Team previews: SC high school basketball upper state, lower state finals

By Lou Bezjak

Updated February 26, 2016 12:57 AM

Head coach Anne Long and the Spring Valley girls face Rock Hill at 5 p.m. Saturday in Greenville. Chris Gillespie Special to The State

Upper State Finals Friday Class 3A Girls Dreher (25-1)

COACH: Teresa Jones (336-87 career record)

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. Travelers Rest 104-32; def. South Pointe 63-45; def. Eastside 57-34

PROJECTED STARTERS: G Kaleah Hires (4.6 apg); F Carla Brown (3.1 rpg); G Kamryn Lemon (16.9 ppg); F Jaelynn Murray (19 ppg); F Jhileiya Dunlap (20 ppg)

KEY RESERVES: Eboni Jones; Christina Praylow; Jamya Scott

Wren (22-4)

COACH: Lynn Hicks

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. Broome 66-46; def. Greer 84-45; def. Lancaster 59-54

PROJECTED STARTERS: G Nakol Franks (23.5 ppg); G Meg Leatherwood; F Alex Lavore (7.7 ppg); F Cassidy Bell (8.2 ppg); F September Collins (9.9 ppg)

KEY RESERVES: Hannah Funk; Christina Bell

Class 3A Boys A.C. Flora (24-2)

COACH: Joshua Staley (278-72 overall record)

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. Emerald 65-44; def. Lancaster 70-54; def. Berea 55-51

PROJECTED STARTERS: G Brandon Davis (15 ppg); G Kendale Hampton (20.9 ppg, 10 rpg); G James Reese (15.2 ppg); F Thomas Hollingsworth (6.7 rpg); F Deshawn Thomas (10.4 rpg, 3.5 bpg)

KEY RESERVES: Christian Brown; Diamanté Brown; Daniel Harper-Finney; Nasir Boyce; Matthew Jamison; Quincy Riley

Seneca (24-2)

COACH: Kevin Padgett (100-73 career record)

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. Chester 94-64; def. Richland Northeast 95-64; def. South Pointe 77-72

PROJECTED STARTERS: G Xzvaier Bazemore (3A Player of Year); G Brevin Galloway; F Evequan Wilson; F Braden Galloway; C Chad Earle

KEY RESERVES: Tristen Hudson; Christian Blassingame

Saturday Class A Girls C.A. Johnson (20-4)

COACH: Marlon Smith (54-39 career record)

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. Wagener-Salley 89-17; def. Calhoun Falls 67-19; def. Calhoun County 57-34

PROJECTED STARTERS: Demeatrius Bryant (12.4 ppg, 4.4 spg), Kaitlin Pickens (16.3 ppg, 5 apg), Keymero Dash, Iyonna Hagler, Narjai Beshear (12.2 ppg, 9 rpg)

KEY RESERVES: Jenee Melton, Jewel Walston, DeAndria Stroy

Christ Church (24-3)

COACH: Toni Leopard

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. Fox Creek 95-23; def. North 92-38; def. McCormick 75-40

PROJECTED STARTERS: Shayla Bennett (19 ppg, 7 apg); Kendal Kipper; Lawren Cook (12 rpg); Abbie Posta; Bailey Breazeale (13 ppg)

KEY RESERVES: Paula Pieper; Darcy Merline; Victoria Patterson; Miah Ferguson

Class A Boys C.A. Johnson (13-9)

COACH: Darryl Jarvis (62-50 overall record)

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. HKT 66-46; def. Christ Church 46-39; def. RSM 44-42

PROJECTED STARTERS: Willie Butler (14.7 ppg); Tajh Green (16.6 ppg, 10.9 rpg); Weston McKenney (5.1 ppg); Tyler Rivers (3.8 ppg); Montarius Kelley (7.1 apg)

KEY RESERVES: DeAndre Martin; Javon Randolph; Willie Bowman; JaQuan Maxwell; Bernard Tucker

Calhoun County (19-4)

COACH: Zam Frederick

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. Lamar 92-38; def. Fox Creek 76-44; def. McBee 58-47

PROJECTED STARTERS: Emmit Holtson; Zamuel Fredrick; Jonathan Smith; Malik Johnson; Anthony Browne

Class 2A Girls Keenan (19-6)

COACH: Reggie McLain

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. Cheraw 51-37; def. Strom Thurmond 47-29; def. Andrew Jackson 57-40

PROJECTED STARTERS: Breia Jackson (14.5 ppg); Le’on Hill (6.5 ppg, 5 bpg); Dashielle Robinson (8.7 ppg); Logan McDaniel (11.9 ppg); Meagan Young (3.4 ppg)

