Arkansas high school boys basketball Class 3A preview

Eight teams to watch in Class 3A Arkansas prep boys basketball

With the start of a new season, SBLive is previewing Arkansas high school basketball. Today, we feature eight teams to watch from the boys ranks of Class 3A. Over the coming weeks, there will be features for each classification as well as player position lists. 

Head over to the website for complete coverage and standings throughout the season. You can also listen to our weekly podcast, Arkansas Prep X-Tra, for even more in-depth coverage. 

Bergman guard Dylan Friend (Photo by Tommy Land)

BERGMAN PANTHERS 

Head Coach: Bo Martin 

Conference: 3A-1

2022-23 Finish: 39-6, 3A state runner-up

Notable Departures

Walker Patton | College of the Ozarks signee, all-conference, all-state, all-state tournament

Players To Watch

G Dylan Friend 5-0 JR | all-conference

F Kaden Ponder 6-5 SR | all-conference, all-state tournament 

G Bryson Bauer 6-0 SR | all-conference

F Sawyer Schubert 6-7 JR

G Zion Fultz 6-0 JR

F Noah Royce 6-2 SO

G Zeb Adkins 5-11 SO

G Colby Mills 5-11 JR

Outlook

While they came up on the losing end, the Panthers went toe-to-toe with Manila in a thrilling overtime finish in the finale of the 2023-24 season. They lost a lot of production with the departure of Patton, but there is still plenty in place to end up right back where they started. Friend (13.4 PPG, 40% 3FG) and Ponder (11.3 PPG, 7 RPG) were the scoring leaders behind Patton, while Bauer (8.8 PPG, 5 APG, 4 RPG, 41% 3 FG) and Schubert (7 PPG, 5 RPG) have made the most of their minutes, along with Fultz (4.4 PPG). Martin also anticipates Adkins, Royce and Mills to be viable options off of the bench.

Coach Said

"I am very excited about this team. We return five of our top six players from last year's state runner-up team while moving up some talented freshmen from a 28-1 district champion junior high team. Walker Patton averaged over 20 points per game for us the last few years, and it will take some time to adjust our roles without him. I believe we will be very balanced from a scoring standpoint, and we will have several guys take big steps forward from their roles last year. We are still a young team with only two seniors on our roster, but our starting five has a lot of big game experience. They have worked extremely hard for me in the preseason, and they're just great kids that love to play with each other."

- Bo Martin 

BOONEVILLE BEARCATS 

Head Coach: Ronnie Denton

Conference: 3A-4

2022-23 Finish: 17-11, 3A first round 

Notable Departures

Raiden Ferguson 

CJ Johnson 

Players To Watch

G Colter Fisher 6-0 SR

F Jace Washburn 6-1 JR

F Dax Goff 6-1 SR

C Cody Sum 6-7 JR 

G Nate Smith 6-3 JR 

Outlook

The Bearcats took one on the chin to Dumas in the opening round of the state tournament, but it is a safe bet that this year's team does not expect to get pushed around. Along with returning starters Fisher, the team's leading scorer, as well as leading rebounder and second-leading scorer Washburn, Booneville also gained Smith, a transfer from Magazine, along with the lengthy Sum who initially went to Booneville then moved away and came back. Another key addition, Harding University football commit Goff, joined the team after sitting out for a few seasons and should be a force down low.

Coach Said

"We have several kids returning off of a district championship team that was made up of many sophomores and with the addition of Dax Goff, we should be strong inside and out. This team is loaded with talent and we hope to make a deep run after we get players from football."

- Ronnie Denton 

CENTRAL ARKANSAS CHRISTIAN MUSTANGS 

Head Coach: Matt Hall 

Conference: 3A-5

2022-23 Finish: 26-9, 3A state quarterfinalist 

Notable Departures

Eli Fulgham | all-conference 

Players To Watch

G Sam Maddox 6-1 SR | all-conference, all-state

G Grayson Wilson 6-4 JR | University of Arkansas football commit, all-conference, all-state, all-state tournament

G Kevin "Deuce" Williams 5-10 SO

G Lane Baxter 6-0 SR

Outlook

The Mustangs had their full squad at this point last year, but an extended playoff football season will force them to wait at least a couple of weeks. All-state post Wilson (13 PPG, 9 RPG) is one who will join the team after football, as well as Williams (8 PPG, 5 RPG, 7 APG), but the Mustangs do already have sharpshooter Sam Maddox (15 PPG, 106 3's in 2022-23) as well as backcourt mate Baxter. Add to that a bench that goes three to four deep and it could mean even more is to come following last year's quarterfinal run. 

