GC will be good....but young and still no true post player for them, which I feel will come back to bite them yet again if they make it into the post season. The upcoming freshman that's gonna be on the team, Bradley Dean, is already getting national buzz as he played in the NYBL this summer and turned some heads. He's a 6'3" PG that has good handle and a great jump shot...just needs some added strength which will come with age im sure. He can shoot the ball as soon as he steps across half court. Dean will be a huge help to this young GC team, along with the other 5-6 players that will be brought up from the JV squad. But with GC playing a bunch of teams out of TN and playing in the Arbys classic, they will take their beatings this year no doubt. Losing Barnes and Qualls will hurt, but its losing Barnes size and leadership that will hurt the most. I actually think GCs offense will be as good or better this year than it was last year though.
I think Graham, Union, and Richlands along with GC out of far southwest VA will all be solid teams come post season time. Richlands had a bunch of 6'"3 - 6'5" guards that could shoot the ball extremely well and showed that last year. Cant remember 100% for sure but think all of those guys were juniors last season and will all be returning plus another player or two that will be brought up. Graham is tough and that doesn't seem to ever change....just a real scrappy bunch. Not sure what all Union will have....but what I do know is that James Mitchell for them is a D1 athlete in football and can gorilla slam the ball every time he touches it when he's on the hardwoods. Have no clue what else he has around him though... just hearing they will be solid. They graduated 2 players who were real productive against GC last year....that's all i know.
Fully expect MHS and DR to be very good teams as well. Too much talent there between those two teams for one of them to not make a run at the 2A title.
Is there a team from the East this year that everyone needs to look out for? Or maybe a surprise team from the East or West that no ones talking about?