch Fork.
It was the Cavaliers’ fourth Class 5A state title in a row, joining Calhoun County as the only teams to win four straight in the modern era. (Columbia won five from 1916-20 and Charleston won six from 1922-27.)
The Cavaliers exploded on the national scene, ranked in the top five in two national polls. They will play in the GEICO Nationals, featuring eight of the country’s top high school teams, next month in New York.
Dorman is 106-13 during this stretch and had Division I players come through such as PJ Hall (Clemson), Myles Tate (Butler), Gabe Bryant (Gardner-Webb) and Zach Butler (Ohio University).
So where does Dorman rank against some of the top boys basketball dynasties the state of South Carolina has produced? The State asked former players and current/former coaches where they would put the Cavaliers against the likes some of the other great teams in state history.
Carey Rich
(Member of CA Johnson 1989 title team, played at USC and broadcaster for the state championships for several years.)
“I think it would be a disservice to compare, but it is human nature. Times are different and there are so many different narratives. There is no argument they are the premier program in South Carolina. They won two prestigious tournaments, Chick-fil-A and Beach Ball. It is sustained success and no one has done it better than them.
They beat nine teams from nine different states this year. That is beyond impressive.
When you talk about some of the greatest teams, you gotta talk about the AC Flora teams with Xavier McDaniel and Tyrone Corbin, the Lower Richland teams in the 1980s and 1990s, the Eau Claire teams. (Eau Claure won three titles in a row from 1993-95 and won the Beach Ball Classic). Irmo had a good run back then. I think there is an appreciation for all of them.
When I think of the best teams in the last 30 or 40 years, Dorman would be one of them. What they have done, it has been nothing short of amazing.”
Zach Norris
(35 years as a head coach, last 21 at Keenan, winning seven state titles)
“I’m thrilled to death for Dorman coach Thomas Ryan. He has done a wonderful job and we are good friends.
He has put a really good string together. They rank right up there right up to the top. You got to give them their props. They are the best around here (South Carolina).”
JoJo English
(Richland Northeast head coach who played at Lower Richland teams in the 1980s and at USC )
“I don’t compare eras. Me playing in that era I did at Lower Richland and then being part of coaching in the state, I know they are one of the best teams to ever come through on the boys and girls side. They beat top talent, compete nationally and rank among the best to ever be assembled.
We went to King Cotton Classic (in Arkansas) and traveled as well. It just wasn’t as publicized back then.
I have seen them play since (Myles Tate’s) freshman year and seen them grow. For them to have the sustained success they have had, I could only applaud them. I watch how they play. They play the same way every single game no matter what team they are playing. It is truly impressive.”
Jim Childers
(Won three state titles at Lower Richland in the 1980s. Also coached at Spring Valley)
“I saw them play in the Chick-fil-A Classic and was very impressed.
They have talent, depth and are solid everywhere. They are one of the top teams ever in South Carolina for sure.
At Chick-Fil-A, Dorman played schools that recruit. Dorman could have matched up with anyone. They beat a team from North Carolina and West Virginia.
We were a part of something special at Lower Richland. We worked hard. We played in high-profile tournaments (High Cotton Classic, Great Florida Shootout, Beach Ball Showcase) like Dorman. Playing and beating those teams just affirms the work when you play against teams of the highest level.
We had great talent and we worked hard. Dorman is the same way. It is an accomplishment that is impressive. It is tough to do, even if you have talent. They have the best tradition going now in the state.”
Bret Jones
(Dutch Fork and White Knoll head coach and played at Lexington HS)
“They remind me a lot of the 1999 Lower Richland team with the Howell brothers and Ed Scott. There was the Lower Richland team (1980s) that had three NBA players drafted (JoJo English, Joe Burrows and Stanley Roberts) and they were dominant.”
Gary Fulmer
(Assistant and head coach at Lower Richland in the 1980s and 1990s, then head coach at Richland Northeast until 2005. Founder of Chick-fil-A Classic)
“Four years, it is incredible, I don’t care what sport you are doing. They played in the Chick-fil-A Classic the last two years. Won it this year and runner-up last year and could have won it last year. In my mind, they are the best basketball team I have seen in the last 30 years.
I am a little biased with Lower Richland in the 1980s. There were less high schools and larger numbers there. So it is hard to compare. It is like comparing the Celtics teams with Bill Russell and the Michael Jordan Bulls teams. It is hard to compare.
Dorman is extremely well-coached and coach Thomas Ryan gets the most out of them. They are fun to watch.”
This story was originally published March 7, 2020 at 12:03 PM.