Coach Said

"We return the majority of our team from last year. We went 14-0 in conference and won 20 games in a row at one point. I look for us to have a good year and compete at a very high level."

- Matt Hall

DUMAS BOBCATS 

Head Coach: Larry Harris 

Conference: 3A-8

2022-23 Finish: 29-8, 3A state semifinalist 

Notable Departures

Mike Reddick | University of Arkansas-Monticello signee, all-conference, all-state, all-state tournament

Braylon Haynes | all-conference

BJ Johnson | all-conference

Guillermo Petty | all-conference

Players To Watch

F Tommy Reddick 6-2 SR | all-conference, all-state,  

F Joseph Jones 6-0 SR

G Raylen Spratt 5-11 JR

G Billy Reddick 5-11 SO

Outlook

Nearly a handful who helped Dumas to an impressive two-year run that included a finish in the state finals, as well as the semifinals last year, are gone but the expectations do not change. Mike Reddick was a long-time contributor, but brothers Tommy (14 PPG, 5 RPG, 2 APG, 2 SPG) and Billy (5 PPG, 3 RPG, 2 APG), also have logged a load of valuable minutes, along with Spratt (10 PPG, 2 APG, 2 SPG) and senior leader Jones. 

Coach Said

"Dumas brings back three starters off a state semifinalist team from last year. That setback to Manila has seniors Tommy Reddick and Joseph Jones poised to lead this team on another run. Raylen Spratt and Billy Reddick, who moved up as Freshman at the beginning, look to join them in the starting lineup. Those four players will all be playing in their third year of high school. That experience should benefit them tremendously considering three of them played in the 2022 state championship game where they finished as runners-up to Osceola. Dumas has won four straight conference championships and back-to-back regional championships. They are hoping that experience of playing in big games will translate to another deep run this year."

- Larry Harris

LAKESIDE (LAKE VILLAGE) BEAVERS 

Head Coach: Tracey Lawson Jr. 

Conference: 3A-8

2022-23 Finish: 18-21, 3A state quarterfinalist

Notable Departures

Emmarian McAdoo | all-conference, all-state tournament 

Jon Porter | University of Arkansas-Monticello football signee, all-conference 

Players To Watch

G Jeremiah Watts 6-1 SR

P Aquavious Dunbar 6-2 SR | University of Tulsa football commit

G Zhmarion Haney 5-10 SO 

G Rakebrien Wallace 6-2 JR

G K'veon Bankston 5-9 JR

P Joie Griffin 6-4 SO

G John Moore 6-3 FR

G Vincent King 5-6 FR 

Outlook

Through no shortage of adversity, the 2022-23 Beavers played their best basketball at the right time which resulted in a quarterfinal run where they fell to Rivercrest, who also got hot when it needed to. With four battle-tested seniors, led by two-year starters Watts (17 PPG, 6 RPG, 4 APG) and Dunbar (12 PPG, 9 RPG), Lakeside feels it has learned some valuable lessons and expects to prove that. Haney (12 PPG, 5 RPG, 2 SPG) stepped up and made a name for himself as a freshman and returns as one of the team's Top 3 scorers. 

Coach Said

"I graduated a big senior class, but I have a lot of underclassmen who really stepped up their game this offseason. We will be young, but I feel like I have a team that is ready to compete for us to get back to the state tournament. I look for us to continue upon the success from the previous two years and make a statement going forward this year. Be on the lookout for the junior class to show the biggest improvement as we have been practicing all fall shooting the ball, defense, and working on our ball-handling skills. My incoming sophomores are coming off of a great season where they only lost four games total last year, so they are as excited to get back out there and continue upon that success. I have two freshman that could see themselves worked into the rotation very early in the season. Overall, I am very excited where this program is heading in year three for me." 

- Tracey Lawson Jr. 

