Throughout the month of November, VirginiaPreps.com will begin previewing the upcoming 2017-18 High School Basketball season. As part of our comprehensive coverage, we will be counting down the Top Ten rankings for each classification.
#10 - North Stafford Wolverines
What to Know: The 2016-17 version of the Wolverines nearly achieved the program’s first trip to the State Playoffs on their way to posting a 16-8 overall record. In Steve Hibberd’s first season as Head Coach, North Stafford came up a victory shy of that quest as they beat Broad Run 74-60 in the opening round of the 5A-North Region Tournament, then fell to Wakefield 59-56 in the semifinals.
Though key pieces have departed such as four-year starter Dawson Sims and sharp shooter Corion Window (12.5PPG, 60 3’s), the cupboard is far from bare thanks to some uber-talented multi-sport athletes that will dot the roster. Sophomore 6’2” point guard Javon Swinton will be one of those main pieces as he holds an offer from Hampton University in basketball as well as offers from UVA and Marshall in football.
On the inside, 6’5” center Nana Asiedu (9PPG, 9RPG, 2.5BPG) is a force in the paint. The Penn State football commit had 30 points and 15 rebounds against Edison on his way to earning Second Team All-Region honors on the hardwood.
Besides those two, JMU football commit Devin Ravenel and Army football commit Zion Davis-Thompson brings more athleticism to the table on a squad that should be able to play fast, do damage from beyond the arc and give opponents problems with their defensive traps. Hibberd, who led Huntington High in West Virginia to a state title in 2014, will also expect a great deal from junior Krystopher Lloyd, a Second Team All-Conference performer. Lloyd had 16 points and three treys against Broad Run in the playoffs.
The Wolverines will challenge themselves in the non-district portion of their schedule with a pair of meetings against Group 3A State Tournament semifinalist George Wythe, including the opener on the road on December 1st, as well as playing in a holiday tourney at Albemarle and hosting Group 6A State Tournament runner-up C.D. Hylton in late January.
Final 5A Rankings for 2016-17:
#1 – L.C. Bird (27-1)
#2 – Bethel (24-6)
#3 – Hampton (23-7)
#4 – Potomac (23-3)
#5 – Albemarle (27-4)
#6 – Wakefield (22-6)
#7 – Varina (21-7)
#8 – Green Run (21-4)
#9 – Hermitage (20-5)
#10 – Potomac Falls (19-9)
Matthew Hatfield serves as Publisher for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a regular contributor to the ACC Sports Journal. Check out Hatfield’s Twitter page for more sports related updates, and you can also read his work in the Suffolk News Herald. To contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com, and don’t forget to listen to him every Saturday at 10 AM to Noon on ESPN Radio 94.1.
