Preseason Team Rankings (4A-6A)
William Lee will look to win a state title for Dallas Co
Yesterday we released our team rankings for AHSAA affiliated schools for classes 1A-3A. Today we'll focus on the larger classifications, 4A-6A. More of the larger schools don't have to worry so much about football players making a majority of their rosters but that's not the case for all.
With a week of practice completed, most teams can already tell how good or bad they will be. For others, just a little more effort and determination they could be a few steps away from going home with a state championship trophy. Then you have some schools that will just be happy to make it to the regionals.
The 4A class is fairly talented with good size and possesses some of the best forwards and centers in the state. Throw in a couple of young bucks and the class can compete with anyone. At the top we have Dallas County, right outside of Selma, who is led by nationally ranked prospect William Lee (2014 #3) who is being recruited by several high major programs and mans the middle at 6-8 with his freakish athleticism. Junior Lowell Furlow will add more size with his 6-9 350 lb frame. The Hornets were the favorite to win the state title last year but lost a shocker in the regional semifinals to Dora 67-65.
Following Dallas County is Brewbaker Tech who has been pretty dominant the last five years or so. Khalil Carter was their best option last year as he on to play his freshman season at Arkansas Monticello. They now look to knock down shooter Steve Rogers (2014 #29) to run the show. Big body Jaylon Davis will carry the load down low at 6-5 270 lb and Jaquille Boswell will help with ball handling and scoring.
J.O. Johnson is our #3 team in 4A and has some good young talent and new legendary coach Jack Doss won't hurt either. Doss won two state titles at Hayes in 1981 and 1982 and five state titles at Butler 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2011 as they were once tagged as dynasty by several spectators throughout the state. All state senior forward Lionel Love will be returning for the Jaguars who lost in the state championship game to Madison County. They also have some really good young talent in 6-5 frosh John Petty (2017 #3) who is regarded as one of the best freshman in the state. Sophomore Justin Hopkins will also be looked upon this year with a bigger role as he will add size (6-3) and athleticism on the wing with Petty.
Wake Forest commit Isaac Haas (2014 #5) is the most massive player in the state at 7-2 275 lbs and has his Hokes Bluff team ranked #5. He'll be counted on a lot as he is literally large enough to carry the load.
At #6 we have Carbon Hill who is led by 6-5 forward Gerald Smith (2014 #17) who is bouncy around the rim and has added a jumper to his game and is now a deep ball threat. His entire high school career he has been a leader and carried his team deep in the playoffs. Look for the Bulldogs to make a run again in Smith's last year.
With a week of practice completed, most teams can already tell how good or bad they will be. For others, just a little more effort and determination they could be a few steps away from going home with a state championship trophy. Then you have some schools that will just be happy to make it to the regionals.
The 4A class is fairly talented with good size and possesses some of the best forwards and centers in the state. Throw in a couple of young bucks and the class can compete with anyone. At the top we have Dallas County, right outside of Selma, who is led by nationally ranked prospect William Lee (2014 #3) who is being recruited by several high major programs and mans the middle at 6-8 with his freakish athleticism. Junior Lowell Furlow will add more size with his 6-9 350 lb frame. The Hornets were the favorite to win the state title last year but lost a shocker in the regional semifinals to Dora 67-65.
Following Dallas County is Brewbaker Tech who has been pretty dominant the last five years or so. Khalil Carter was their best option last year as he on to play his freshman season at Arkansas Monticello. They now look to knock down shooter Steve Rogers (2014 #29) to run the show. Big body Jaylon Davis will carry the load down low at 6-5 270 lb and Jaquille Boswell will help with ball handling and scoring.
J.O. Johnson is our #3 team in 4A and has some good young talent and new legendary coach Jack Doss won't hurt either. Doss won two state titles at Hayes in 1981 and 1982 and five state titles at Butler 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2011 as they were once tagged as dynasty by several spectators throughout the state. All state senior forward Lionel Love will be returning for the Jaguars who lost in the state championship game to Madison County. They also have some really good young talent in 6-5 frosh John Petty (2017 #3) who is regarded as one of the best freshman in the state. Sophomore Justin Hopkins will also be looked upon this year with a bigger role as he will add size (6-3) and athleticism on the wing with Petty.