Manila guard Luke Kirk (Photo by Tommy Land)

MANILA LIONS 

Head Coach: Heath Matheny 

Conference: 3A-3

2022-23 Finish: 31-5, 3A state champions

Notable Departures

Jaron Burrow | Williams Baptist University signee, all-conference, all-state, all-state tournament 

Brayden Nunnally | Bethel (Kan.) College, all-conference, all-state, 3A state tournament MVP

Costner Smith | all-conference

Players To Watch

G/F Rex Farmer 6-6 JR

G Luke Kirk 6-2 SR | all-conference, all-state tournament 

G Carson Baltimore 5-10 SO

Outlook

The 2023-24 Lions will look much, much different than the ones who won the program's first state championship in half of a century last March. Along with graduating its top production in Burrow and Nunnally, Manila will also have a new head coach in Matheny, who is a familiar face after being promoted as an assistant to Lee Wimberley. Matheny was up front when discussing the inexperience of the team, but feels the Lions have the pieces to compete for another title. Farmer (9 PPG, 4.5 RPG) and Kirk (9.5 PPG, 3.7 APG) expect to take that next step as team leaders, as Kirk was one of the more effective players in the 3A state tournament (15:1 AST to TO) and Farmer is a clutch shooter. Baltimore will play a key role as an underclassmen after leading the junior high team in scoring the past two seasons. 

Coach Said

"Our make up is a lot of inexperience at the varsity level. None of our guys, outside of Luke and Rex, have much game time experience. We will be looking for guys to step up and play roles they are not accustomed to playing. Our summer roster has been shaken up a bit due to injuries and as well as some new faces. We have some really competitive guys that play extremely hard. I feel our shooting can give some teams problems and even keep us in games. We hope to compete first and foremost for the conference title then surprise some people and hopefully make some noise in postseason, but I fully expect some growing pains early due to youth." 

- Heath Matheny

RIVERCREST COLTS

Head Coach: Hunter Robinson 

Conference: 3A-3

2022-23 Finish: 17-18, 3A state semifinalist

Notable Departures

None.

Players To Watch

G Koby Turner 5-10 SR 

G Jayden Young 6-0 SO | all-state tournament 

G/F Buddah Harris 6-3 SO 

F Frantavious Robinson 6-2 SO

G Jamrious Byrd 5-11 SO

G Kavante Washington 6-2 JR  

G Kavion Williams 5-11 JR

P Marcus Slayton 6-0 SR 

G/F Kash Spann 6-3 SO 

G/F Jaxon Thomas 6-6 JR

Outlook

Depending on how deep Rivercrest goes in the football playoffs will determine when the hardwood Colts have their full team, but Robinson is no stranger to being patient. It is easier to be patient this year knowing who is all coming back from the squad who woke many up during the state tournament. Young led that charge as a freshman who took the state by storm, putting up 38 points in the first round against Episcopal and averaged 28 for the tournament. Along with Young, the Colts also have his classmates - Robinson, Spann, Byrd and Harris - who all played a part in leading the junior high squad to a 53-0 record over the past two years. On top of all of the young talent, the Colts also bring back senior leader, and three-year starter, Turner. 

Coach Said 

"These guys are used to going deep in the playoffs in football and winning is contagious, however it is different getting into basketball shape than it is football. At the end of the day I feel with our depth that we will have a chance to win a game in regionals, then make it to state again and make another run. We are just going to take it one game at a time." 

- Hunter Robinson 

RIVERVIEW RAIDERS 

Head Coach: Kirklan Pettis 

Conference: 3A-6

2022-23 Finish: 24-7, 3A state quarterfinalist

Notable Departures

None.

Players To Watch

G Tristan Cunningham 6-0 SR

G Tucker Cunningham 6-1 SR

G Tadrian Baker 6-2 JR

Outlook

For a two-month span from late December through late February, the Raiders went on a tear winning 18 of 20 contests that included a district title. However, things went south at the wrong time as they dropped three of their final four contests in regionals and then in the state quarterfinals to eventual 3A runner-up Bergman. Riverview will be a mostly seasoned bunch, led by the deep backcourt of Tristan and Tucker Cunningham, along with Baker who transferred during the offseason but is back with the team. A rematch with Bergman goes down on Nov. 17.

Coach Said

"We are very excited for the upcoming season. We are lucky to have most of our team returning from last year. We won our district championship in a very competitive 6-3A conference and made a run in the postseason. I know it is a long “grind it out season,” but we have our sights set on making a run in the state tournament after being eliminated in the quarterfinals last year. We have a very talented roster this upcoming season, and with more experience this year, we hope to continue to improve and be in a position to compete for championships."

- Kirklan Pettis

OTHERS TO WATCH: Drew Central, Newport, Osceola

--Kyle Sutherland | k_sutherlandAR