PrepNation ranks Pinewood 18th and Christ School (NCISA) 21st in their national pre-season poll. Christ School has a number of SC connections on their roster - Lakeem Jackson is a Gamecock signee, Lucas Troutman is a transfer from Belton-Honea Path High School, Sebastian Koch is a transfer from Wren High School. Pinewood and Christ School fought an epic battle at last year's Chick Fil-A Classic championship in Columbia with Christ School pulling it out when a half court shot from Ryan Steed rattled out at the buzzer. Among East Coast high schools, Pinewood and Christ School are ranked 3rd and 4th respectively behind only Montrose Christian (MD) and Oak Hill Academy (VA).

From Prepnation.com:

Preseason Top 25: No. 18 Pinewood

18. Pinewood (Summerville, S.C.)
Coach: Pat Eidson (398-149 at Pinewood, 619-244 29 years overall)
2007-08 record: 27-4, SCISA state champion
Top players: F Milton Jennings (6-9), Sr.; G K.J. Manigault (6-4), Sr.; G Ryan Bogdan (6-4), Sr.; F Malcolm Reed (6-2), Sr.; G Bruce Haynes (6-2), Jr.
Team strength: Depth, athleticism
Question mark: None listed by coach
Toughest games: Nov. 27 vs. Richland Northeast; Dec. 20-23 Chick-Fil-A Tournament; Jan. 2-3 Hoops in Overdrive Tournament; Jan. 13 vs. Porter Gaud; Feb. 3 at Porter Gaud
Outlook: Four starters return from the Panthers' sixth independent schools state championship team in 15 years. The leading scorer was Jennings, who averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds. The Clemson recruit is a very athletic big man with great outside shooting range. Manigault, a Wichita St. pledge, averaged 12 points and seven assists. Bogdan is a good perimeter scorer who averaged 11 points as a junior. A big-time transfer for Pinewood Prep is Haynes, who is also starring as the quarterback on the Panthers' football team. As a sophomore, he was a key performer playing point guard across town on Summerville High's Class 4A state championship club.

Preseason Top 25: No. 21 Christ School

21. Christ School (Arden, N.C.)
Coach: David Gaines (247-66, 10 years at Christ School)
2007-08 record: 34-2, NCISAA state champion
Top players: F Mason Plumlee (6-11), Sr.; G/F Lakeem Jackson (6-5), Sr.; G/F Dee Gieger (6-6), Sr.; F Marshall Plumlee (6-10), So.; F Sebastian Koch (6-8), Jr.; F Lucas Troutman (6-9), Jr.
Team strength: Experience, size
Question mark: Depth at point guard
Toughest games: Dec. 20-23 Chick-Fil-A Classic; Dec. 27-30 Glaxo/Smith/Kline Tournament; Jan. 19 vs. Oak Hill Academy (Va.); Feb. 14 vs. Centennial (Ga.)
Outlook: The Greenies, who won their third North Carolina Independent Schools state title in four years, have four returning starters and as many as six Division I prospects on their roster. A talented senior class is led by Indiana native Plumlee, a Top 50 national recruit who is committed to Duke. As a junior, Plumlee averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds. He is very skilled and athletic for a big man. Jackson is a South Carolina recruit who plays tough defense and slashes to the hoop on offense. Giger, who has a great outside shooting touch, is committed to Harvard. Christ Church also has three underclassmen who also are Division I prospects. Marshall Plumlee, younger brother of Mason, already has scholarship offers from the likes of Notre Dame, Indiana, and Purdue. Koch, who played at Wren (S.C.) last season after moving to the United States from his native Germany, is a talented wing who can handle the ball. Troutman, a transfer from Belton-Honea Path (S.C.) adds depth to the Greenies' already strong corps of interior players.


EAST COAST

1. Rockville, Md., Montrose Christian (21-4)
2. Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (34-4)
3. Summerville, S.C., Pinewood (27-4)
4. Arden, N.C., Christ (34-2)
5. Hyattsville, Md., DeMatha (20-10)
6. Raleigh, N.C., Word of God (31-3) The Holy Rams return John Wall, the consensus No. 1-rated senior PG in the nation, along with North Carolina St.-bound junior big man C.J. Leslie (6-9).
7. Washington, Gonzaga (34-1) The defending D.C. city and Alhambra Catholic tourney champion returns Princeton-bound senior F Ian Hummer (6-5) and Duke-committed junior PG Tyler Thornton (6-2).
8. Baltimore, St. Frances (29-10) The defending Baltimore Catholic league champ has several Division I recruits on its roster including Montrose Christian transfer Terrell Vinson, a 6-6 Loyola Marymount recruit.
9. Raleigh, N.C., Ravenscroft (24-6) Duke-bound senior big man Ryan Kelly (6-10) is one of four returning starters for the Ravens. Senior transfer G Luke Davis who was Pac 7 Conference player of the year at Broughton.
10. Richmond, Va., Marshall (28-3) After reaching the state semifinals last season, the Justices return blue chip junior F Travis McKie (6-6), who averaged 19 points and nine reboun

I am absolutely shocked that there is not mention of the Patterson School on that list anywhere.

