Biggest June Team Takeaways
![Biggest June Team Takeaways](https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/06/Image-6-8-24-at-6.00-PM.jpeg?w=1024)
In this article:
USE CODE “baxley30” FOR 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION The month of June came and went in a blur and with it did the SCHSL Scholastic Period. South Carolina High School Basketball players are no longer allowed…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingUSE CODE “baxley30” FOR 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION
The month of June came and went in a blur and with it did the SCHSL Scholastic Period. South Carolina High School Basketball players are no longer allowed to practice with their High Schools and many of them will return to their Grassroots Programs this weekend. Personally, I attended 7 events and watched 85 teams in the month of June in an attempt to get a feel for what the State will look like this Winter. Some prospects and some teams stood out more than others and these 10 are just a few of my favorites from the period. They are divided into 5 storylines with 2 teams that I think fit in each. Check out my June Team Takeaways below:
Prepped For a Deep Run – Oceanside Collegiate & Greenville
This could finally be the year Oceanside Collegiate gets over the State Championship hump. The Landsharks lost in the 2A State Championship Game each of the last two years and made it to the Lower State Final Four in 2 of the 3 years before that. It is no secret that they have been a successful program under Quinton Hollis, but the one thing missing is a ring. With the most recent phase of SCHSL Reclassification, Oceanside is now in Class 3A Region 6 and would be my way-too-early pick to win the 3A State Championship. Key players include
Gabriel Riesgo
Gabriel
Riesgo
5'11" | PG
Oceanside Collegiate | 2025
State
SC
,
Ty’Rek Dawson
Ty’Rek
Dawson
SC
, and
Jake Thomas
Jake
Thomas
6'6" | PF
Oceanside Collegiate | 2026
State
SC
alongside prolific shooters
Abe Davinroy
Abe
Davinroy
6'1" | SG
Oceanside Collegiate | 2026
State
SC
and
Carson Jones
Carson
Jones
6'4" | SG
Oceanside Collegiate Academy | 2025
State
SC
. While those are not the flashiest of prospects, when it comes to running a successful offense and winning important games there are few better than the Landsharks.
Greenville High is also subject to reclassification, moving up to Class 5A. They have won at least a share of the Region Championship every year since 2016-17 and will see some familiar local faces in their new Region. However, the Red Raiders will get a major boost this season with the addition of Transfer
Caden Coleman
Caden
Coleman
6'3" | PG
Greenville | 2026
State
SC
and the return of
Frank Whitley
Frank
Whitley
6'6" | PF
Greenville | 2026
State
SC
who missed last season with an injury. Greenville has lots of shooting to space the offensive attack of Coleman, headlined by Rising Sophomore
Tucker Scholl
Tucker
Scholl
6'0" | SG
Greenville | 2027
State
SC
who shot over 40% from three last season. They also have two of my favorite under-the-radar prospects in
Nehemiah Thompkins
Nehemiah
Thompkins
6'3" | SF
Greenville | 2025
State
SC
and
Roman Cooley
Roman
Cooley
6'4" | SF
Greenville | 2025
State
SC
and good depth with
Arkeis Shell
Arkeis
Shell
5'7" | PG
Greenville | 2026
State
SC
and
Israel Deaver
Israel
Deaver
6'2" | SG
Greenville | 2025
SC
off the bench. Look out for the Red Raiders this season.
Well-Balanced Roster – Wilson & Boiling Springs
When I am looking for a well-balanced roster, I am looking for talent in multiple grades. Wilson High School in Florence might be the epitome of that in South Carolina. They have two of the brightest prospects regardless of class the state has to offer in 2025
Tristan Thompson
Tristan
Thompson
6'5" | SF
Wilson | 2025
State
#339
Nation
SC
and 2027
Josh Leonard
Josh
Leonard
6'6" | CG
Wilson | 2027
State
SC
. These two form the best duo in Class 4A and are a headache to match up with due to their size, athleticism, versatility, and ability to score the rock. 2026
Khristian Bruce
Khristian
Bruce
5'8" | PG
Wilson | 2026
State
SC
and 2028
JaBron McFadden
JaBron
McFadden
6'3" | PF
Wilson | 2028
SC
will also shine at points throughout this season but are more energy providers and role players. Fighting through the 4A Gauntlet will not be easy, but when you have a Roster like the Tigers your eyes are on a short drive to the Civic Center in early March.
This one may come as a surprise to some people, but I think Boiling Springs has a strong roster with good players at every age. The leader is
Reese Walter
Reese
Walter
6'1" | SG
Boiling Springs | 2025
State
SC
, a Point Guard who balances facilitating, downhill scoring, and spot-up shooting extremely well and is a name that should be thrown around with the Most Improved Players of the High School offseason. 2026
Isaiah Atkins
Isaiah
Atkins
6'9" | PF
Boiling Springs | 2026
State
SC
could be one of the best big men in Class 5A this season, 2027 Manning Camp will provide spacing as a knockdown shooter, and 2025s
Tristan Pendergraph
Tristan
Pendergraph
5'11" | SG
Boiling Springs | 2025
SC
and Jymiere Wright are very strong role players. The Bulldogs have a tough Region, but if they put the pieces together or get hot at the right time they might be in for a terrific 2024-25 Season.
