Top Teams Henrico LC Bird Green Run Kecoughtan Deep Run Norview Potomac Stone Bridge Wakefield Varina Top Players De’Monte Buckingham – Henrico Mario Haskett – LC Bird DeShaun Wade – Green Run DaMontez Oliver – Deep Run Charles Falden –…
Top Teams
Henrico
LC Bird
Green Run
Kecoughtan
Deep Run
Norview
Potomac
Stone Bridge
Wakefield
Varina
Top Players
De’Monte Buckingham – Henrico
Mario Haskett – LC Bird
DeShaun Wade – Green Run
DaMontez Oliver – Deep Run
Charles Falden – LC Bird
Georgie Pacheco – Deep Run
Richard Sanders – Henrico
Damian Knowlin – Kecoughtan
Kyle Copeland – Tuscarora
Nick Barnes – Stone Bridge
LaMont Steward – Norview
Robbie Osbourne – Hermitage
Brett Buisson – Mills Godwin
Johquin “Pinky” Wiley – LC Bird
Gus Rowland – Henrico
Terrence Ward – Potomac
Michael Barfield-Owens – Princess Anne
In the VHSL, there may not be any more competitive and talented division than the 5A Classification. Last season, the 5A South semifinal double-overtime thriller between eventual state champion Henrico and LC Bird was perhaps the most exciting game all season.
Those two both bring back talented nuclei, however they will have to replace multiple key contributors, while Deep Run and Green Run both return most of their top performers.
In 5A North, Stonebridge has emerged as one of the elite teams in the Northern VA area, while perennial powers Potomac and Wakefield both know what it takes to get the job done. A few questions to remember going forward…
Can LC Bird, led by the junior guard duo of Johquin “Pinky” Wiley and Mario Haskett, finally get over the hump and beat rival Henrico. They have lost at the hands of the Warriors the last three seasons, including the aforementioned double OT game last year.
Will Green Run be able to dominate the 757 which seems to be down? With a lot of kids taking the private school route, the Stallions have held on to their nucleus over the last few years, and are led by veterans across the board.
Can Deep Run and Varina compete with Bird and Henrico in the 804 area? Both are senior ladened teams with winning traditions, yet they have a lot of pieces but not one clear cut go-to guy.
Team to Surprise:
Princess Anne. With a nice mix of youth and experience, PA is set to surprise a lot of teams in the Hampton Roads area. They are led by super producer in junior forward Michael Barfield-Owens who is capable of playing all over the court, and have reliable playmakers at the guard position as well.
Players to Emerge:
2017 Jalen Ray of Hampton had a huge summer with Team Loaded 757 and will likely put up big numbers this year for the Crabbers. With the departure of Mastadi Pitt (Atlantic Shores) and Marquis Godwin (Christ School), the backcourt will be less crowded an Ray will have the green light with the ball in his hands.
2016 James “Amp” Williams of Meadowbrook already showed his scoring prowess with a 24 point game in their loss to Hopewell to open the season. A Second Team All Conference selection last season, Williams has great size at 6’4, and his ability to shoot it from deep allows him to score it in bunches.
The Best Player You’ve Never Heard of Is…
2017 Taqwain Drummond of Kecoughtan is set for a breakout junior season. The 6’5 wing is coming off of knee surgery, and is a three level scoring prospect to keep an eye on. His blend of athleticism, size and skill makes him a mismatch for almost anyone at this level.
Fresh/Soph to Know:
Jonathan Norfleet – Salem
Evan Buckley – Stonebridge
Chase Coleman – Maury
Tyrek Williams – LC Bird
Keyshawn Jefferson – Norview
Marion Moore – Kecoughtan
Toreaz Settles – Hermitage
Tim Montgomery – Princess Anne
Timon Jones – Hermitage
Williams Steger – Norview
Malik Jordan – Kempsville
Jeremiah Owusu – Bethel
VANTAGE PREDICTIONS
5A South Region Champs: LC Bird defeats Henrico
5A North Region Champs: Stone Bridge defeats Wakefield
5A State Champs: LC Bird defeats Stone Bridge
5A South POY: De’Monte Buckingham
5A North POY: Kyle Copeland