Bishop England and Wando basketball were both recognized among the state’s elite on Wednesday.

The S.C. Basketball Coaches Association gathered players and coaches from across the state in Columbia to celebrate the upcoming season. Preseason rankings and the projected five best seniors were released for each classification. The five best players in the state, regardless of age or class, were named as well.

The four-time defending state champion Bishop England girls team will enter the season ranked first in Class AAA. Newberry, who the Bishops defeated in the final seconds of the state championship last season, landed second. The Bishops’ Region 7-AAA opponent Manning, led by top-five senior Mahogany Green, enters the season ranked seventh.

Bishop England’s boys team is positioned ninth in the AAA rankings. The Bishops, who reached the state quarterfinals last season, will be challenged early with a home game against AAAAA No. 8 West Ashley on Dec. 5. Wando will face West Ashley twice this season, away on Jan. 5 and at home on Feb. 2.

Wando standout Skylar Blackstock was named one of Class AAAAA’s five best senior girls. Blackstock averaged 15.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.9 steals per game while guiding the Warriors to a second-place finish in Region 7-AAAAA last season. The 5-foot-11 forward committed to Clemson in August.

Oceanside’s boys team was left off the preseason rankings, despite returning the nucleus of talent from its 18-3 inaugural season. The Landsharks won't be slotted into a SCHSL classification until their third year as a program. Oceanside is expected to join Region 6-AA ahead of the 2018-19 school year.