Wake Forest commit Isaac Haas (2014 #5) is the most massive player in the state at 7-2 275 lbs and has his Hokes Bluff team ranked #5. He'll be counted on a lot as he is literally large enough to carry the load.
At #6 we have Carbon Hill who is led by 6-5 forward Gerald Smith (2014 #17) who is bouncy around the rim and has added a jumper to his game and is now a deep ball threat. His entire high school career he has been a leader and carried his team deep in the playoffs. Look for the Bulldogs to make a run again in Smith's last year.
Justin Coleman wants to lead Wenonah to a 4th title
Wenonah has to be the most dominant team in the state the past three years. We would love to write about all their accomplishments but we would leave no room for anything else. Just know the Dragons are on the road to a 4-peat. That's right, a 4-peat where Wenonah has one the last three titles under coach Cedric Lane who was featured in our first Coaches Spotlight. The Dragons lost two key contributors in Mississippi St wide receiver Derrunya Wilson and South Alabama guard Isaiah Maston. Alabama commit Justin Coleman (2014 #1) is tabbed as the best player in the state and will run the show again with Cedric McGinnis (2014 #19) whose not shabby himself. They form one of the best and quickest backcourts in the state along with sharpshooting junior Kameron Hardrick who will be featured in our preseason player rankings.
#2 Paul Bryant gave Wenonah the best test of the year last year in the state semis and will be a formidable opponent this season as the Stampede return deep threat junior David Freeman, who just received an off from Morehead St, and senior Kevin Holland who is the son of Western Michigan assistant coach James Holland.
Faith Academy enters the rankings at #3 with a deep and pesky squad. The Rams lost in the final four last year but return some good young talent as the defensive team is favored to make a third straight appearance to the BJCC. Being guard heavy is not so bad because that's what the Rams offer. Senior Braszuan Barnes is an admirable floor general and will share the backcourt with crafty guard Shawn Bernard. Athletic wing James Davis can fill it up from outside and is a sneaky athlete. Joshua Hill (2016 #8) will be hard to guard as the baby Zach Randolph can play inside and out. Junior Bien Harbin will give them some height in the middle at 6-7. Rod Williams (2016 #18) and transfer Julius Arnold will add more depth at the guard position.
Parker played Wenonah close all year long last year and fell to the Dragons by 4 in regional finals. They return combo forward Marquell Oliver ( 2014 #11) who is a mismatch problem on all levels. The Thundering Herd return almost everybody and will be the team to beat in the Birmingham area this season.
Ramsay comes in at #5 and added a nice transfer in Mitchell Baldwin (2014 #16) who is being recruited by several mid major programs.
Nathaniel Potts (2014 #25) will lead his Athens squad this who lost to Parker in the regional semifinals last year.
Rounding out the rankings is LeFlore who hasn't been the same since Coach Otis Hughley left the program to take an NBA coaching position. The Rattlers have been known throughout the state as a basketball power house but in recent years the program has plummeted. With new head coach Eric Lovett, LeFlore seems to be back with a deep-talented team. Their too young to actually tell how good they will be but they have the talent to be great. They return senior forwards 6-5 Walt Massey and 6-4 Chance Morton along with sensational sophomores guards 6-2 Jamani Glover (2016 #9) and 6-4 Reginald Todd (2016 #5). Frosh Johnathan Busky will add size in the lane at 6-4 215 lbs.
#2 Paul Bryant gave Wenonah the best test of the year last year in the state semis and will be a formidable opponent this season as the Stampede return deep threat junior David Freeman, who just received an off from Morehead St, and senior Kevin Holland who is the son of Western Michigan assistant coach James Holland.