Size To Cause Issues – Marion & South Florence
When I think of size – both positionally and in general – Marion is the first team that comes to mind. They will look to lock down the paint with 6’6″
Isaiah Vereen
Isaiah
Vereen
6'6" | SF
Marion | 2025
State
SC
while 6’5″
Tahj Lathon
Tahj
Lathon
6'5" | SF
Marion | 2025
State
SC
and 6’3″
Jameir Legette
Jameir
Legette
6'2" | SF
Marion | 2025
SC
– who has a strong lower body and plays bigger than his listed height – look to make an impact as well. They also have good size with their guards such as
Charles White Jr
Charles
White Jr
6'4" | SG
Marion | 2026
State
SC
and
Jaden Gerald
Jaden
Gerald
6'4" | CG
Marion | 2026
State
SC
and will even bring some young bigs off the bench to make an impact. Although he doesn’t fit the size narrative as much, Lacoree Timmons could be depended on to knock down spot-up threes, which is one of the Swamp Foxes’ weaknesses.
South Florence is another Pee Dee team that I feel has size that will be helpful this season. 6’8″
Jackson Robinson
Jackson
Robinson
6'8" | SF
South Florence | 2025
State
SC
and 6’5″
Jarius Davis
Jarius
Davis
6'4" | SF
South Florence | 2025
State
SC
lead the way in this department and while both can use that size to dominate the offensive end, it is their defensive versatility that excites me. Davis is one of the most impactful defensive players in the state and both are capable of switching on that end of the floor. Lennix Valerie and
Josh Gamble
Josh
Gamble
5'11" | CG
South Florence | 2027
State
SC
are other names to watch. Valerie is a tremendous athlete and at 6’2″ could cause issues for smaller guards while Gamble is a solid shooter and defender.
Exciting Young Core – Fox Creek & Seneca
Fox Creek returns 6 Freshmen from the team that lost to Gray Collegiate in the 2A Upper State Semifinals last season. While they did lose their best player in Conner Cannon, several of those Freshmen played a part for the Predators including Corsheek White,
Kobe Sims
Kobe
Sims
6'2" | PG
Fox Creek | 2027
State
SC
,
Justin Vining
Justin
Vining
5'9" | PG
Fox Creek | 2027
State
SC
, and
Kaleb Broadwater
Kaleb
Broadwater
6'3" | SF
Fox Creek | 2027
State
SC
. Those four started for Fox Creek when I watched them at the SCBCA Live Camp alongside lone Rising Senior Brelan Baskett. Another 2027, Gavin Baskett who went 5-6 from three in one of those Camp Matchups, will likely be the team’s sixth man and is one of the best young bench shooters in Class 3A. Fox Creek is one of my favorite dark horses in Class 3A not just for the future, but as early as this season.
While Seneca might not have the most depth from a youth standpoint, their Freshman-Guard and Sophomore-Big duo of
Jeremiah Hunter
Jeremiah
Hunter
5'7" | PG
Seneca | 2028
SC
and
Chaz Moss
Chaz
Moss
6'5" | C
Seneca | 2027
State
SC
is one of the best of its kind. They are probably the Bobcats’ two most talented players and if they mature early it will spell good things for Seneca. Both had bright moments in the 2023-24 Season, particularly Hunter, who was the Starting Point Guard as an 8th Grader. He is a shifty Guard who reads the game and balances scoring with facilitating extremely well. Moss is a long rim protector who has a good jump shot. The Bobcats have some older pieces that will be important as well such as Stu Finley, Clark Finley, Jermaine Miller, and Cameron Clayton, but the engine of the team is its star-powered young duo.
Small School That Could Surprise – Liberty & Abbeville
Liberty is one of two “small schools” that I believe in the upcoming season. They are led by 6’3″ Wing
Kendrick Jackson
Kendrick
Jackson
6'3" | SG
Liberty | 2026
SC
who is a good shooter with length and athleticism but will be asked to carry a big load for the Red Devils. Logan Smith – the school’s Starting QB – will also play an important role in his Senior Season after averaging 9.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.2 SPG, and 1.4 BPG in 2023-24. Other important pieces for Head Coach Brenden Marcell include Kendall Jackson, Chris Mable, and Jayden Garrett, who all can be above-average role players in 2A. The Red Devils are in a competitive Region 1, but they lost the least out of the contenders in that group and could push for a Region Title or a deep Playoff Run.
Abbeville is another “small school” that impressed me this June and one I will have high expectations for in Class 1A. They weren’t at full strength when I saw them in North Augusta, down one of their key projected returners
Justin Rollinson
Justin
Rollinson
6'0" | CG
Abbeville | 2026
State
SC
. Rollinson led the team at 16 PPG in 2023-24 and also added over 3 SPG, but it was second leading-scorer
Jaden Baylor
Jaden
Baylor
6'1" | CG
Abbeville | 2026
State
SC
who took over in a dominant performance without him. In fact, the Panthers return their top 9 per game scorers from last season and add a couple of intriguing Freshmen to the roster including
Jamerion Williams
Jamerion
Williams
5'7" | PG
Abbeville | 2028
SC
. Jalen Baylor and Darius Riley are two key role-playing wings and Al Patterson will provide rebounding, interior scoring, and even some perimeter shooting from his Center Position.
USE CODE “baxley30” FOR 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue Reading