The 2024-25 Virginia High School League Basketball season is underway. As the case generally is, there are lots of storylines and intriguing players to follow on the quest to the VHSL State Championships in March at the Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

Our initial rankings place five of the six defending State Champions - South Lakes, Woodside, Hampton, Northside and John Marshall - at the top. The only one that isn't is Lancaster, which graduated six seniors and saw two-time State Player of the Year Troy Henderson (a Fordham signee) transfer to John Marshall.

The likes of Woodside in Class 5 and Northside in Class 3 are trying for a three-peat. Meanwhile, John Marshall, which had an undefeated run in 2022-23, is aiming for its fourth consecutive state title at the Class 2 level, where they've won every playoff game during the stretch with ease, by double-digits.

*** See Final VHSL Hoops Top Tens from 2023-24 season here ***

*** Check Out VHSL VA Live Top Performers recap here ***

Without further ado, here are the Top Tens for each classification, and we plan to provide a closer look at these teams in the coming days, weeks and months in addition to updating the rankings on a weekly basis once football is completed...

1. South Lakes

2. Oscar Smith

3. Westfield

4. Hayfield

5. C.G. Woodson

6. South County

7. Landstown

8. Glen Allen

9. Patriot

10. Highland Springs

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Honorable Mention:

Potomac

George Marshall

Centreville

Colonial Forge

Gainesville

Forest Park

Wakefield

Manchester

What to Know in Class 6: One of the most sought prospects in the country was South Lakes swingman Jordan Scott, who will be headed to the Big Ten and Michigan State after trying to lead the Seahawks to a second straight state title in a Class 6 field that is chock full of contenders. There are plenty of holes to fill for Mike Desmond's group with four new starters surrounding Scott in the lineup.

Don't be surprised to see one of the teams from Occoquan Region 6C - seasoned South County, recent back-to-back State Champ winner Hayfield or even C.G. Woodson with perhaps the best sophomore point guard in VA in Kaylen Chilton - pose a serious threat to the Seahawks pursuit of a repeat.

Also to watch out for are perennial Tidewater contenders Oscar Smith and Landstown, plus NoVA staple Westfield, which has a formidable nucleus under second-year Head Coach Kevin Harris.

A sleeper in Class 6 looks to be Glen Allen, led by 6-foot-5 junior shooting guard Faron Friend, who averaged 18 points per game on his way to All-Region and All-State recognition. Quite a few teams in that Honorable Mention category, such as Cardinal District favorites Forest Park and Potomac, can find their way into the Top Ten and stay there for weeks to come as they jell.

1. Woodside

2. Green Run

3. Riverside

4. L.C. Bird

5. Maury

6. Massaponax

7. King's Fork

8. Albemarle

9. Norview

10. Potomac Falls

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Honorable Mention:

Patrick Henry-Roanoke

Stone Bridge

Nansemond River

Kellam

Princess Anne

Kempsville

What to Know in Class 5: It's rare to win back-to-back state titles as a player, but even more unique to do it as a Head Coach at that very same school, which is what Stefan Welsh accomplished last winter with the Woodside Wolverines. His team's center-piece, 6-foot-9 big man Silas Barksdale (VCU pledge) anchors another well-rounded unit with a fine mix of athleticism, quickness and perimeter punch around a guy that produced 25 double-doubles as a junior.

Is anyone capable of knocking them off in Class 5 after they won every playoff game by at least 16 points last February / March? Green Run hopes to have closed the gap after falling to them in the State Semifinals at Norfolk State as two of their All-State selections, forward David 'Trey' Miller and point guard Kassidy Jackson, chosen 1st and 2nd Team, respectively, are back in the fold.

Another team that can't be forgotten about is L.C. Bird, where Troy Manns is no stranger to success with 266 wins and five trips to the State Tournament Final Four, including last season in falling to Woodside in the title game. Three players that started in the State Finals - 6'3" guard John Uzochukwu, 5'10" guard Daron Moore and 6'4" forward Rahjeem Moore - are back for the Skyhawks.