I am so looking forward to that game in a few weeks. Gonna make the long drive to make sure I am there to see it in person.

ESPN and Rise Magazine perhaps have a more realistic perspective on where the Panthers stack up nationally at this point. ESPN / RISE ranks Pinewood 43rd nationally and 9th in their Southeast Region:

ESPN RISE FAB 50 Boys' Basketball Rankings

1. DUNCANVILLE (Duncanville, TX)
2. MATER DEI (Santa Ana, Calif.)
3. ST. PATRICK (Elizabeth, N.J.)
4. ST. BENEDICT'S (Newark, N.J.)
5. OAK HILL ACADEMY (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
6. FINDLAY PREP (Henderson, Nev.)
7. WHEELER (Marietta, Ga.)
8. LINCOLN (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
9. FAIRFAX (Los Angeles)
10. ARLINGTON COUNTRY DAY (Jacksonville, Fla.)
11. DE LA SALLE (Concord, Calif.)
12. LeFLORE (Mobile, Ala.)
13. DeMATHA (Hyattsville, Md.)
14. DOMINGUEZ (Compton, Calif.)
15. RICE (Manhattan, N.Y.)
16. SOUTH ATLANTA (Atlanta)
17. CHRIST SCHOOL (Arden, N.C.)
18. RAINIER BEACH (Seattle)
19. MONTROSE CHRISTIAN (Rockville, Md.)
20. ST. ANTHONY (Jersey City, N.J.)
21. DETROIT COUNTRY DAY (Beverly Hills, Mich.)
22. WHITNEY YOUNG (Chicago)
23. LAWRENCE NORTH (Indianapolis)
24. PUTNAM CITY (Oklahoma City)
25. HOPKINS (Minnetonka, Minn.)
26. TAFT (Woodland Hills, Calif.)
27. WESTCHESTER (Los Angeles)
28. PATERSON CATHOLIC (Paterson, N.J.)
29. OLYMPIA (Orlando)
30. BISHOP McNAMARA (Forestville, Md.)
31. SIMEON (Chicago)
32. MONTVERDE ACADEMY (Montverde, Fla.)
33. MOUNTAIN STATE ACADEMY (Beckley, W.Va.)
34. NORTHLAND (Columbus, Ohio)
35. VERITAS CHRISTIAN (Fletcher, N.C.)
36. HIGHTOWER (Missouri City, Texas)
37. NORTH CROWLEY (Fort Worth, Texas)
38. BETHEL (Hampton, Va.)
39. ST. MARY'S (Phoenix)
40. NEUMANN-GORETTI (Philadelphia)
41. McCLYMONDS (Oakland, Calif.)
42. PENN WOOD (Lansdowne, Pa.)
43. PINEWOOD (Summerville, S.C.)
44. SAN DIEGO HIGH (San Diego)
45. ETIWANDA (Etiwanda, Calif.)
46. BOYS AND GIRLS (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
47. SCOTT COUNTY (Georgetown, Ky.)
48. GONZAGA (Washington, D.C.)
49. ZION-BENTON (Zion, Ill.)
50. ACADEMY OF NEW CHURCH (Bryn Athyn, Pa.)

ESPN / Rise Magazine Southeast Region Top 20
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee)
1. Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 30-3
2. Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.) 26-4
3. LeFlore (Mobile, Ala.) 30-3
4. South Atlanta (Atlanta) 27-3
5. Christ School (Arden, N.C.) 34-2
6. Olympia (Orlando) 24-3
7. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 24-6
8. Veritas Christian (Fletcher, N.C.) 28-11
9. Pinewood (Summerville, S.C.) 27-4
10. White Station (Memphis) 25-13
11. Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.) 26-6
12. Kinston (N.C.) 28-4
13. Butler (Huntsville, Ala.) 28-5
14. Starkville, Miss. (28-4)
15. United Faith Christian (Charlotte) 30-3
16. Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 28-4
17. Fayette County (Fayetteville, Ga.) 23-10
18. Provine (Jackson, Miss.) 30-7
19. Briarcrest Christian (Memphis) 22-12
20. Columbia (Decatur, Ga.) 30-3

So this past weekend Oak Hill Academy played at Gaston Day School in North Carolina at their tip off tournament. Oak Hill played Gaston Day and beat them, of course. But in the championship they played a team called Life Center from New Jersey. Has anyone heard of them? The game was extremely close the entire time, Oak hill was down one with like 9 seconds left. They took a shot but missed in but they got fouled on the floor but sank two free throws to make them up by one and that's how they won the game. Life Center's #11 had previously slam dunked the ball over the Oak hill's #21 to make life center up by one, until #21 on Oak hill swished those free throws a couple moments later. Then Life Center had the chance to make a lay up with about 1 second left and missed. So Oak Hill won! Ha just though I'd give yall the recap, it was pretty much the most incredible basketball game I've ever watched. Life Center did some major recruiting, however, with men from Jamaica and Nigeria. yeah.. but Oak Hill turned out to be a little too much in the end. Look Life Center up.

