Top Performers: Vantage Hoops Holiday Classic (Virginia)
-Woodbridge, VA The Inaugural Vantage Hoops Holiday Classic took place this past weekend at Woodbridge Senior High School. The classic featured 10 teams, all from Virginia, who participated in a competitive 5-game event where the total point differential between teams…
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The Inaugural Vantage Hoops Holiday Classic took place this past weekend at Woodbridge Senior High School. The classic featured 10 teams, all from Virginia, who participated in a competitive 5-game event where the total point differential between teams was just 21. Adam Ayalew lists his top 13 performers from the event below organized in alphabetical order by last name.
Daryl Anderson – 6’6″ Soph. Wing – Amelia Academy
Daryl was a notable presence on both ends for the Patriots. He was very accurate from from 3-point range. The sophomore connected on 3 of his 5 attempts from downtown. He used his length to his advantage defensively, showing that he’s versatile enough to guard both in the post and on the perimeter.
Jamon Battle – 6’2″ Fr. F – Meadowbrook
At 6’2, Jamon is a very athletic wing who really showed the ability to stretch the floor on Saturday. He hit 5 threes for the Monarchs, and paced all scorers with 15 points. He’s clearly still developing, but the early signs have been promising.
Percy Burt – 6’5″ Sr. F – James Monroe
Percy was a notable inside presence for the Yellow Jackets. He’s listed at 6’5″, but owns extremely long arms, which he used to block and alter a host of shots. He demonstrated good mobility, and ran the floor extremely hard. Offensively, he recorded an efficient 16-point performance.
Aygei Edwards – 5’11” Sr. G – Middleburg Academy
Aygei was tough to contain off the bounce for Woodbridge. He is a shifty ball handler, who mixes speed and strength to get in the paint and cause havoc. He demonstrates a smooth mid-range pull-up which he loves to use. Aygei paced the Dragons with 15 points in a tightly-played, hard-fought game to cap-off the night.
Jahlil Jenkins – 5’10” Jr. PG – Virginia Academy
Jahlil came out red hot for the Patriots. In the first quarter, he outscored Wakefield 15-11, hitting on all 3 of his attempts from beyond the arc. Jenkins gets great elevation on his jumper, and knows how to create space to get it off. He mixes a very tight handle, with very good speed and quickness. He’s still developing and improving, but has a serious chance to be considered among the top point guards in Virginia’s 2017 class.
Eric Martin – 5’7″ Sr. PG – Wakefield
If you consider the top perimeter defenders in Virginia at the point guard position, the list is simply not complete without Eric Martin. Eric owns lighting quick feet, and he’s deceptively strong. He did an outstanding job of limiting Jahlil Jenkins after his big first quarter. Eric absolutely suffocated Jahlil on the perimeter, drawing a 5-second count from the officials, and coming close to many more. In pick-and-roll situations, Eric is a confident & reliable play-maker, and can make those pocket-passes that a point guard should be able to make. Look for him to continue to break-out for Tony Bentley and the Warriors.
Deng Nhial – 6’5″ Sr. G/F – Wakefield
Deng was a key factor in Wakefield’s win on Saturday. He did everything he could on both ends to will his team to victory, clearly showing that he cares about winning. He’s gotten noticeably stronger since last year, and has added bulk which enables him to bang down low with bigger guys. Deng did a great job boxing out, rebounding, and slashing to the rim where he finished efficiently at the rim. He’s made progress in a number of areas, particularly skill-wise, and should no longer be considered a sleeper at this point.
Ejike Obinna – 6’10” C/F – Virginia Academy
Ejike showed why he’s widely considered a national level recruit. As per usual, his fluid mobility and exceptional motor were noteworthy. Ejike continues to get stronger, and is truly fearless when going up and finishing around the rim. He showed tenacity when attacking and dunking the ball, and always used two hands to jam it home. He did a great job of consistently being aggressive, particularly when he got his touches offensively.
Anthony Pearson – 6’2″ Jr. G/F – Osbourn
Anthony, or “AP” as he’s referred to, is on the verge of breaking out this season for Rocky Carter and the Eagles. On Saturday, he came out hot, netting an early three-pointer on his way to a 7-point first quarter. What really stood out about him was his ability to make his teammates better. He led a balanced Osbourn attack with 12 points, and was instrumental to their win in a variety of areas. Keep an eye out for Pearson down the road.
Wil Rasmussen – 6’5″ Sr. Wing – Highland
From opening tip, Rasmussen made it clear that he came to play. The senior hit 2 early threes for the Hawks, and continued his perimeter shooting barrage all afternoon. Wil finished with 25 points, and did a great job keeping defenders off balance by making them honor his pump-fake. Mixed with great size at 6’5″ and a terrific motor, one would expect his recruitment to be on the uptick.
Cameron Robinson – 6′ Sr. G – Woodbridge
Cameron Robinson did a terrific job scoring the basketball for the Vikings. He displayed a smooth and confident jumper, and cashed in a number of shots from a variety of areas on the court. Cam did a great job mixing it up, and used his speed and explosiveness to blow by defenders and go hard to the rim. He finished with 20 points to lead all scorers, and was an instrumental factor in capturing Woodbridge’s second consecutive win.
Anias Saunders – 6’2″ Jr. G – Eastern View
Anias authored perhaps the most consistent overall performance of all Saturday. He’s a big and physical guard, who’s listed at 195 pounds. He owns a terrific mix of strength and skill, and also demonstrates a very good feel and understanding at the lead guard spot. His jumper was smooth and consistent both off the catch, and off the dribble from a variety of areas. His favorite thing to do is sit down and defend, which he does exceptionally well.
Korey Turner – 6′ Sr. PG – Amelia Academy
Korey didn’t shoot the ball particularly well from the field, especially early in the game. Regardless, the senior had a tremendous two-way impact on the 1-point win. He demonstrated composure by only committing one turnover, and dishing out 4 assists. He did his due-diligence defensively as well, coming up with 4 steals, 9 deflections, and 5 rebounds. And oh, by the way, he hit the game winning shot with less than 15 seconds remaining to put Amelia Academy up for good.