VHSL Class 4 Top Contenders

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 seven teams in Class 4 that we expect to be contending come late in the season. Preseason Favorite: King’s Fork Bulldogs [caption id="attachment_1012357" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/Epps.png"><img class="wp-image-1012357 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/Epps-300x284.png" alt="" width="300" height="284" /></a> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="787667" first="Jayden" last="Epps"][/caption] The Bulldogs were co-state champions last season and were favorites to win the state championship if it wasn’t canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and they return all but one of their key guys from last season. Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="787667" first="Jayden" last="Epps"] is a nationally ranked guard and was the leading scorer in the 757 last year, and senior 6’4” wing [player_tooltip player_id="798698" first="Quentin" last="Livingston"] is one of the most high energy and versatile guys in the area. They’re one of the deepest and most talented teams in the state as junior [player_tooltip player_id="815587" first="George" last="Beal"] and sophomores [player_tooltip player_id="999633" first="Ryan" last="Hite"] and [player_tooltip player_id="999620" first="Kaleb" last="Brown"] would all be go-to guys pretty much anywhere else, and they’re all capable of breaking out and taking over games on their own as well. Other Contenders Menchville [caption id="attachment_1061577" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Strothers-Allen-CBG.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1061577" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Strothers-Allen-CBG-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> 2021 ETSU commit [player_tooltip player_id="798680" first="Allen" last="Strothers"].[/caption] Menchville lost in a heartbreaker to King’s Fork in the playoffs last year, and they are one of the few teams that have the talent and depth to match up with them. Senior guard and East Tennessee State commit [player_tooltip player_id="798680" first="Allen" last="Strothers"] is a dynamic playmaking guard that sets the tone on both ends of the floor and can take over games with both his scoring and playmaking ability, and he has plenty of weapons around him too. 6’7” senior big [player_tooltip player_id="957895" first="Jayson" last="Harris"] is a monster in the paint, 6’3” senior Marymount commit [player_tooltip player_id="1091486" first="Marcus" last="Nesmith"] is a dead eye shooter from deep, and they have a group of juniors and sophomores that have come along very well and give them even more weapons. Smithfield [caption id="attachment_1106615" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/Saunders-Kelby.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1106615" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/Saunders-Kelby-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="957907" first="Kelby" last="Saunders"].[/caption] Smithfield has quietly had a good run over the past few years, and they have the right mix of experience and youth with talent that should be able to compete with anyone this year. Senior hybrid forward [player_tooltip player_id="957907" first="Kelby" last="Saunders"] is a walking mismatch at 6’4” that can guard anyone and score in a number of ways both inside and out. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="999652" first="Troy" last="Giles"] showed a lot of flashes as a freshman, and with an extra year of experience he’ll be a guy who can both score it and make others better while playing either guard position. Woodrow Wilson [caption id="attachment_1091301" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Rice-MJ.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1091301 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Rice-MJ-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> 2023 MJ Smith[/caption] Wilson was one of the best teams in the state last year, and earned the right to be Class 4 co-state champions after their matchup with King’s Fork was canceled. While they lose a couple of their stars and biggest performers, they had a few young guys show big time promise, and those guys are ready to step in and become the guys this year. Their wings are very talented led by senior JaMarcus Wray-Finney and sophomore MJ Smith, and if they can grow as a team they could be playing their best basketball by the end of the year. Halifax County Halifax has been one of the top teams in their area over the past few years, but they’ve played Class 5 ball and haven’t been able to make it to Richmond. However, in Class 4 it will be wide open for them and they have the athletes and size to be able to compete with the best in the classification. 6’5” sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id="999654" first="Kam" last="Roberts"] is a budding superstar and a possible division one player, as he has the size and skill set to be a walking mismatch that can score from all over the court and be a leading rebounder and defender. Monacan It doesn’t matter who Monacan loses each year, as they always have guys in the wind that are waiting their turns. They’re a group that is athletic and scrappy, well coached and plays hard, and they’ll have guys that will come out of nowhere and get better throughout the year. Senior forward Sam Whitenbreaker is the perfect leader for this group, as he’s not the biggest or most athletic but a gritty and very productive guy who just gets the job done. Jefferson Forest Possibly the best team in Lynchburg this year, Jefferson Forest has an experienced group with a good balance across the board and a group that knows their roles. Senior big man [player_tooltip player_id="798730" first="Joseph" last="Peters"] is a force in the middle on both ends at 6’9”, and he’ll be someone that is hard to game plan for. Senior lead guard Jordan Everhart is a natural leader and will be heading to Randolph next year, and senior 6’6” wing Tyson Gage is a walking mismatch with his blend of size, athleticism and versatility on both ends.