This is the same Tip-Off tournament that Christian Academy from Myrtle Beach(last year's SCISA 1A champ) played in isn't it. They were supposed to play Life Center in the first round. Ouch-- I'm afraid to know the score. I would suspect they were seriously out of their comfort zone in that one. Sounds like it would have been a better tourney for Pinewood!

I looked up Life Center and their schedule as well as Myrtle Beach Christian's-- it is indeed the same tournament.

it was definitely more of a tournament for pinewood although i think it would still have come down to Oak Hill and Life Center in the championship.

I saw the score from the Life Center game against Christian Academy-- 79-20. The Oak Hill/Life Center sounds like a great game. Wish I could have seen it.

From MaxPreps.com:

MaxPreps / National Guard
Boys Basketball Preseason Top 25

1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.): Coach Gary McKnight (797-74 and seven state titles in 26 years) is on the verge of recording his 800th victory for the Monarchs and it won’t take long because he returns four starters from a 35-1 team which won its second consecutive Division II state title. All five starters are Division I college talents, beginning with 6-foot-10 senior twins David and Travis Wear, who have signed with North Carolina. David averaged 16.1 points and 8.3 rebounds last year, while Travis was close behind with 16.1 points and 8.3 rebounds. Rounding out what may be the nation’s tallest frontline is 6-8 senior Andy Brown, a Stanford signee who averaged 14.6 points and 5.9 rebounds. Junior point guard Gary Franklin (6-3), who has committed to Southern California, averaged 12.9 points and 4.9 assists. The fifth starter, 6-5 junior UCLA commitment Tyler Lamb, averaged 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists at Ontario Colony. Connor Hughes, a 6-6 senior, is a great leaper and shot blocker who will play volleyball next year for UC-Irvine. “We have the potential to be great,” McKnight assesses. “They are very unselfish. We have one of the tougher schedules we’ve ever had, but if we don’t challenge them, they’ll get bored.”

2. Duncanville (Texas): Senior bookends Roger Franklin and Shawn Williams return from a 35-2 team and they will be starting for the fourth year. Williams (6-7, 210), who has signed with Texas, averaged 15.1 points and 9.2 rebounds as a junior, while Franklin (6-5, 215), who has signed with Oklahoma State, averaged 14.3 points and 8.4 rebounds. They are 104-8 in three years, including a 39-0 Class 5A state championship as sophomores. Reger Dowell, a 6-1 senior, who also will attend Oklahoma State, started at the end of the year and will handle point-guard duties. Putting the Panthers over the top was the transfer of 6-11, 210-pound Perry Jones – one of the nation’s premier juniors – from Dallas Wilson. McNeely calls him “a huge talent who can run point on fast breaks.”

3. Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.): An outstanding backcourt and a motivated big man will keep the Warriors high in the national rankings throughout the year. Coach Steve Smith (718-44 in 23 years) has the unusual distinction of returning four starters from last year’s 34-4 squad. He notes that eight players have Division I potential. “We’ll be better than last year,” he promises. “We’ll be deeper and more balanced.” The backcourt has been bolstered by the transfer of 6-5 junior Doron Lamb from Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and 6-0 senior Lamont Jones from American Christian (Aston, Pa.). The big man, literally, will be 6-9, 320-pound Keith “Tiny” Gallon, who averaged 12.6 points and 8.8 rebounds. Smith revealed that Gallon has lost 30 pounds, is working harder than ever and is expected “to be our leading scorer.” He will be supported ably by 6-7 senior Glenn Bryant (12.5 ppg) and 6-11 Senegal native Baye’ Moussa Keita, a junior.

4. St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.)
5. Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
6. St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.)
7. Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.)
8. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
9. Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.)
10. Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.)
11. Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.)
12. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
13. Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.)
14. Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.):
15. St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)
16. Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)
17. Scott County (Georgetown, Ky.)
18. Fairfax (Los Angeles, Calif.)
19. Olympia (Orlando, Fla.)
20. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
21. Findlay College Prep (Henderson, Nev.)
22. Northland (Columbus, Ohio)
23. LeFlore (Mobile, Ala.)
24. White Station (Memphis, Tenn.)

25. PINEWOOD PREP (Summerville, S.C.): Coach Pat Eidson (619-244 in 29 years) says flat out, “This is our best team ever and I’ve been here for 18 years.” The Panthers return four starters from a 27-4 team and one of them is a superstar, 6-9, 210-pound senior Milton Jennings, a Clemson recruit who averaged 18.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.2 blocks last year. He will get plenty of help from seniors K.J. Manigault, a 6-4 Wichita State recruit, who averaged 11.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists last year; and 6-4 Ryan Bogdan, who averaged 10.9 points and drilled 67 threes.