High School Basketball Preview: Ten Teams to Watch This Winter

The gym floors have been resurfaced, the schedules are posted on the doors of every athletic office in the region and the first official practices have already left a few freshmen limping to the parking lot. The high school basketball season tips off next week, and the conference looks deeper than it has in a decade. There is a returning state champion with almost everyone back, two new teams built around transfer stars and a tiny school from the hills that nobody wants to see on its schedule.

Gridiron Daily spent the last two weeks talking with coaches, watching scrimmages and studying last year’s numbers. Here are the ten teams most likely to shape the winter, from the obvious favorite to the sleepers who could crash the state tournament.

The favorite

1. Central

Central returns four starters from last year’s state title team, including senior guard Marcus Hill, who averaged 22 points a game. Hill is a smooth, patient scorer who rarely forces a shot and spent the offseason improving his left hand and his range. Coaches across the conference said he is the toughest player in the area to guard one-on-one.

What makes Central dangerous is the depth around him. Junior forward Tre Lawson is a relentless rebounder, and senior point guard Andre Whitley averaged nearly seven assists last season. The only starter Central lost was its center, and 6-foot-8 sophomore Caleb Ford looked ready to step in during summer league play. Until someone beats them, the Bulldogs are the team to chase.

The contenders

2. Westbrook

Westbrook finished second in the conference last season and added the biggest offseason prize in the region: senior guard Jalen Ortiz, who transferred in from out of state after his family relocated. Ortiz is a quick, aggressive scorer who averaged 19 points as a junior. Pairing him with returning sharpshooter Ben Callahan gives Westbrook one of the best backcourts in the state.

The question is chemistry. Westbrook’s returning players lost several close games late last season, and coach Gary Novak has spent the preseason working on who takes the final shot. “Jalen makes us better, but he does not make us a finished team,” Novak said. “We have to earn that in December and January.” Westbrook’s front line is thin, so rebounding against bigger opponents like Central could decide its ceiling.

3. Lincoln Heights

The other headline transfer belongs to Lincoln Heights, which welcomed 6-foot-7 forward Daniel Mensah from a crosstown rival. Mensah is a shot-blocker who can run the floor, and he gives a young Lincoln Heights team a defensive anchor. Coach Terrence Boyd said the group is still learning to play together, but its ceiling is as high as anyone’s. Sophomore point guard Elijah Hart, who started 15 games as a freshman, will be counted on to keep the offense organized while Mensah settles in.

4. St. Agnes

St. Agnes never seems to rebuild. It simply reloads. The Knights lost three seniors to graduation but return twin guards Luke and Noah Bradford, who combined for 28 points a game last winter. Expect a slower pace, disciplined defense and very few turnovers.

The sleeper

5. Pine Ridge

Pine Ridge, enrollment 340, won 19 games last season with a roster of eight players. They play fast and they don’t foul. In a conference full of schools three and four times its size, Pine Ridge is the team opposing coaches mention with a mix of respect and dread.

The Panthers lost only one of those eight players to graduation. Their starting five has played together since elementary school, and it shows. They switch on every screen, pass the ball crisply and seem to know where each other will be before it happens. Senior guard Wyatt Sims led the team in scoring and steals last season, and he is surrounded by players who are comfortable taking big shots.

We’re small, but we’ve been playing together since third grade. That counts for something.

Pine Ridge coach Dale Hughes

The obvious concern is depth. With so few players, foul trouble or a single injury could change everything. But that is exactly why Pine Ridge plays such clean defense. Hughes says his team practices staying out of foul trouble as seriously as it practices shooting.

The rest of the top ten

6. Eastfield

Eastfield went 12–12 last year with a roster made up mostly of sophomores. Those sophomores are now juniors, and they spent the summer in the weight room. Forward Marcus Dean, no relation to Central’s star, could be the most improved player in the conference.

7. Harbor View

Harbor View has the best shooting team in the region on paper. The Mariners made more than 300 three-pointers last season and return their top three shooters. If the shots fall, they can beat anyone. If they do not, the Mariners will need to find another way.

8. North Valley

North Valley hired a new coach, longtime assistant Renee Castillo, who plans to press for all 32 minutes. Her players say practices have been the hardest of their lives. Early scrimmages suggest the approach could cause problems for teams with shaky ball handlers.

9. Oak Hollow

Oak Hollow’s season depends on the health of senior center Isaac Grant, who missed most of last winter with a knee injury. When he played, Oak Hollow won 11 of 13 games. Grant was cleared for full practice this month.

10. Riverside

Riverside is young and inconsistent, but it has the most talented freshman class in the conference. Guard Jaden Moore has already drawn interest from college programs. Riverside may not peak until February, but by then it could be a tough out.

Games to circle on the calendar

The schedule offers several early tests that should tell fans a lot about the pecking order. These are the matchups worth watching:

• Central at Westbrook, second week of December: Marcus Hill against Jalen Ortiz in a duel of the conference’s top guards.
• Pine Ridge at Central, holiday tournament: The small school gets its shot at the defending champions on a neutral floor.
• Lincoln Heights vs. St. Agnes, early January: Size against discipline in a game that could decide the second seed.
• Harbor View at Eastfield, late January: Shooting against strength, and a likely preview of a playoff meeting.
• Central vs. Pine Ridge, regular-season finale: A possible rematch with seeding on the line.

Key takeaway: Central is the clear favorite with four starters and Marcus Hill back, but two transfer-powered contenders and a fearless Pine Ridge team make this the most competitive conference race in years.

What to watch this winter

Beyond the standings, a few storylines could shape the season. The transfer stars at Westbrook and Lincoln Heights will be under a spotlight, and both coaches will need to blend new talent with returning players who lost minutes. Central will carry the weight of expectations every night, since every opponent circles the defending champions. And Pine Ridge will try to prove that last season was not a fluke.

Tickets for most regular-season games are available at the door, and several schools will stream home games online. Gridiron Daily will have scores, standings and weekly power rankings all season, along with a live Game Center for the biggest matchups. The ball goes up next week. Based on everything we have seen, it should be a winter worth watching.