Faith Academy enters the rankings at #3 with a deep and pesky squad. The Rams lost in the final four last year but return some good young talent as the defensive team is favored to make a third straight appearance to the BJCC. Being guard heavy is not so bad because that's what the Rams offer. Senior Braszuan Barnes is an admirable floor general and will share the backcourt with crafty guard Shawn Bernard. Athletic wing James Davis can fill it up from outside and is a sneaky athlete. Joshua Hill (2016 #8) will be hard to guard as the baby Zach Randolph can play inside and out. Junior Bien Harbin will give them some height in the middle at 6-7. Rod Williams (2016 #18) and transfer Julius Arnold will add more depth at the guard position.
Parker played Wenonah close all year long last year and fell to the Dragons by 4 in regional finals. They return combo forward Marquell Oliver ( 2014 #11) who is a mismatch problem on all levels. The Thundering Herd return almost everybody and will be the team to beat in the Birmingham area this season.
Ramsay comes in at #5 and added a nice transfer in Mitchell Baldwin (2014 #16) who is being recruited by several mid major programs.
Nathaniel Potts (2014 #25) will lead his Athens squad this who lost to Parker in the regional semifinals last year.
Rounding out the rankings is LeFlore who hasn't been the same since Coach Otis Hughley left the program to take an NBA coaching position. The Rattlers have been known throughout the state as a basketball power house but in recent years the program has plummeted. With new head coach Eric Lovett, LeFlore seems to be back with a deep-talented team. Their too young to actually tell how good they will be but they have the talent to be great. They return senior forwards 6-5 Walt Massey and 6-4 Chance Morton along with sensational sophomores guards 6-2 Jamani Glover (2016 #9) and 6-4 Reginald Todd (2016 #5). Frosh Johnathan Busky will add size in the lane at 6-4 215 lbs.
Demetrius Houston leads a huge Carver team
The 6A class is loaded with highly touted and players especially #1 Carver-Montgomery. The Wolverines were the favorite to win the title last year but were upset by Sparkman in the final four. No matter, the Wolverines return seven division-1 prospects including Indiana St commit 6-7 Brandon Murphy (2014 #15), Mississippi St commit 6-6 Demetrius Houston (2014 #6), 6-8 Kendrekus Jackson and point guard Caleb Provitt. That's just the seniors, juniors are Alabama commit 6-4 Brandon Austin (2015 #8), Mississippi St commit 6-8 Joseph Struggs and 6-10 Dominique Mitchell. Carver is bigger than most college teams and will tower over every opponent they play this year.
Blount follows at #2 and has a couple division-1 prospects of their own. The Leopards fell to eventual state champs Mountain Brook 49-46 in the final four. Blount returns a lot with seniors Antonio Chapman (2014 #22), Demetrius Caldwell, Divine Myles (2014 #10) and muscular Reginald Harbin (2014 #24) who stands at 6-7 230 lbs and missed last season with a broken leg. Highly regarded 6-8 Cameron Diggs (2016 #2) will be a help this year as he was ruled ineligible last season due to transfer rules. Sophomore Darius Hunt (2016 #10) will add athleticism and size on the wing at 6-4.
Lee-Huntsville is another team that will be loaded this year with Richmond commit Khwan Fore and athletic junior Gerron Scissum playing all over the court at 6-7. The Generals fell to eventual state champs Mountain Brook last year as they were favored to make it to the BJCC. Sophomore guard Tracey Burnett (2016 #3) will be a huge spark this season. Burnett had to sit out last year due to transfer rules and will be an added dimension the Generals didn't have last year with his athleticism and size for his position at 6-4. This season Lee will be looking to make it back to the BJCC as they've been accustomed to for some time lately.
McGill-Toolen had beaten Blount twice last year but couldn't beat them a third time in the regional finals. The teams split the season 2-2 and both bring back a lot of talent. For the Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech commit Antonio Lang Jr (2014 #7) will share the backcourt with junior point guard Dylan Smith (2015 #12). Lang stands at 6-6 while Smith is 6-4 and that will be one of the biggest backcourts in the state. Junior power forward Deion Dozier (2015 #15) is also a threat inside at 6-7. Football start Will Young hasn't decided if he will play basketball this season but will definitely help at 6-3 on the wing.
UAB commit Lewis Sullivan (2014 #8) and highly touted Ethan Stair (2015 #4) will lead the charge this season as they will carry frosh Bradley Belt (2017 #5) under their wing for #5 Hazel Green who fell to eventual state runner-up Sparkman in the regional finals.
