Top Teams

[goofoti32 30]

Basketball is just around the corner-who will be the top teams in SWVA this season?

[Bearcat Bob 491]

I have been pleasantly surprised with VHS' strong 3-0 start.  Very athletic team.  New coach seems to have hit the ground running.

[RCITYHOO 110]

It will take a very, very good team to beat Radford this year!!!

[Bearcat Bob 491]

Radford is always tough it seems.  Aren't they 1A?

[V-Cats 472]

If they follow suit with the rest of their sports, Radford will indeed be 1A. As far as SWVA goes, it will likely come down to Virginia High and Gate City, just like last year

[Bluefield_Rules 46]

They play basketball in SWVA? 😄

[goofoti32 30]

If they follow suit with the rest of their sports, Radford will indeed be 1A. As far as SWVA goes, it will likely come down to Virginia High and Gate City, just like last year

You may want to keep an eye on Lebanon-they were very impressive when I saw them the other night

[RCITYHOO 110]

 

If they follow suit with the rest of their sports, Radford will indeed be 1A. As far as SWVA goes, it will likely come down to Virginia High and Gate City, just like last year

 Pretty sure Radford is SWVA. well at least the New River Valley thinks we are SWVA, people down on the border might not think so but we do and PROUD of it.

[Bluefield_Rules 46]

 

Pretty sure Radford is SWVA. well at least the New River Valley thinks we are SWVA, people down on the border might not think so but we do and PROUD of it.

Basketball in Virginia ends at the NRV with the likes of Radford. They are exceptions from time-to-time, but most often the teams further west are no threat on the state level for whatever reason.

[robtom 18]

Fort will be pretty good, when they get in basketball shape.  Return the following:  Mabry, Mooney, Hale, Rathbone, Thomas, Stoneman, & Wadelo.  Only lost Hamm off of last year's MED Tournament Championship. 

[Bearcat Bob 491]

I was in Richmond a few years ago attending the state championship semis and finals.  Castlewood was playing a Region B team.  The scuttlebutt from the Castlewood folks was that their team was really good and had an awfully good chance of winning it all.  I decided to hang around and see how the boys from my backyard would do.  I couldn't get out of the parking garage anyway.  Nothing against Castlewood but they were not in the same league as the team they played.  It was pretty ugly until garbage time when they were able to cut into the lead a little.  If I recall correctly, the team they played did go on to win it all, but  there was a BIG gap in the talent level.  You are probably right, Radford is about the only consistent threat from down this way.

[Jethro 113]

Wait teams this way haven't been threats? Hasn't Virginia High and Gate City repped the boys the past 2 years? And hasn't Gate City's girls made deep runs the past 2 years along with Central?

[Bearcat Bob 491]

Prior to the current format, somebody from Region D had to make it to Richmond, I think.  They haven't done so well after getting there. 

[Great City 210]

From Wikipedia:

 

The Gate City girls won the state title in 2006, and were state runners up in 2005 and 2012.

 

The GC boys team were state runners up in 1999, 2007, 2008, and 2013. 

 

 

 

I expect both GC teams to be pretty good this year.

 

 The girls beat VA High tonight 64-24.

 

The boys don't open until the 21st (Abingdon), and then go straight to the Arby's Classic (Never much fun). I expect the boys to be a pretty good team by the end of the year. Not a lot of height this year. I would expect full-court pressure the entire game with GC trying to score in transition. 

[Bearcat Bob 491]

So, under the old format, GC won one title out of seven trips.  Not trying to start an argument here but I think the old system penalized schools from stronger basketball Regions while GENERALLY rewarding Region D.  The 2 Region D teams (Reg Champ and runner up) usually di not have nearly as tough a road to Richmond as did the other regions.  Not saying there haven't been some good teams come out of Region D but looks like the 2 Reg. D reps under the old system didn't fare well when they faced teams outside the Region.

 

I think the new format will give a better indication of where the basketball talent lies year in and year out.

 

(And I guess I should clarify, I was talking about Boys basketball)

[Great City 210]

I would agree with you. I think GENERALLY Region D benefited from the old system. No need to sugar coat it.

 

Heck, I am impressed that the GC boy's team has made the finals 3 of the last 7 years. To make the finals they would have to have beaten 2 teams from other regions........right?

 

I looked up the scores of the finals. Was curious if GC was competitive in those games.

 

1999 Salem  54     GC 51

2007 Clarke County   60   GC 55

2008 George Wythe 58   GC 53

2013 Radford 72   GC 58 (i watched this game online. GC led at halftime and totally collapsed in the second half).

 

Not bad. A 3 point loss, two 5 point loses, and the 14 point spanking by Radford.

 

I also lookd up the GC girl's final scores. They lost by 3 in 2012 to George Mason, and by 3 in 2005 to Radford. They won by 15 over Clarke County in 2006.

 

Honestly, I didn't think we were that competitive in the finals. If you combine the boys and girls teams, they lost 6 finals games by a combined 33 points. Average loss was by 5.5 points. Not bad at all. If you take out the Radford loss, both teams lost 5 finals games by a combined 19 points. That average loss was by 3.8 points. Again, not too bad.

 

But Bob, I DO agree wtih you.

[Great City 210]

Bob....I have been thinking. Didn't the Region D teams have to beat a team from another region to even advance to the final four in Richmond?

 

The Region D winner would host another region runner-up. The Region D runner-up would travel to another region winner. Then those winners would advance to the final four in Richmond. Wasn't that how it worked?

[Bearcat Bob 491]

To my recollection Region D and C were always matched in the State quarters, as were A and B.  If I had to hazard a guess (one of pure speculation) I would say that almost every year, a team from Region B got knocked out in the Region semi's or state quarters that would have PROBABLY won Region D.  I know there is no way to prove this.  Under this new system, it appears that the better teams will make the final 4, or at least have the chance.

 

I try to attend the State tourney every year or at least part of it.  There just seem to be more teams that pass the "eye" test from Region A and B.  And this comes from a died in the wool SWVA/Region D born and bred die hard. 

 

That is not to say a Region D team can not and has not been able to compete.   I think we will see in this new format if my "eye test" was 20-20 or if I need lasik!

 

All the above is also not accounting for Radford from old Region C (with the occasional James River or Parry Mclure thrown in).