4A Frontrunner: South Bend Riley
The season is getting closer and closer and we are starting to dive into the rosters and Sectionals that will help to determine who are the top competition for each class. Today, we take a look into 4A and the frontrunners. Today, we breakdown South Bend Riley.
Last Year’s Record: 19-3
Head Coach: Eric Brand
Top Returning Players: Shamar Dillard (Sr.), Damezi Anderson (Sr.), Rylen Grundy (Sr.), Marlon Taylor (Sr.)
Top Departures: Maurice Scott Jr. (Graduate), Nate Marino (Graduate), Roland Austin (Graduate)
New Additions: N/A
Why A Frontrunner: This team has been stacked for a few years and they are now ready to take advantage of a stellar senior group. They have four seniors and all are wings or forwards, which is really the only bad part. They lose their starting led guard from last year in Mo Scott which they will replace with Jalen Jennings. Scott was such a good leader for them and while Jennings is solid, they are a bit different in their approach. However, the talent and size can’t be denied and they have the ability to score, maybe better than any other team in the state. They will definitely put up points quicker than any other team in the state.
Outlook: South Bend Riley should be a State Champion contender with their only potential stopping point being Fort Wayne North. Their regular season schedule is really easy overall with only a few potentially tough games with Pickerington North (OH), Cathedral, and Merrillville. In the northern half of the state, no one should be as good as they are and Sectional and Regionals shouldn’t be too difficult. On the low end, they should be in the Semistate game. On the high end, they are your 4A State Champion.