1. Dover: The Defending State Champions. Graduation hit them heavily when you consider two 1st team all staters are off to college hoops. The downfall is greatly overstated, the Senators hoops cupboard is far from bare. They may have 2 more 1st team all staters in waiting when you think of JayVion Denis and Chase Little. Both stand at 6'5" (or better) with guard skills and A+ athleticism along with the desire to stop their man (these dudes defend). Loaded on the wing but that's not all, it's going to tough to find a better interior than what they possess too. Tarrance Williams and Istavan Norwood are big guys, both standing at 6'6" (or better) and well built. Not only are these guys big guys, but they also run and jump with the best of'm. It's going to be a block party at all the Dover games. The previous named are likely their marquee players but there's more: Kameron Jackson-Dixon is the straw that stirs the drink, the point guard that will run the show. Kareem King waited patiently last season. This year he will have his explosive athleticism on display. Taishaun Allen returns via the transfer portal, Alexander Doughty arrives via the transfer portal and the babies, Braylon Williams and Joseph Taylor are in high school now.... And if the rumors are true and they'll add another via the transfer portal, oh my! He's a game changer!
*(Over the weekend (10/26/24) it seems as though the rumors are true)
2. Salesianum: State Runner's Up Last Season. The Big 3 is gone now, graduation hit no one as hard as it hit the Sals. But just like the previous mentioned, the Sals hoops cupboard is far from bare. Robbie "RJ" Johnson returns but expect a better version, if this past Spring and Summer is any indication, a Championship is just one of the awards he aspires to attain. Dom Downs will have a larger role, the 6'4" sharpshooter is chomping at the bit and now is his time to shine. Mark Brown 6'8" (the last of the Brown brothers) is ready now, he too has been waiting patiently and is ready to display his freak athleticism on a more regular basis. Those three would pretty much be a coaches delight but there's more! Nasir Logan the lightning quick point guard will have a larger role, Brady McBride has a laser arm (QB1) that all but helps his accurate and confident outside shooting. George Nelson the ball hawking defender that can go on a scoring outburst at any given moment is ready for those moments. No transfer rumors at the Sals. It's a known fact the transfer portal was friendly. Latrell Wright (formerly of Conrad), Kevin Coleman (formerly of Tower Hill) and Kabali Kajubi (formerly of Elkton, MD) are all on Broom St now. Latrell is arguably the best point guard prospect in the state, Kevin is a lock defender with some freak athleticism of his own and Kabali is a do it all forward with breakout potential. They have freshmen too, Kai "Big Kai" Abplanalp will be a good one and Benjamin "Benji" Thomas looks to be a lock in the rotation after flourishing in the fall.
3. Sanford: Last year their only losses were to teams that made the Final 4. Two key players are no longer with them. One via graduation, one via the dreaded transfer portal. There will be no pity for the mighty warriors though, they possess the #1 rated player in the State and he's returning bigger and better. Jayden Taylor 6'8" with some new muscles and plenty of D1 offers. Jayden is tremendous, more so defensively than offensively but don't be mistaken, there will be plenty games he surpasses 20pts. His interior roommate will be the big fella 6'6" Stephen Conway who controls the boards and can get his own basket via posting up. Their backcourt is underrated but absolutely one of the best. Their 3-man group is led by SR Khareem Hart who is a tough and gritty guard that can light the score board up. SR Nico McNeil is the table setter, a pass first point guard that can knock down the 3. Then there's the future, Soph PG A'zir Ellegood, he' a joy to watch. Shoots the 3 at a high rate along with a high percentage, can get by most and finish in the lane, he's an A1 on ball defender too. We mentioned earlier the dreaded transfer portal, but the transfer portal isn't all bad, Trevor Webster returns.... He'll be a welcomed addition!
4. Howard: The Wildcat cubs are now full grown; their class of 2026 players have seen it all and are more than ready for their time to run to show. A heart breaking QF lost to Howard has to have the players and coaches pumped up and ready to grab their elusive state title. Over the recent years they've been oh so close. JR PG Nicholas Baysah is the captain of the ship, explosively athletic with an improved outside shot. A willing passer that can also hurt the opponent in the pick and roll/pick and pop. JR G Bryson Lane is the big knife in the drawer, can pretty much use him anything, scoring, ball handling, and/or defending the opponents top player. JR G Kaden Brown may be one of the most improved players statewide. He too gets things done in multiple ways. JR F Dominic Awahmukalah is the wild card of the group, he's 6'6" and can get way above the rim, can shoot the shoot the 3 very well for a tall man and protects the rim with best of'm, but can he do these things consistently is the (?). JR G Ronald Handy III looks to be ready while being taller, wiser and full of confidence. He was once a high scoring floor general at his previous school, that confidence is what we're referring to. SR F Jeremiah Riley has a new body and will be a force to be reckoned with, especially in the previous mentioned pick and roll situations. Standing at 6'6", he too will be protecting the rim and initiating the Wildcats transition offense.
5. Middletown: Accustomed to veteran leadership over the recent years, The Cavaliers will now rely heavily on youth. No other team has a comparable class of 2027. Leading the youth movement will be incoming transfer 2027 PG Bashir Holmes JR looks to be the floor general for this group. At his previous school he was phenomenal, garnering 1st team all-conference and eye-popping statistics. 2027 G Jaelen Murphy is their utility knife, a bundle of energy that can do a little of everything. Look for him to be guarding his man full court, scoring from all 3 levels and occasionally playing above the rim. 2027 F King Savior is a year older and a little taller now standing 6'6". He's more of a rim protector presently than perimeter defender but his above average 3pt shooting indicates that he'll be a wing offensively and defensively in the near future. Coach Ali has an abundance of youth but possesses a gutsy vet too. SR G Kaleb Ra'Ifa is considered by most to be one of the best in state. Kaleb Ra'Ifa is an electric scoring guard, scores in bunches and normally does it pretty efficiently. He's known as a lock down defender as well
