MaxPreps 2016-2017 Virginia boys preseason basketball Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

Video: Independent Top 10 presented by the Army National Guard
Check out Oak Hill Academy and the other top teams ranked with it.


1. Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson)
Head coach: Steve Smith
2015-16 finish: 45-1

The Warriors were the No. 1 team in Virginia and second-ranked team in the entire nation last season. They are a perennial powerhouse and they are stacked again for yet another year. Senior Billy Preston transferred to Oak Hill Academy to play under head coach Steve Smith, and he is one of the best players in the country. Also transferring over is Creighton commit Ty-Shon Alexander. Joining the tandem is Iowa State commit Lindell Wigginton, Ole Miss commit Devontae Shuler, four-star guard Matt Coleman and four-star forward Kenny Nwuba.

See the MaxPreps Virginia boys basketball computer rankings presented by the Army National Guard

2. Paul VI (Fairfax)
Head coach: Glenn Farello
2015-16 finish: 20-14

A team to look out for is the Paul VI Panthers basketball squad. Head coach Glenn Farello had helped make the program one of the best in the state. Returning for the Panthers will be University of Central Florida commit Myles Douglas, a combo small forward who can handle the ball, post up and hit the jump shot at will. Manning the court will be senior point guard Aaron Thompson, who has committed to play college ball at Pitt.

See the MaxPreps Virginia boys basketball stat leaders

3. Norcom (Portsmouth)
Head coach: Leon Goolsby
2015-16 finish: 29-1 The Greyhounds have won five of the past seven Class 3A state championships in Virginia, including the past three. They were one of the highest-scoring teams in the state and lost just one contest last year, one in which they lost by just two points.

Head coach Leon Goolsby has a handful of Division 1-caliber players, including East Carolina signee Kevin Davis. The Greyhounds will also lean on senior guard Travis Ingram, an Arkansas State commit, and under-the-radar junior guard Darien Allison. Norcom is the team to beat yet again in Class 3A.

See the MaxPreps Virginia boys basketball photos

4. Bishop O'Connell (Arlington)
Head coach: Joe Wootten
2015-16 finish: 20-11

The Knights' record from last season does not do them justice, as many of their losses came against some of the country's best schools, including three against Paul VI Catholic. Bishop O'Connell will only be better this year. After only having one senior on the squad in 2015, the Knights will welcome back almost their entire team from last year. Among the returners will be junior Xavier Johnson, who holds scholarship offers from North Carolina State and Tulane. Also back is James Madison commit Matt Lewis, a shooting guard.

See the MaxPreps Virginia boys basketball playoff brackets

5. Blue Ridge (St. George)
Head coach: Cade Lemcke
2015-16 finish: 24-4

After graduating their leading scorer, the Barons will look to avenge a state championship loss from last season. Luckily, head coach Cade Lemcke has talent returning. The Barons will look to Clemson commit Aamir Simms to take charge of the young team. Simms led the team in rebounds with 8.8 per game and ranked second with 13.4 points per game. Returning senior Josh Colon will try to become a leader and build on his 8.4 points per game.