ROCKINGHAM — With the 2023-24 high school basketball season officially ending over the weekend, four Richmond Senior High School boys basketball players earned all-conference status.
Representing the Raiders on the All-Sandhills Athletic Conference roster this season were seniors Javian Drake, Paul McNeil Jr. and Jamarion Wall, along with junior Ahaiver McDonald.
McNeil Jr., who finished his magical career with his fourth selection in as many seasons, was also crowned the SAC’s “Player of the Year ” for the third consecutive campaign.
Drake nabbed his third straight recognition and Wall capped his career with his second straight nod. McDonald was named for the first time following his first varsity season.
Southern Lee High School’s Gaston Collins was tabbed “Coach of the Year.” Richmond’s head coach Donald Pettigrew earned that title the past two seasons.
“All four of them are definitely deserving,” Pettigrew said. “Paul led the conference in scoring and led the state with the most points of any player. This is his third Player of the Year award and he’s not only the best player in our conference, but in the state.
“JV did a heck of a job again this season and he was our motor,” Pettigrew continued. “JWall was more consistent this year and contributed a lot. Ahaiver came off the bench and played great defense, usually guarding the best player. I’m so proud of how well they worked together.”
Four critical pieces to the intricate puzzle that was the Raider basketball team this season, the four All-Conference selections helped the Raiders to a 25-6 overall record.
Richmond went a perfect 12-0 against SAC teams, clinching the regular-season conference title with an undefeated record for the second straight year. The Raiders also rolled through the SAC tournament to their third title in as many seasons.
In their three seasons on varsity together, Drake, McNeil Jr. and Wall compiled a 41-1 record within the conference. Their lone loss was during their sophomore campaign.
Pettigrew and company made another deep playoff run in 2023-24, advancing to the NCHSAA 4A East regional championship in back-to-back years. Their hope of returning to the 4A state title game came up one win short.
As a trio in the playoffs, Drake, McNeil Jr. and Wall won 12 of their 15 postseason games and made the fourth round or better in all three seasons.
“These three seniors have been so valuable to our program,” Pettigrew said. “They’ve been leaders on and off the court with their work ethic, coming into the gym to get shots up early in the morning and late at night.
“They’ve gone the right way about the game. They lost just one conference game in three years, that’s impressive. I appreciate them so much.
“My expectations for Ahaiver next year is to become more of a leader. He’ll get in the gym to get better and stronger. He just doesn’t know how good he can be.”
One of the most prolific high school basketball players in the state, McNeil Jr. went out in style during his senior season before heading to North Carolina State University to continue his playing career.
McNeil Jr. led the SAC in total points (952), points per game (31.7), field goals made (336), field goal percentage (54%, minimum 100 attempts), three-pointers made (110, also a single-season program record), free throws made (170), free throw percentage (85%), assists per game (4.9) and was tied with Drake for the SAC lead in steals per game (2.6).
Averaging 9.5 rebounds per game, McNeil Jr. was third in the SAC. His 1.2 blocks per game were tied for third in the conference.
Across the state in all classifications, according to MaxPreps, McNeil Jr. was the leader in points scored and field goals made. He was second in points per game and three-pointers made, as well as tied sixth for the most connected free throws.
In his 30 games this season, McNeil Jr. scored 20+ points in 25 of them. He reached the 30-point mark 17 times, had six scoring performances of 40+ points, hit the 50+ mark two times and set a single-game career-high with 71 points.
Against Lee County High School on Jan. 16, McNeil Jr. etched his name in the NCHSAA’s record book. His 71 points were the most in any game in the state’s history, breaking the previous record held by Bob Poole of Clayton High School (67 points, 1950).
He also made 28-of-49 field goals in that game, another single-game state record. His 28 buckets surpassed Jeff Ward and John Byrne, who had 25 in 1982 and 1968, respectively.
A night later against Pine Forest, McNeil Jr. eclipsed the 2,000 point mark of his career. He is currently 14th on the NCHSAA’s all-time list with 2,448 points and is Richmond’s all-time leading scorer.
Writing his name in other categories of the state record book, McNeil Jr. is currently the holder of third-most points in a senior season (952) and fourth-most in made field goals in a season (336).
“This is another blessing,” McNeil Jr. said. “To me, I deserve it because of all the hard work I personally put in. Without the preparation and without getting the proper rest and having God, I wouldn’t be able to do it. It’s all about preparation.
“I had goals in mind and I knew nobody could stop me, so why play with my food,” he added of putting up his career numbers. “I honestly felt like without the coaches letting me rock, but also them holding me accountable, I wouldn’t have had the career I did.
“These last four years meant a lot to me and I came in not as I am today. I played my role and as guys left the team I became the man Coach (Pettigrew) wanted me to be. I never thought this would happen or what we did for Richmond would happen. But I started believing in it more in 10th grade.
