ROCKINGHAM — The past several seasons have been electric for the Richmond Senior High School boys’ basketball team and the expectation remains the same this year.
For the first time in four seasons, the Raiders will be without former standout wing Paul McNeil Jr. (N.C. State) or shooting guard Jamarion Wall. It’ll also be the first time in three seasons that Javian Drake won’t run the point.
But one constant for the program is eighth-year head coach Donald Pettigrew and he says the “standard is still the standard” for the Raiders in 2024-25.
Richmond has made deep playoff runs in each of the last three seasons, with trips to the 4A state championship two years ago and the eastern regional championship last winter.
Although some of the major pieces of those teams have since graduated, the goal for the Raiders remains the same: be competitive and chase the program’s first state title.
Pettigrew, who was named the Sandhills Athletic Conference’s coach of the year last season, led Richmond to a 25-6 overall record and its second consecutive sweep of conference opponents.
The Raiders will begin the season with just three returning players from last winter — seniors Tyshawn Harris, Davion Ingram and Ahaiver McDonald.
McDonald was a starter as a junior and returns as an All-Conference selection. He averaged 6.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last season, the highest averages of any returning player.
Ingram (1.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG) played significant minutes in his first full varsity season and Harris will look to contribute more in his senior season. Pettigrew expects all three to be leaders on the floor and provide Richmond with basketball IQ.
Newcomers for the Raiders will be a mixture of players making the transition from junior varsity, returning to the program after a season away or who are freshmen.
Senior Ali Tyson and junior Zamarion Robinson are two players who are back with the Raiders after not playing last season. Senior Zyonn Mason will be on the team for the first time.
Making the leap from the JV level will be junior Yusaun Harrison, along with sophomores Josiah Brewington and BJ Hinson.
Four freshmen are also expected to see time on the hardwood — Xander Chavis, Kerick Hairston, Devin Haynes and Donovan Jones.
Richmond will be without several other returning players, many of whom were starters last year, for at least another week due to the Richmond football team still playing in the 4A state playoffs.
Those returning players include senior guards Keidreion Crump and Keyonta Davis, as well as junior guards Jayden Hamilton and Amer Morrison.
Davis and Hamilton both played in all 31 games last season and averaged 3.2 points/1.7 rebounds and 3.6 points/2.7 rebounds per game, respectively.
Also expected to join the varsity team for the first time are juniors Terande Spencer and Domonic Tillman and sophomore Chance Crowder. Spencer played JV ball two seasons ago and Crowder was a postseason call-up last winter.
Having won the SAC regular-season championship and conference tournament title in each of the past three seasons, Richmond expects to do the same thing even with a different and younger cast of players.
While not entirely certain what the other six programs in the SAC have this season, Pettigrew anticipates the likes of Southern Lee, Hoke County and Pinecrest high schools to be competitive. Those teams finished second through fourth in the conference standings last year.
Pettigrew noted that the other three schools — Lee County, Scotland and Union Pines high schools — are also scrappy programs that will bring their best to the court.
To help prepare for a run at another SAC crown and deep run in the postseason, the Raiders will play a host of non-conference teams along the way. Among those are Apex Friendship, Grace Christian, Pine Forest, South Mecklenburg and Westover high schools.
The Raiders start their season Monday at non-conference Fairmont High School (1-2) at 7 p.m. Helping coach alongside Pettigrew again this season will be assistants Frank Harrington and Keith Parsons.
Richmond’s junior varsity boys’ basketball team, coached by Travis Byers, will also make its season debut at Fairmont Monday. That game will begin at 4:30 p.m. ahad of the Lady Raiders’ game at 6 p.m.
The Richmond Observer will continue its award-winning coverage of the varsity and junior varsity boys’ basketball teams this winter
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