Smiths Station is one of the longest teams in state and return a lot with combo guard Michael Hardin (2014 #27) who runs the show at 6-4. Johnny Woods and LeDerion Heath will add some versatility at 6-3 and 6-5.
Mountain Brook won the state title last year with a team effort that can go unnoticed. The Spartans fan section adds another player to the court and no matter where they go they will always have an advantage with such devoted support. The fans are a help but so is returning junior guard Tawarren Grant (2015 #13) and Will Brewster who missed most of last season with an injury.
Bob Jones had a down season last year but only lost three players and return 6-6 junior forward Dalton Barkley (2015 #14).
Hoover is known as a national power on the gridiron but had one of the best basketball teams in the state last season. They return point guard Quamauri Hardy (2014 #18) and probably won't peak until football season is over. Look for the Bucs to be late bloomers and don't underestimate them because of their early season record.
Rounding off 6A is Tuscaloosa County and Justice Green (2015 #16) who will be counted a lot this year.
Check out our complete team rankings here.
Blount follows at #2 and has a couple division-1 prospects of their own. The Leopards fell to eventual state champs Mountain Brook 49-46 in the final four. Blount returns a lot with seniors Antonio Chapman (2014 #22), Demetrius Caldwell, Divine Myles (2014 #10) and muscular Reginald Harbin (2014 #24) who stands at 6-7 230 lbs and missed last season with a broken leg. Highly regarded 6-8 Cameron Diggs (2016 #2) will be a help this year as he was ruled ineligible last season due to transfer rules. Sophomore Darius Hunt (2016 #10) will add athleticism and size on the wing at 6-4.
Lee-Huntsville is another team that will be loaded this year with Richmond commit Khwan Fore and athletic junior Gerron Scissum playing all over the court at 6-7. The Generals fell to eventual state champs Mountain Brook last year as they were favored to make it to the BJCC. Sophomore guard Tracey Burnett (2016 #3) will be a huge spark this season. Burnett had to sit out last year due to transfer rules and will be an added dimension the Generals didn't have last year with his athleticism and size for his position at 6-4. This season Lee will be looking to make it back to the BJCC as they've been accustomed to for some time lately.
McGill-Toolen had beaten Blount twice last year but couldn't beat them a third time in the regional finals. The teams split the season 2-2 and both bring back a lot of talent. For the Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech commit Antonio Lang Jr (2014 #7) will share the backcourt with junior point guard Dylan Smith (2015 #12). Lang stands at 6-6 while Smith is 6-4 and that will be one of the biggest backcourts in the state. Junior power forward Deion Dozier (2015 #15) is also a threat inside at 6-7. Football start Will Young hasn't decided if he will play basketball this season but will definitely help at 6-3 on the wing.
UAB commit Lewis Sullivan (2014 #8) and highly touted Ethan Stair (2015 #4) will lead the charge this season as they will carry frosh Bradley Belt (2017 #5) under their wing for #5 Hazel Green who fell to eventual state runner-up Sparkman in the regional finals.
Smiths Station is one of the longest teams in state and return a lot with combo guard Michael Hardin (2014 #27) who runs the show at 6-4. Johnny Woods and LeDerion Heath will add some versatility at 6-3 and 6-5.
Mountain Brook won the state title last year with a team effort that can go unnoticed. The Spartans fan section adds another player to the court and no matter where they go they will always have an advantage with such devoted support. The fans are a help but so is returning junior guard Tawarren Grant (2015 #13) and Will Brewster who missed most of last season with an injury.
Bob Jones had a down season last year but only lost three players and return 6-6 junior forward Dalton Barkley (2015 #14).
Hoover is known as a national power on the gridiron but had one of the best basketball teams in the state last season. They return point guard Quamauri Hardy (2014 #18) and probably won't peak until football season is over. Look for the Bucs to be late bloomers and don't underestimate them because of their early season record.
Rounding off 6A is Tuscaloosa County and Justice Green (2015 #16) who will be counted a lot this year.
Check out our complete team rankings here.