T- Web's - Best in Da SIP - Preseason Top 15
Best in Da SIP
With basketball season literally, a day away we dive into who we feel have the strongest teams coming in. With so many coaching and roster changes over the last few months, some teams have improved and others have taken a step back. Below we have our Top 15 (Regardless of class/association) teams to kick off the season!
1. Raymond High School
If you follow hoops in the Sip then it’s almost no shock that Raymond would come in at the #1 spot. They’ve been one of the best teams in the state for years now. What they bring to the table this year is a ton of championship experience. They have one of the best backcourts in the state with Dandy Dozen Jabarie Robinson and Tremaine Dixon. They’ll have the size as well this year with 2024 6’9 EJ Paymon transferring over and Christian Noel improving drastically over the last few months. Raymond will also have good depth, with tough guys that can come in and won’t miss a beat. This year’s 4A title is theirs to lose.
2. Madison Ridgeland Academy (MRA)
MRA was one of the best teams we saw over the summer, as they knocked off plenty of top teams from the MHSAA division. At this point the private vs public school conversation has flatlined. If you have talent you will win and that’s exactly what coach Duease has done the last few seasons. They have arguably the best player in the state in Josh Hubbard, who has taken off in the basketball world over the last 12 months. He will carry most of the scoring duties for this squad and rightfully so. MRA features another top player in 6’5 Harrison Alexander. The athletic wing will provide outside scoring, rim protection, and rebounding for MRA. Hubbard and Harrison are the top guns, but other guys like Jonathan Latham, Sam Hailey, 8th grader Sam Funches who’s a top 5 player in the 2026 class nationally, will be key contributors as well.
3. Holmes County Central
Holmes County is returning its core group from last year’s championship team. They have a strong core and a group of guys that just play extremely hard. Amarion Hogan will be back at point guard and Malik Crigler at the SG. They combine for one of the deadliest back courts in the state as well. Throw in 6’7 Louzavious Thomas after football season and they have a trio that’s one of the best in the state. At this point in time it’s hard to see them losing the 5A title with all they have returning.
4. Tupelo
Here’s a very interesting addition to the top 5. Tupelo is a team that most feel has under achieved the last few seasons with the amount of talent they’ve had. Add in Coach Green, who’s fresh off a championship campaign with Clinton, and potential Dandy Dozen Gavin Shannon to a team that IMO has every piece you need to succeed and you land in a top spot. We know games aren’t won on paper but I feel this is a good spot to place them in the preseason ranking. Moving into a new region that includes Starkville, who are no strangers to making it to the 6A finals and we have 2 games to look forward to seeing this season. Other key guys to watch Braxton Bishop, London Fields, Dayveun Anderson, and Hayes Halbert.
5. Starkville
One thing that we know for sure is Starkville is going to be Starkville. They always find a way to reload even when the public thinks they will have a down year. This year they bring in a new but not so new addition to the team with Coach Howard taking over the program. With him playing and later coaching for the yellow jackets he knows what it takes to win. With potential Dandy Dozen Makhi Myles taking a big leap this summer, they have a star player early on. Starkville have a lot of quality players outside of Myles with seniors Kylan Bagget, Senavion Roby. Juniors Zac Elliot and Conner Rodgers and plenty of other young guys that will add depth to the roster.
6. Callaway
7. Clinton
8. Brandon
9. Columbus
10. New Hope
11. Olive Branch
12. Grace Baptist Academy
13. Pascagoula
14. Meridian
15. Harrison Central
Other teams to watch for: Murrah, St. Patrick, Forest Hill, Provine, Lanier, St. Andrews, Booneville, Clinton Christian, Greenville Christian, Jackson Academy, HW Byers, Pontotoc, Terry, Itawamba, Center Hill, Parklane Academy