Maury has a new Head Coach in Darren Sanderlin, who like Welsh knows what it's like to capture a state title as a player and sideline general. His point guard, Adrean Newton, gives the Commodores one of the best at the position in the Commonwealth. Big things are also expected from Riverside with a seasoned core featuring 1st Team All-Region performer Mason Ridgeway (a junior), explosive senior Joel Basue, savvy junior guard Max Lawson, unheralded glue guy Josh Nitamoah and pick-and-pop forward Brady Peterson.

1. Hampton

2. John Handley

3. Varina

4. Tuscarora

5. E.C. Glass

6. Broad Run

7. Atlee

8. Churchland

9. GW-Danville

10. Loudoun Valley

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Honorable Mention:

Woodgrove

Monacan

Jefferson Forest

Courtland

Eastern View

Henrico

Denbigh

What to Know in Class 4: To pull off a repeat in Class 4, Eric Brown's Hampton Crabbers will need to prove they've got consistent enough guard play and shooting by tournament time. Until that rounds into form, their experience and returning size - bolstered by 6'7" junior forward Gavin Kay, 6'4" versatile junior forward Abraham Taft and 6'4" senior center/forward Kahron Clarke - will certainly keep them in contention.

Varina was eying a repeat, but got knocked off in the State Semis last March by Hampton. Coach Kenneth Randolph's Blue Devils saw two-time All-State 1st Team point guard K.J. Wyche Jr. move on to Virginia Union and active forward Malachi Cosby head to Ferrum, but one would be wise to expect another deep run by the Blue Devils. Wyche's younger brother, Kaleb Wyche, along with fellow multi-sport star DaMari Carter from football will make big impacts, as will 6'4" sophomore Brian Mitchell (12 PPG, 8 RPG), a 2nd Team All-Region pick last season.

John Handley out of Winchester is one on the rise under Head Coach Zach Harrell-Zook. His Judges boast a difference-making sophomore in 6-foot-3 guard Will Braun-Duin, who averaged over 25 points per game as a ninth grader and already holds offers from American, Old Dominion and UT-Martin.

The most exciting player in Class 4? It might be Churchland's Sincere Jones (18 PPG, 10 RPG), an explosive finisher at the rim and top-notch shot blocker. If the 6-foot-8 forward signed to play his College Basketball in the ACC at Virginia Tech gets reliable help around him on a night to night basis, look out for the Truckers.

Both Tuscarora under Michael Newkirk and E.C. Glass under D.J. Best have made runs to the state title game in the past two years, so there's a standard of winning that has been set with a blend of returnees and newcomers to make each worth watching.

1. Northside

2. Hopewell

3. Spotswood

4. Liberty Christian

5. Meridian

6. Heritage-Lynchburg

7. Wiliam Monroe

8. Cave Spring

9. Lafayette

10. Lake Taylor

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Honorable Mention:

Western Albemarle

Staunton

Wilson Memorial

Rustburg

Skyline

Abingdon

What to Know in Class 3: The textbook execution and fundamental play of Billy Pope's Northside Vikings at the end of last season's title journey drew rave reviews from all over. The terrific tandem of Mykell Harvey and Cy Hardy are back for one more ride. Hardy, a 6-foot-tall point guard, put up 18.9 points per game and makes his teammates better. Harvey, meanwhile, is coming off a stellar football season and was no slouch on the hardwood as a junior with 17.9 points per game.

As long as the Vikings are solid on the backboards and defensively to go with that duo used to flourishing on the grand stage, it should be another season to remember for Pope's crew. However, there are some landmines waiting to stop them from a three-peat. One of them is Hopewell, which lost in the 2023 title game to the Vikings.

New to Hopewell's lineup this season is junior DeShawn Spellman, a silky smooth 6-foot-7 wing that transferred in from Landstown with a host of D-1 schools recruiting him. There's more size to go with him in 6-foot-11 junior center Jamese Jordan. Another junior, 6-foot-tall guard Nick Byrd, can also score points in bunches.