“I plan on dominating every game and outworking any and everybody,” McNeil Jr. said of his future with the Wolfpack. “I know Coach (Kevin Keatts) is going to need me and I have to step up because if I don’t, I won’t feed my family. I plan on winning the ACC championship as they did this year and winning the NCAA tournament.”
Javian Drake, senior point guard
A three-year varsity starter, Drake continued his established identity as a scrappy defender and exploded in his offensive production during his senior season.
Drake was among the top-three players in the SAC in several statistical categories, including tied with McNeil Jr. for first in steals per game (2.6).
As the second leading scorer on the team, Drake was also second in the SAC in points per game (16.2), total points scored (502), field goals made (199) and assists per game (4.6). He was also third in the SAC in three-pointers made (51) behind McNeil Jr. and Wall.
Drake ranked fourth overall in the 4A East in field goals made, while finishing tied for sixth in steals and seventh-best in the classification in assists per game. His 4.4 rebounds per game were third best on the team.
Over the course of 31 games, Drake scored 15+ points 20 times. Nine different times he reached the 20-point mark, including four times in his final five games. His single-game career-high of 30 points came against East Chapel Hill in the first round of the state playoffs.
On Feb. 6 against Union Pines, Drake added another career milestone by surpassing the 1,000 point mark of his career.
“I’m blessed to be back in the same position,” Drake shared. “God made it happen for me. I think this season I was just really focused on being patient and pushing the ball down the court when needed to. I like getting my teammates involved. On the defensive side, I like to bring the energy.
“It’s been an amazing journey,” he added. “We had so many ups and downs but I really enjoyed being there with my teammates and coaches.
“Some of my favorite memories were just being able to be around my teammates and coaches. It’s a blessing and it made me understand my teammates and coaches have my back no matter what.”
Jamarion Wall, senior shooting guard
Joining McNeil Jr. as a four-year varsity starter, Wall serviced the team as a three-point specialist and helper on defense.
Finishing the season as the third of Richmond’s double-digit scorers on average, Wall put up 13.3 points per game. That was also eighth-best in the conference.
Finding his comfort zone from beyond the arc, Wall splashed down 69 three-pointers this season. That was second in the conference to McNeil’s 110 made three-pointers. His 43% shooting from three-point land was also second-best in the SAC.
Wall was tied for third in the conference in steals per game (2.0) and seventh in total points (332). Among three-point shooters in the 4A East, Wall was ranked second in triples made and three-point shooting percentage.
Wall’s pivotal moment of the season came against Scotland on Jan. 23 when he scored a single-game career-high 39 points. During that win, Wall drained 11-of-20 three-point attempts, which set the program’s single-game record.
Other numbers Wall put up this season were 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game (9th in SAC). He recorded 10+ points 19 times and reached 20+ points three times.
“It’s an honor to be recognized, along with a great group of guys,” Wall said. “I give thanks to my teammates, coaches, family and God. This season was all about being focused, knowing it was my last ride. A lot of people don’t get this opportunity and I just wanted to enjoy it.
“I’m proud to be a part of a dog organization, and especially a dog group of players. We’ve been together for a long time. Being a Raider just gave us more pride.
“My journey was literally full of ups and downs,” continued. “But I stayed focused and put my faith in God, trusted the process and it all came together. My biggest takeaways were to enjoy your high school career, take advantage and be grateful for every moment, practice, sprint and amount of time that you spend with each other.”
Ahaiver McDonald, junior shooting guard
Making the full-time step up to varsity this winter, McDonald was Pettigrew’s go-to player off the bench to provide flashes of scoring, energy and defense.
McDonald netted 6.2 points per game and was the Raiders’ fourth leading scorer. He was also the team’s fourth-best producer of rebounds per game (3.1), steals per game (1.5) and assists per game (1.4).
His 1.5 steals per game landed him seventh in the SAC, and he was top 25 in the conference in scoring, rebounds, assists, and three-pointers made (12), and in the top 16 for field goals made (73) and free throws made (33).
McDonald scored double-digits eight times this season, including a single-game career-high 17 points against Hoke County on Feb. 2.
“It’s a great feeling to be named to my first All-Conference team,” McDonald said. “All the hard work and dedication have really paid off, and I’m just so grateful for the recognition and opportunity to represent my team in such a special way.
“I believe my selection is a combination of work, dedication and the support of my teammates and coaches. Staying focused during games, and always striving to improve were key factors in my achievements.
“It was a great journey, a lot of ups and downs, but overcoming tough moments made our wins even better,” he shared. “The best parts were practices, the intensity, game time, the atmosphere and when our whole team was together..
“As a senior next year, I hope to continue the ‘gold status’ of our program by being a leader of the team. I plan to push myself and my teammates to stay disciplined, work hard and maintain the high standards that have been set. It’s about building on the legacy and leaving a strong foundation for the future players. It’s all about showing that you’re ready to step up and carry on the tradition of success.”
Sports editor’s note: Assistant coach Keith Parsons contributed to this article.
