High school basketball season is knocking on the door in Alabama. The first official contest date is November 7th, so a number of teams from across the state will be tipping off their season next week. 

With that being said, we’re excited to get the ball rolling with our high school hoops coverage here on HoopSeen.com, beginning with our AHSAA Boys’ Preseason Coaches Poll presented by HoopSeen Alabama x Alabama Association of Basketball Coaches.

High school coaches were invited to participate in the first preseason poll conducted by the coaches to give an authentic and collective ranking from each of Alabama’s classifications, 1A through 7A. We had hundreds of submissions across classifications.

We’ll release the Coaches Poll throughout the season as well. If you’re a high school coach and missed out on voting and you’re interested, please reach out to either @HoopSeenAL or AABC_Hoops for details.

Without further adieu, let’s dive right in… 

Three defending class champions were picked No.1 by their peers in the AHSAA Boys’ Preseason Coaches Poll presented by HoopSeen Alabama x Alabama Association of Basketball Coaches. 

Defending state champions ranked No. 1 are Class 7A Hoover, Class 4A Fairfield (formerly 5A), and Class 1A Georgiana. 

Buckhorn (6A), Jackson (4A), and Mars Hill (3A) (formerly 2A) are all defending state champions that came in at No. 2. 

There are plenty of other traditional powerhouse programs scattered throughout each classification, headlined by 7A and 3A. Huntsville, Enterprise, and Central-Phenix City are No. 2 through No. 4 in the preseason rankings and they joined Hoover in last season’s Final Four. Midfield, Sumter Central, and Hillcrest-Evergreen each competed in last year’s 3A Final Four and all three programs find themselves in the top five of the preseason poll. 

It’s no surprise to see Hoover as the preseason No. 1 in 7A. The Buccaneers will look to win their third straight Class 7A championship, and, the scary thing is, they return nearly all of their production from last season. Head coach Scott Ware has plenty of weapons at his disposal, headlined by seniors Dewayne Brown, Salim London, Austin Dudley, and Seneca Robinson.

Something to watch: with classification realignments, Hoover will go to Jacksonville State to participate in the Northeast Regional for the next few years. This year, we could potentially have a matchup against preseason No. 2 Huntsville. 

Clay-Chalkville heads into the season as the favorite in brutal 6A. The Cougars fell to eventual-state champion Buckhorn last year in the 6A Northwest Regional at Wallace State, but head coach Chris Richardson returns a bulk of players from that team. Devon McKinnon, one of the best available seniors in the state, UAH-commit Victor Odiari, and guard Aces Kennedy bring a wealth of experience back for Clay. They also added Raymon McCants via transfer over the summer. 

The Cougars are extremely talented and are more than deserving of their ranking, but let’s talk about the elephant in the room… The Class 6A Northwest Regional is yet another potential buzzsaw, with schools like Buckhorn, Cullman, and Jasper all possibly in the conversation. 

The Ramsay Rams have consistently found themselves competing for championships year after year. Nothing is different heading into the 2024-25 campaign, as the state’s coaches think very highly of them.

Led by Georgia Southern commit Jayden Williams, this looks to be one of the most exciting rosters in all of the state from top to bottom. Marcellous Hall and Cam Ruffin are also key returners. The Rams also hit the transfer portal jackpot over the summer, adding several quality players that collectively move the needle. Guards Jay Green and Jeremiah Williams are both transfers that will play big roles early and often this season. 

Keep an eye on freshman guard D.J. Jiles, too. He may be one of the best prospects in Alabama’s 2028 class.

After capturing last year’s 5A state championship, Fairfield transitions down to 4A and will look to defend their blue map in a different classification this season. The Tigers bring back a bulk of their production from last season, along with highly regarded coach Maurice Ford.

Senior guards Demarcus Williams and Jeff Duncan will handle the backcourt duties and cause havoc on the defensive end, while junior Milton Jones will patrol the paint for Fairfield. The Tigers will be high atop opposing teams’ list of those they don’t want to play because of their stifling pressure and defense.

Reigning 4A state champion Jackson will be without Micah Caster, who took the state tournament by storm last season with a couple of huge performances in Birmingham. Nevertheless, Jackson won’t sneak up on anyone this season. They’ll have a target on their back from the jump.

The 6A class has earned a reputation of being a competitive class from top to bottom. Nothing is different in 3A with several state powers in the early conversation. Midfield earns the nod as the preseason No. 1 from the coaches.

Courtney Jones has a stable of talented guards at his disposal, headlined by seniors Armonie Franklin and Brandon Riddle. Transfer Malachi Robinson will give the Patriots some size and length, too. 

Midfield has become a staple program to see in the Final Four. Expectations are no different this year, and other formidable programs like Mars Hill (reigning 2A state champion), Montgomery Academy, Sumter Central and Hillcrest Evergreen will also be in the conversation.

Decatur Heritage Christian Academy finds themselves atop the initial 2A polls. Longtime head coach Jason Marshall has his program in the polls year in and year out, so it’s no surprise to see the Eagles in the conversation this early in the season. Three seniors will lead the way for the program: Brady Wilson, Hayden Page, and Paxton Tarver.

As we mentioned above, defending 2A state champ Mars Hill moved up to 3A. This classification seems to be wide open and up for grabs. Keep an eye on Covenant Christian, who moves up from 1A. They’re lurking at No. 2 in this edition.

Georgiana wraps up our initial coaches poll ranking in the same position they finished last year: No. 1. The Panthers won a thrilling 1A state title last year, out-lasting Covenant Christian in overtime to claim their first state championship. 

Head coach Kirk Norris will have somewhere around ten seniors on his squad as they look to run it back. Tournament MVP Jacobi Morgan and fellow senior Nasir Cheatham lead the long list of upperclassmen that will suit up for the Panthers this season.

The first championship is always the hardest. Georgiana has been a frequent visitor to Birmingham over the years. Does last year’s win begin a huge run for Norris’ program? The coaches association definitely thinks so.