Spotswood Head Coach Chad Edwards has been close to capturing the hardware and he's got a lethal 1-2 punch to give him another chance of going far in the Class 3 tourney with guards Cam Pacheco and Tyler Sprague, both of whom were 1st Team All-Region performers last season. The 6-foot-3 Pacheco was Region 3C Player of the Year and is headed to Mount St. Mary's, while the 6'1" Sprague can get cooking quickly from behind the three-point line in any game.

Keep an eye on Liberty Christian, which will showcase four players 6-foot-3 or taller in their lineup, including a couple of transfers for new Head Coach Matthew Klein, who led New Covenant to the VISAA Division IV State Championship last season.

1. John Marshall

2. Dan River

3. Floyd County

4. Bruton

5. Virginia High

6. Luray

7. Graham

8. Clarke County

9. Central-Wise

10. Stuarts Draft

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Honorable Mention:

Martinsville

Madison County

Gate City

Union

Gretna

Central-Woodstock

What to Know in Class 2: Is it possible for anyone to hang with John Marshall at the Class 2 level? Coach Ty White has built a powerhouse that has won its past 18 playoff games 1762-776, an average of 54.8 per contest. The Justices are so potent that they would certainly have a great opportunity to win the State Championship in a larger classification and their squad this season is stacked yet again.

There are two D-1 guards in the backcourt in seniors Aiden Argabright (Richmond signee) and the aforementioned Troy Henderson (Fordham commit), a duo that figures to combine for over 100 three-pointers. Then there are two Class of 2026 talents ranked in the Top 75 nationally according to Rivals.com in 6-foot-8 forward Latrell Allmond and 6-foot-9 center Ladarius Givan, a newcomer from Alabama.

In many ways, it feels like a battle to see who players runner-up to the Justices. There are several players who earned All-State honors a season ago back with their teams. Those names include Graham's Markelle Ray, Virginia High's Deonta Mozzell, Luray's Matthew Owens, Gretna's Rayshaun Logan and Bruton's Brandon Freeman.

A team that feels primed to get on a roll is Floyd County, which got unexpectedly knocked out in the first round of the playoffs last season by Chatham. Three players are still on the roster from their State Semifinal group of two seasons ago and their core of senior 5'10" PG Gavin Herrington, 5'10" sophomore SG Noah Farley and 6'4" senior SG Micah Underwood - who scorched the nets for 38 points in a Benefit Game vs. Auburn last year before an injury sidelined him - will give the Buffaloes fans plenty to cheer about.

1. George Wythe

2. Auburn

3. Altavista

4. Patrick Henry-Glade Spring

5. Chilhowie

6. Lancaster

7. Narrows

8. Northampton

9. Eastside

10. Northumberland

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Honorable Mention:

Grundy

Brunswick

Rye Cove

Grayson County

Fort Chiswell

What to Know in Class 1: Some might think it's a re-building year at Lancaster, but don't tell that to Dwayne Pinn and his Red Devils, who won their opener in a tight battle, 72-70 over Northampton. A team that fell to Lancaster in the 2023 Class 1 State Final was George Wythe, hoping that this will be the year they finally break through for their first crown in 17 seasons.

Coach Tony Dunford's Maroons are the most seasoned group in Class 1 with five players that earned All-Region or All-District accolades in 2023-24 with 6'2" senior guard Reed Kirtner (17.4 PPG), 6'0" junior guard David Goode (13.7 PPG), 5'10" senior PG Shane Huff (4 APG), 5'10" senior guard Trey Rainey (6.9 PPG) and 6'2" senior guard Bray Rainey (4.4 RPG). Kirtner was a 2nd Team All-State selection a season ago.

Ironically enough, Wythe starts four brothers and they have another set of brothers who come off the bench. It must be the theme in Class 1 as Patrick Henry-Glade Spring will look to use its towering size behind siblings Cole Caywood (6'7" senior) and Cade Caywood (6'4" junior).

However, look for Auburn and Narrows to push Wythe in Region 1C, while the likes of Chilhowie and Eastside plan to make noise in Region 1D.

Matthew Hatfield serves as Publisher for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network. 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 be sure to Subscribe to Hometown Sports Productions where you can hear his Podcasts.