<p>While some areas are still up in the air about whether they’ll be playing and some that have already shut it down, there was a large portion of public school teams in VA that started their seasons this past week. We’re cautiously optimistic that we will have an entire high school season, and with that we will take a look at some state contenders in each of the classifications. Here’s a look at six teams in Class 1 that we expect to be contending come late in the season.</p>
<p><strong>Preseason Favorite: Auburn </strong></p>
[caption id="attachment_1018987" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Millirons-Ethan-Auburn.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1018987" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Millirons-Ethan-Auburn-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="815616" first="Ethan" last="Millirons"].[/caption]
<p>Last year’s Class 1 co-champions before the championship game was canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak, Auburn returns almost all of their biggest contributors from last year and are on paper the favorites to repeat. Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="815616" first="Ethan" last="Millirons"], last year’s Class 1 POY, returns to lead the charge and he’s the perfect guy for the team as he can takeover a game from a scoring and a distributing standpoint, and he’s a natural leader on both ends and one of the smartest lead guards in the state. Senior big man Michael Royal was also an All State selection, and they are a team with great balance and great chemistry as they’ve been playing together for a very long time.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Other Contenders</strong></p>
<p><strong>Parry McCleur</strong></p>
[caption id="attachment_1082510" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Hamilton-Spencer.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1082510" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Hamilton-Spencer-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1106657" first="Spencer" last="Hamilton"].[/caption]
<p>Parry McCleur is a program that has had tons of success over the past few years, and with a legendary coach and a budding superstar they will be tough to matchup with anyone. Junior big man [player_tooltip player_id="1106657" first="Spencer" last="Hamilton"], who holds an offer from ODU, may be the hardest person to matchup with in Class 1 as he’s pushing 6’10”, he can man the paint defensively and he can score from all three levels on the offensive end.</p>
<p><strong>West Point</strong></p>
<p>West Point is on the verge of creating something special, as they’re a young group that’s balanced and very talented across the board. Junior 6’7” big man [player_tooltip player_id="1106670" first="Cade" last="McCullough"] is a walking mismatch that can score inside and out, and is very versatile on both ends. They have a young group of guards that is very dynamic, and as they continue to develop and grow they’ll be very tough to match up with.</p>
<p><strong>Grundy</strong></p>
[caption id="attachment_1089914" align="alignnone" width="140"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Looney-Cade.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1089914" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Looney-Cade-140x300.jpg" alt="" width="140" height="300" /></a> 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="798706" first="Cade" last="Looney"].[/caption]
<p>Grundy came just short of a birth in the state championship last year, and they feature one of the best players in Class 1 and a group that has been together for a long time. Senior big man [player_tooltip player_id="798706" first="Cade" last="Looney"], an All State selection last year and an Emory & Henry commit, brings great size at 6’8” along with some toughness and the ability to dominate in the paint. They’ll be looking to get over the hump this year.</p>
<p><strong>Mathews</strong></p>
<p>Mathews was the other co-champions in Class 1 last year and would have played Auburn in the state championship if it didn’t get canceled. Led by All State guard Caleb Thomas, who has already scored over 1,200 points, the Mathews team is experienced, balanced and have one of the most dynamic players in the entire classification.</p>
<p><strong>Eastside</strong></p>
<p>Eastside has become one of the most consistent teams in SWVA under Head Coach Pat Dambrot, and they even went to back-to-back state championship games in 2018 and 2019. While they’re a little younger than they’ve been in the past, they have good size led by sophomore big man [player_tooltip player_id="999640" first="Eli" last="McCoy"], and will always be a team that competes and executes against anyone put in front of them.</p>
