Young Raiders primed for future after summer tourney success

ROCKINGHAM — One word to describe the rising Richmond varsity basketball team would be: “young,” according to head coach Donald Pettigrew.

After graduating five seniors this past season, the Raiders core this upcoming year will be comprised of a young, but talented group that has been playing together since they were kids.

Paul McNeil, Jamarion Wall and Javian (JV) Drake are all rising sophomores. McNeil and Wall played on the varsity team this year, while Drake played on the junior varsity team. However, now Drake will be making the step up to the varsity squad to join McNeil and Wall.

“We’re going to have a chance to have a buzz around here,” Pettigrew said. “I think we have a chance to be pretty good, but we have to continue working during the summer to try to get better.”

The trio, along with other young teammates like rising juniors Emoni McBride and Zion Baldwin, have played together on local youth rec league teams, middle school teams and for the Richmond Jammers travel teams.

“Our chemistry together and the whole team chemistry, I feel like we can’t be stopped,” McNeil said. “We just keep getting better and better.”

“We’ve all known each other for a long time, even off the court,” Drake added. “The whole team is always around each other. Everything just clicks for us.”

Drake added it’s been a big change for him making the move up to varsity.

“The game speed for varsity is way faster than the JV level,” Drake said. “My teammates help me feel comfortable.”

The young Raiders have plenty of offense and scoring ability, but one thing Pettigrew said they need to continue to work on is defense.

“Any young kid, defense is the key to getting better,” Pettigrew said. “It’s the little things too, going under screens, understanding the offense better, but they’re going to be fine.”

Despite their youth, Pettigrew said that they’re “gym rats,” and credits Taneika Reader with the Richmond Jammers for instilling that work ethic in them from a young age.

“They call me all the time, ‘coach, I want to get in the gym and get shots up,” Pettigrew said. “It doesn’t have anything to do with me, that’s them. (Reader) did all the hard work, I got the easy work. So, I’m thankful for her, too.”

The team’s youth was on full display this week, as Richmond hosted more than 10 North Carolina and South Carolina teams from all over the region in the annual Raider Classic Jamboree.

The Raiders went 5-1, playing six games in two days. They beat teams like Marlboro Academy, Terry Sanford, Gray’s Creek, Pine Forest and Union Pines, but lost to New Life Academy.

Against Terry Sanford, Drake led the team with 16 points, hitting four three-pointers. Wall added 13, while McNeil and DeShon Watson, one of the team’s two rising seniors, each finished with nine points.

Richmond’s closest game came against Pine Forest. The Trojans jumped out to an early lead, which they maintained until halftime, 37-33, but the Raiders staged a comeback. Led by 36 points from McNeil and 17 points from Drake, Richmond beat Pine Forest 62-57 in overtime. Drake scored the game-tying layup in the waning seconds of regulation.

Also, in an exhibition game at Anson on Monday, an 84-50 Richmond win, McNeil’s offensive arsenal was on full display as he went 14-for-19 from the floor and hit six 3-pointers enroute to 35 points. Against the Bearcats, Drake scored 16 points, while Wall added 13.

In addition to its young core, the Raiders will also return rising junior Dakota Chavis, in addition to Watson and fellow rising senior Xavier Collazo.

“We’re just trying to get better — just trying to get some rhythm going on through the summer,” Pettigrew said. “It gives guys a chance to watch competition, work on stuff — defense needs to get a lot better. But that’s what summer is for — working. I’m pleased with the guys so far.”

As evidenced by his scoring ability, McNeil figures to be the star of the group. Measuring in at 6-foot-6, he’s already begun to generate recruiting interest from powerhouse Division I basketball programs across the country, including UCLA, Georgetown, Indiana and Kansas.

McNeil led the Raiders in scoring this past season, averaging 18.1 points per game, while Wall was third on the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game.

“(McNeil’s) just scratched the surface,” Pettigrew said. “He doesn’t know how good he can be yet. Jamarion, JV, they’ve been lights out. Those guys are going to be big for us this year.”