Just my first stab at it. There was a good mix of seniors and young guys on the all-state team last year, so it should be a fun year in C2. It'll be a battle for 2nd place of course but we all know that.
1. John Marshall
Nothing more needs to be said. They had five all state players last year and two of them are back and the other three will probably be replaced with more all staters.
2. Virginia High
State runner-ups return their best player in Mozell, and that's enough for me to shoe them into the #2 spot heading into the season.
3. Bruton
Panthers are coming off a near-20 win season and return a first teamer in Brandon Freeman. I would favor them and Greensville over the yearly battle with the Region 2B champ assuming they make it to the 2A finals and lose to Marshall, so a return to the state final four is certainly in the books.
4. Graham
G-Men bring back much of their lineup including Markelle Ray, but Region 2D is always a bloodbath. I expect them and Virginia to be the teams to beat down southwest this season.
5. Greensville County
It'll be a battle for second place between them and Bruton in 2A this year, which is definitely the deepest region in C2. I favor Bruton over them slightly because Greensville had no all-state players a season ago but that is a tough place to win so home court would be huge for them.
6. Martinsville
They are always a placeholder in the top 10 due to the success of their program. Region 2C doesn't have a ton of returners this year so I lean towards the Bulldogs as the early favorite in that region.
7. Luray
First Region 2B team appearance belongs to another Bulldog team, this one the home of now-junior all state 2nd-teamer Matthew Owens. 2B is very competitive but look for Luray to win the region for the first time in recent memory.
8. Gretna
I'll throw these boys in next with another 2nd team returning junior in Rauyshaun Logan. Again, I know little about their region this year but I expect them to replicate a lot of success from last season that won them 16 games.
9. Union
Another program that typically contends, the Bears won the state title a mere few years ago so they earn enough respect from me to place them in the top 10.
10. Madison
Mountaineers lose most of their lineup and their coach, but they have a strong program down there on 29 and I expect them to be competitive a year removed from one of their best seasons since winning the state title in the early 2010s.
HM: Floyd County, Clarke County, Nandua, Radford, Stuarts Draft, Buckingham
