Top Teams Lake Taylor Monacan Heritage (Newport News) Millbrook Grafton Deep Creek John Champe Kettle Run Amherst County Hanover Eastern View Heritage (Lynchburg) Top Players Travius Smith – Lake Taylor Kuony Deng – John Champe Jermaine Marrow – Heritage (Newport…
Top Teams
Lake Taylor
Monacan
Heritage (Newport News)
Millbrook
Grafton
Deep Creek
John Champe
Kettle Run
Amherst County
Hanover
Eastern View
Heritage (Lynchburg)
Top Players
Travius Smith – Lake Taylor
Kuony Deng – John Champe
Jermaine Marrow – Heritage (Newport News)
Kiran Durant – Grafton
Jason Wade – Hanover
Musah Sackor – Eastern View
Leland Richardson – Heritage (Newport News)
Darian Peterson – Monacan
Trevon Hill – Salem
Trey McDyre – Loudoun Valley
Tyrell Adams – William Fleming
Zach Burdick – John Champe
Cody Lang – Amherst County
With the still relatively new classifications in the VHSL, things have changed and teams continue to move up and down. Nowhere is that more evident than in 4A. Two time defending state champs Norcom were reclassed to 3A, leaving 4A wide open to a handful of teams who have experienced a good amount of success. Here’s a few things to watch for.
The Travius Smith show at Lake Taylor is as entertaining as it gets in Virginia. The 6’3 wing is known for his aerial displays, and it’s easy to appreciate how hard he plays on both ends of the floor. The ticket is worth the price of admission, and their team is going to be really good.
Expect two of Virginia’s top scorers to come out of Conference 18. 2017 Kiran Durant of Grafton and 2016 Jermaine Marrow of Heritage are capable of putting up big numbers quickly. Marrow opened the season with a 46 point, 9 assist, 7 rebound performance, and expect the two of them to continually put up big numbers.
The west is especially open, with EC Glass coming in very young. Expect to hear some noise from John Champe, who was bumped up from 3A last season. 2016 Kuony Deng was one of the most productive players in 3A last season, and his length makes him an impact player on both ends.
Jason Wade has opened the season with four double-doubles, and is averaging over 25 ppg through his first four games. The 6’4 combo guard has three level scoring ability, is a strong finisher through contact and is constantly finding the right shot, not settling for the easy one. Expect Wade to produce at a high clip and his recruitment to pick up as he continues to.
Teams to Surprise:
Hanover. They have two guys who can really score it in junior Jason Wade and senior Alan Dabney. They are well coached and continually put their scorers in good positions to fill it up. In a 4A Conference that is down this season, they could make some noise if they get some help from their role players.
Players to Emerge:
2017 Gregory “Alden” Parham of Monacan is poised for a big bounce back year. He will miss the first couple of weeks with a wrist injury, and missed all of last season with a knee injury, but when he gets healthy he can flat out play. A smooth and intelligent combo guard that can play on and off the ball, Parham is capable of both filling it up himself and making his teammates better throughout the game.
2017 Kiran Durant of Grafton is one of the best pure scorers in the Hampton Roads area. With the departure of Cle’Von Greene to Williamsburg Christian, Durant will have the green light and will be looked at to score at a high clip for Grafton. He’s one of the few players that can consistently create good shots in isolation situations, and he’s a true scorer that is always looking for his next shot.
The Best Player You’ve Never Heard of is…
2016 Connor Swain of Jamestown. He didn’t play AAU, so he’s flown under the radar, but the 6’6 stretch four has a skill set that’s hard to ignore. He has a solid frame that allows him to bully other players in the post, and his ability to stretch the defense makes post players uncomfortable away from the basket. He’s a sleeper that is ready to wake up!
Fresh/Soph to Know
Ayush Mayur – Rockridge
Keyshawn Jefferson – Lafayette
Dereon Seabron – Lake Taylor
Daja Jackson – Deep Creek
Jalen Johnson – Lake Taylor
Joe Bryant – Lake Taylor
VANTAGE PREDICTIONS
4A East Championship: Lake Taylor defeats Monacan
4A West Championship: Millbrook defeats John Champe
4A State Championship: Lake Taylor defeats Millbrook
4A East POY: Travius Smith – Lake Taylor
4A West POY: Kuony Deng – John Champe