KEY RESERVES: Isis Hill; Jadiamond Hickman; Khia Jenkins

Newberry (23-6)

COACH: Melissa Mendenhall (110-76 career record)

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. Buford 71-52; def. Saluda; def. Pendleton 54-45

PROJECTED STARTERS: Tyshyria Bates, Fatima Sims, Rayanna Davis, Nigeria Davis, Lindsey Ruff

KEY RESERVES: Rehgan Miller, Alia Hunter, Zacharia Epps

Class 2A Boys Abbeville (18-4)

COACH: Doug Belcher (68-25 career record)

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. Carolina 83-41; def. Cheraw 65-62; def. Blacksburg 84-59

PROJECTED STARTERS: Joseph Battle (31.3 ppg), Ventray Belton (9.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg), Taiquan Moore (4.7 ppg), Tyriq Collier (6.2 ppg), Javon Belcher (4.1 ppg)

KEY RESERVES: Jamie Gray, TJ Rogers, Kadeem Bryan

Keenan (18-9)

COACH: Zach Norris

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. Buford 76-52; def. Strom Thurmond 59-39; def. Andrew Jackson 54-45

PROJECTED STARTERS: G Tariq Simmons (17. 1 ppg); G Majerle Poole (10.5 ppg); G Rod Marshall (5.5 ppg); F Dantrell Sligh-Rodgers (8.7 ppg); F Thurman Trapp (3.3 ppg)

KEY RESERVES: Chauncy Haney; Q’Darius Sanders; Ja’Quan Osborne

Class 4A Girls Rock Hill (26-2)

COACH: Kennan Orr

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. Greenwood 66-46; def. Westwood 68-47; def. Ridge View 45-44

PROJECTED STARTERS: F RiKoya Anderson (13.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg); G Brooklyn Bailey (8.5 ppg); G Madison Hendrix (7.4 ppg); G Monique Stevenson (6.1 ppg); Kendall Lahr (9.4 ppg);

KEY RESERVES: Modesty Fobbs; Abriana Green; Jasona Ballard; Whitney Malone

Spring Valley (25-2)

COACH: Anne Long (852-198 career record)

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. Byrnes 75-43; def. Westside 56-40; def. Dorman 95-46

PROJECTED STARTERS: G Anaja Matthews (8.2 ppg); G/F Christian Hithe (17.5 ppg); F Joi Jones (5.4 rpg); G Dominique Hill (7.3 ppg); C Shantay Taylor (14.5 ppg, 11.1 rpg)

KEY RESERVES: Taylor Lewis, Kristian Wall

Class 4A Boys Byrnes (23-3)

COACH: Layne Fowler

PATH TO GREENVILLE: Def. J.L. Mann 64-43; def. Nation Ford 80-50; def. Blythewood 75-55

PROJECTED STARTERS: G Jaylan Foster (6.9 ppg, 5.4 apg); Bouvier Howard (11 ppg); F Ray Miller (12.1 ppg); F Tyrique Glenn (11.8 ppg); Hayden Brown (12.5 ppg)

KEY RESERVES: Kailyn Williams; Dreek Morgan; Davonte Wright

Spring Valley (20-7)

COACH: Perry Dozier (164-83 career record)

PATH TO GREENVILLE: def. Wade Hampton 60-57; def. Westside 68-57; def. Fort Mill 58-49

PROJECTED STARTERS: G Noah Harper (17.2 ppg); G Deangelo Ward; G Kendall Wall; F Javondii Myers; C Jordan Bruner (14.2 ppg, 4.2 bpg)

KEY RESERVES: Tommy Bruner; KiAndre Jones; ZaQuan Grant

Lower State Finals Saturday Class 4A Boys Irmo (23-4)

COACH: Tim Whipple (696-259 career record)

PATH TO FLORENCE: Def. Goose Creek 65-42; def. Summerville 84-56; def. Carolina Forest 61-45

PROJECTED STARTERS: Ta’Vonne Bond (12.1 ppg); Dre’von Sweat (13.7 ppg); RJ Gunn (14.2 ppg); Noah Jenkins (6.3 ppg); Tony Brice (6 ppg)

KEY RESERVES: Jalen Wilson; Shyheem Edwards; Winston Hill

West Ashley (21-4)

COACH: Ronnie Dupre

PATH TO FLORENCE: Def. Lexington 72-61; def. Sumter 49-45; def. South Aiken 63-49

PROJECTED STARTERS: G Kenyatta Jenkins (8 ppg); F Shelton Brown (13.5 ppg); G David Hodije (16 ppg); G Skylar Williams (12.6 ppg); Eric Kinloch

This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 10:36 PM.