Phenom Hoops is diving into the upcoming season, and we are bringing several previews and discussions about teams and players to watch out for. We are looking into several regions to see who could be looking strong early on based on the information we have and from last year’s results. Take a look at these teams below, as we think these could be programs to watch out for in each.
A Region 1
Abbeville
Calhoun Falls Charter
Dixie
McCormick
South Carolina School of the Deaf & Blind
Thornwell
Ware Shoals
Whitmire
McCormick
What a year it was for the Chiefs of McCormick, racking up the wins and making it all the way to the quarterfinals in the Class A Playoffs for South Carolina. They finished the season 23-4 and this team was strong throughout, and they look to be contenders once again when you look at them on paper. Based on last season, McCormick will be returning a lot of the same names that secured 23 wins and a deep playoff run, led by 2025 Darius Houston (13.2ppg) and 2026 Terrence Cartledge (10.7ppg, 7.0rpg). But they also have plenty of other players who earned valuable minutes and playing time to help make up for several seniors who are now gone. The Chiefs though look to have the firepower once again to make another deep run in the conference and when it comes playoff time.
Abbeville
Coming from AA Region 2 to now A Region 1, Abbeville could be a very interesting team to watch out for. They finished the season 12-6 overall and with a strong conference record as well, an this is a team that didn’t lose any seniors from last year. 2026 Justin Rollinson led the way last year with a strong season in which he was able to impact the game in a variety of ways (16.4ppg, 5.1rpg, 4.4apg, and 3.3spg) but he wasn’t alone. His teammate in 2026 JD Baylor wasn’t far behind him to help lead a balanced attack (12.2ppg, 6.4rpg). But as we said, this is a team that ran deep last year, as players like 205 Jakwon Elmore, 2026 Darius Riley, 2025 DeMarcus Leach, and others really helped contribute. With the nucleus of this team possibly back this season, be on the lookout for the Panthers in the A Region 1 and in the Class A overall.
Dixie
The Hornets had a very good season last year but they may be looking a little different this upcoming season with the seniors that are now gone. Players like 2024 Jaren Byers and 2024 Kadin Stoll are now gone along with others and Dixie will need others to step up if they want to continue the winning tradition. 2025 Thomas Ferguson will be one of the leaders after a solid junior season, but there will be plenty of newer names that will need to develop and take the next step for Dixie to make a strong push.
Ware Shoals
If you are looking for a dark horse that could be a sneaky get, I would have my eye on the Hornets at Ware Shoals. Though they didn’t have the best season last year at 8-14, this is a team that returns much of their roster and if they are able to take the next step at all, this could be a sneaky team to watch for. 2025 Jayce Medlin and 2025 Jace Stewart averaged nearly 30ppg combined last year, while 2026 Brayden Medlin and company provided strong minutes. Now, this is a team that NEEDS to have players step up and bring more balance/offense to the table. But if they do, Ware Shoals could be a team to watch out for.