Boys basketball: Is the 2009 All-Tidewater team the best this decade?

After the most recent signings -- Norcom's Darius Theus and Deshawn Williams -- the 2009 All-Tidewater basketball team is turning out to be a pretty good team in terms of sending players to the Division I level.

But is it the best team this decade? That’s really hard to say because there have been some good ones.

The 2009 first team consists of King’s Fork’s Jaquon Parker, Norfolk Collegiate’s Donte Hill, Norfolk Christian’s James McAdoo and Atlantic Shores’ Steven Pledger and Andre Dawkins.

Parker, the All-Tidewater Player of the Year, committed to Old Dominion earlier this month but rescinded the commitment on Tuesday. He says, “ODU is still in the running” but I’d be really surprised if he goes there. Cincinnati is now in the picture and he says he also was getting attention from Connecticut, Georgetown, N.C. State, Marquette, George Mason and Virginia.

Hill is going to Clemson and Pledger to Oklahoma. Dawkins, a junior, committed to Duke. And McAdoo, a sophomore, can go anywhere he wants to go. He’s received interest from North Carolina, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, Clemson, Texas and Wake Forest. He also was seen at ODU.

The second team also has two guys going to play Division I basketball. Theus has signed with Virginia Commonwealth and Williams with Air Force. Landstown’s Donte Morales is going to prep school and King’s Fork’s Jamar Wertz and Booker T. Washington’s Desmond Lee are still undecided.

Still, that’s at the very least seven players – or 70 percent – who will play Division I basketball.

As good as that team looks, look at the past five teams, especially last season.

The 2008 All-Tidewater team has 10 players who are or will be Division I athletes. The list includes Wertz, Dawkins, Parker and Theus. The rest of the team was Deep Creek’s Corey Law (High Point), Norview’s Kendrix Brown (William and Mary), Nansemond River’s Andre Jones (Winthrop), Norfolk Collegiate’s Keith Wright (Harvard), Nansemond River’s Nick Wright (Old Dominion) and Ocean Lakes’ Marcus Davis, who is playing football at Virginia Tech.

Still, those don’t rate with Clemson, Oklahoma and Duke – who all played in the recent NCAA tournament.

The 2007 team had Law and Jones. Also playing Division I basketball are Tallwood’s Darius Theus (ODU), Norview’s Chris McEachin (Radford) and Kempsville’s Denzel Bowles (now at James Madison but originally signed with Wichita State and then played at Texas A & M).

The 2006 had seven players get basketball scholarships: Tallwood’s Kelly Beidler (Mount St. Mary’s), Norcom’s Ben Finney (ODU), Norfolk Collegiate’s Karolis Petrukonis (Clemson), Deep Creek’s Mike Scott (now at Virginia after signing with Temple), Indian River’s Franklin Hassell (ODU), Green Run’s B.J. Jenkins (now at Murray State after transferring from Liberty) and Booker T. Washington’s Brandon Plummer (who played at Norfolk State but is no longer on the team). Another one – Maury’s Kam Chancellor – is playing football at Virginia Tech and will be drafted in the NFL next year.

The 2005 team had five players along with Jenkins and Petrukonis. Also going to play Division I basketball were Norcom’s Vernon Macklin (now at Florida after transferring from Georgetown), Landstown’s Stanley Pringle (Penn State) and Oaktree Academy’s Eric Whitehurst (who signed with VCU then Charlotte but didn’t play at either school).

The 2004 team had Macklin, Jenkins, Salem’s Donnie Stith (Tulane) and Granby’s Terrance Woodbury (Georgia). The team also included Nansemond River’s Marquie Cooke, who started at Virginia Tech but transferred to Colorado State and then to University of Louisiana-Lafayette. He never played for the latter programs.

The 2003 team included several stars including First Colonial’s Darryl Monroe (VCU), Norfolk Collegiate’s Valdas Vasylius (ODU) and Salem’s Ruell Pringle (who started at Campbell before transferring to Fayetteville State).

The 2002 team was headlined by Salem’s John Gilchrist (Maryland).

The 2001 team had Gilchrist, Granby’s Kiah Thomas (ODU), Cape Henry’s James Smith (who signed with ODU but never played) and Granby’s Calvin Smith (Delaware). The team also included Princess Anne’s C.J. Fayton who played football at Tennessee.

The 2000 team had Lakeland’s Shawn Wiggins (South Carolina State) and Cape Henry’s Troy Nance (ODU). So as you can see, there have been some great players this decade.

Judging from the past All-Tidewater teams, where do you think the 2009 team ranks?

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