Omaha powers top the list, but North Star and Papillion-LaVista may have something to say about it.
MaxPreps 2012-13 Nebraska Boys Basketball Preseason Fab 5 presented by the Army National Guard1. Omaha Central (Omaha)Head coach: Eric Behrens
2011-2012 finish: 30-0, Class A state champions.
The Eagles completed an undefeated season with a 55-38 win over Omaha South in the Class A state championship game. Omaha Central, ranked No. 24 in the
MaxPreps Preseason Top 25 presented by Army National Guard, will find out how it stacks up on the national level this year when it travels to play in the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., in December. The Eagles open against Long Beach Poly, which is ranked No. 4 by MaxPreps. Central also hosts Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) in January, showing that coach Eric Behrens and his Eagles are willing to play the very best. Central has one of the state's top forwards in
Akoy Agau (6-8, Sr., F/C, Louisville verbal commit) along with
Tra-Deon Hollins (6-1, Sr., G),
Tre'Shawn Thurman (6-6, Jr., F),
Kevin Scott (6-1, Sr., G) and
DeAndre Hollins-Johnson (5-10, Sr. G). Agau, a native of Sudan, was an all-state pick last season while Hollins-Johnson, who averaged 12 points per game, was a second- team all-state selection. The Eagles have won six of the past seven Class A state titles in Nebraska.
View the MaxPreps Preseason Xcellent 25 National Boys Basketball Rankings
2. Millard North (Omaha)Head coach: Chip Bahe
2011-2012 finish: 18-8
Millard North has one of the state's top returning players in
Josiah Gustafson (6-5, Sr, F). A first-team all-state selection last year, Gustafson averaged 19.5 points per game, along with 8.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Gustafson has led Millard North to two straight state tournament appearances. Millard North also returns all-state honorable mention selection
Nick Roth and All-Metro honorable mention pick
Zane Stull.
View last season's Nebraska boys basketball Freeman Rankings3. Omaha South (Omaha)Head coach: Bruce Chubbick
2011-2012 finish: 20-10, Class A runner-up
South reached the Class A state championship game behind the play of all-state guard
Cam Williams (6-0, G), who averaged 18.1 points per game last season. Coach Bruce Chubbick also has one of the state's top juniors in
Kevin Harkins (6-7, Jr, C), who earned all-metro honorable mention honors as a sophomore last year. Omaha South also has a pair of guards in
Tyler Hall and
James Dumes who saw substantial time on the varsity as sophomores.
View last season's Nebraska boys basketball stat leaders
4. North Star (Lincoln)Head coach: Tony Quattrocchi
2011-2012 finish: 20-8
North Star knocked off Millard North last year before falling to Omaha Central in the Class A semifinals. North Star loses a pair of All-City players in Kiefer Musiel and Hudy Holt, who combined for 27 points a game as seniors last year. However All-City first team forward
Noah Housh (6-3, Sr, F) returns after averaging 12.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season.
View last season's NSAA boys basketball playoff brackets5. Papillion-LaVista (Papillion)Head coach: Ken Kulus
2011-2012 finish: 23-4
Trey Moore has graduated, but the two other parts of the big three return for Papillion-La Vista.
Spencer Lewis and
Brett Dougherty both earned all-state honorable mention last year while Moore was a second-team Super State pick. The trio helped Papillion-La Vista reach the Class A semifinals last season where they fell to Omaha South 63-51. The Monarchs were ranked No. 3 in the state much of last season.
