Last season, the Richmond Senior men’s basketball team had no members make the Mid-Southeastern Conference all-conference team.

As part of the Raiders’ rejuvenated season, Richmond had three players selected on the Southeastern Conference all-conference team. The team is now able to be released since all conference teams have been eliminated from the state playoffs.

Senior guard Brian Love, senior swingman Tedarrius Wiley and junior forward Will Freeman were the three Raiders named to the 10-player squad.

According to Raiders coach David Laton, Love, Wiley and Freeman all made strong contributions to Richmond’s season. The Raiders finished with a 16-8 overall record, and third in the conference with a mark of 6-4.

The Raiders qualified for the state playoffs for the first time in five years, losing to Durham Jordan 80-67 in the first round.

“I’m extremely proud of those guys for making the team,” Laton said. “They all were deserving and they all had good seasons for us. For Brian and Tedarrius, it was good that they finished their careers on a team that had a winning season, and got the opportunity to play in the state tournament.”

The 5-foot-11, Love, a two-year starter, led the Raiders in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game. Love also sank a team-high 48 3-pointers, and had six 20-plus-point games. Love scored a season-high 28 points in Richmond’s 74-58 opening game victory over South View.

“Brian was our go-to-guy, and I thought he excelled in that role,” Laton said. “He was somebody that opposing teams concentrated on defensively in an attempt to slow him down. But he did a good job in many games of staying in the flow of the offense and not forcing the issue. I believe he showed a lot of maturity and leadership this past season.”

The 6-foot-5 Freeman was the only other Raider to average double figures in scoring at 13.0 points a game. Freeman scored 20 or more points three times this season, including a season-best 25 points and 13 rebounds in the season opener versus the Tigers.

Despite the early exit in the postseason loss to Jordan, Laton said Freeman stepped up and played well against the Falcons as the junior scored a team-high 19 points.

“Will really worked hard in trying to improve his game throughout the season,” Laton said. “I think Will made great strives in improving his ball handling and his shooting. I thought in the game against Jordan, Will really played strong inside.

“At the beginning of the season, Will would make a move, but would avoid contact and that would keep him from going to the free-throw line. But he got better at making stronger and more assertive moves to the basket. We’re going to need Will to provide leadership because we’re going to have a young team next season.”

Better known for his accomplishments on the football field, the 6-foot-3 Wiley helped provided Richmond with some versatility in the backcourt and along the frontcourt.

“Tedarrius was the type of player that could play the point because of his ability to handle the ball and also shoot well from the perimeter,” Laton said. “He also had the ability to get to the basket and was a good rebounder.”

Wiley, who played on the team for three years, averaged nine points a game. Wiley’s biggest output was an 18-point effort in a 75-61 loss to Pinecrest.

But Laton added that Wiley’s production was more than statistics.

“Tedarrius gave us a lot of leadership, and he had a great attitude,” Laton said. “He made a big difference for us when he came on board and Tedarrius is a winner.”

Contact sports reporter Corey Davis at 997-3111, ext. 44; e-mail cdavis@yourdailyjournal.com