Three’s a Crowd: Best Backcourt Trios in VA (Part 3)

With the evolution of the game over the past twenty years, teams are steering more toward small ball then the traditional way of pounding it inside to your big and opening up shots that way. This is especially true at the high school level, where skilled big men are harder to come by, the three point line is shorter and teams like to press and zone a lot more. With the trend we have seen more teams go to three guard sets to push the pace and stretch the floor, and it's no different in Virginia than it is anywhere else. With that being said, here's part three of our Best Backcourt Trio segment, featuring five of the top backcourts in the state. &nbsp; <strong>St. Christopher's</strong> 2017 Alex Petrie (Lafayette Commit), 2018 Justin Jasper, 2020 Joe Bamissille Even with the departure of Virginia high school's all time leading scorer in Nic Sherod to Richmond, the Saint's still boast one of the most talented backcourts in the Richmond area. After toying with the idea of reclassifying to 2018, Alex Petrie chose instead to commit to Lafayette, where he'll have a chance to be a four year starter. The smooth 6'3” point guard had a great summer with River City Reign, torching nets while facing box-and-ones almost every game, and he's got stronger and more consistent with his jump shot. Best of all, he learned to play off the ball more, and with the ball he was a much better distributor, showing he continues to learn the game. Jasper was the often unheralded x factor for the Saints last season, guarding the best player on the other team and being a reliable third option for them offensively. He's a good athlete with a high motor, doesn't force things offensively and knows exactly what his role is on both ends of the floors. The interesting one will be the rising freshman Joe Bamissille, who coaches have raved about since he was in sixth grade. An explosive 6'1” guard with a tight handle and three level scoring ability, he's a self proclaimed “bucket” that can fill it up in bunches on whoever tries to guard him. It will be interesting to see how the Saints' coaching staff implements Bamissille with the two experienced guards, but they have the talent across the board to compete in the VISAA and Prep League again this year, even without Sherod. <strong>John Marshall</strong> 2019 Levar Allen, 2019 DeMarr McRae, 2018 Audiese Toney Another team that loses an important senior in the backcourt, this will be the first time in four years that Jeremy Sheppard won't be starting for John Marshall. However, they have a young and talented group of kids that can compete with anybody, including nationally ranked 2020 Isaiah Todd. In the backcourt, they are led by rising sophomore Levar Allen, who will do a lot of the ball handling this year. Last season, Allen looked like a freshman that was inconsistent throughout much of the season, but with a year of experience he should be ready to handle the pressure of running this talented group. He had an outstanding summer with Loaded VA, and the strong point guard will look to get in the lane and use his strength to finish through contact and get to the line. His fellow sophomore, DeMarr McRae, is the energy guy that brings tenacity on the defensive end, and highlight reel finishes on the offensive end. He's only about 6'1”, but he's explosive, has a high motor and has really worked to become a consistent threat from the outside. The new guy is interesting, as 6'4” Audiese Toney will be looked at to provide another ball handler, and most importantly leadership to this young team. Toney transferred in to John Marshall from Alabama over the summer, and he provides excellent size, feel and playmaking ability for the Justices, and will likely start from the get go. While it will be weird to see JM without Sheppard on the floor, expect big seasons from these three in a starting lineup as talented as any in Virginia. <strong>Lake Taylor</strong> 2018 Joe Bryant, 2018 Dereon Seabron, 2018 Jalen Jordan They came so close to winning the 4A State Championship last season, but the bright side is that they return three of their top players, all of which took big jumps this season. Despite losing senior Travius Smith who's now at Richard Bland, the Titans have a trio of big guards who all can fill it up when needed. First is the point guard Joe Bryant Jr., a 6'1” stocky guard who is surprisingly shifty and strong as an ox. Bryant had a great summer playing for Boo Williams 16U, and he'll be asked to handle  it most of the time this season and get Lake Taylor into their sets. What's best about Bryant is his ability to create opportunities for himself when everything breaks down, using his quick first step and strength in the lane to finish at the basket. Next is 6'5” Dereon Seabron, who took a big leap with Team Loaded 757 this summer. The lanky wing showed a tight handle, improved consistency on his jump shot and started to show a killer mentality late in the summer. His improvement was enough to pick up offers from Mount St. Mary's, Norfolk State and Hampton, and he'll be looked at to be a go-to scorer and play multiple positions throughout the year. The last one is 6'4” Jalen Jordan, who may have shown the most improvement this summer. He's the only one without a division one offer, so he comes into the season with a chip on his shoulder, but the lefty wing can flat out shoot the basketball and he's doing it with much more confidence now than we saw last year. If the three of them can come together as a cohesive unit, their size and skill set offensively will be hard to match up with. <strong>Northside</strong> 2018 Nick Price, 2018 Shey Webb, 2019 Devon Russell Gone is the Kendrick Tucker era, one of the brightest in Northside history as he led them from Roanoke to VCU the last two seasons. While he was their go-to guy, he doesn't leave them starting from scratch. The last two season have seen them groom 6'1” Nick Price for this exact situation, and he seems ready for the task. A lightning quick PG that lives in the lane offensively and straps up defensively, he's worked on becoming more of a scorer and leader over the summer, and if his teammates can match his tenacity he'll be able to keep them competitive and maybe make another run at the Siegel Center. Price will need help this season though, and he'll likely lean on fellow junior Shey Webb, a 6'2” utility player that plays all over the court. Webb is a strong wing that hits the offensive glass, can make shots from all three levels and moves well without the ball to get easy shots. He'll have to be a reliable second option for this young team, but being one of the more underrated players in the area he seems ready to show what he can do. As a freshman last year, Russell saw some big minutes and was a sparkplug off the bench, bringing instant offense and intensity on both ends. The 5'10” point guard can be a little out of control at times, but he brings a toughness to this team they didn't have before, and he isn't afraid to take and make big shots in clutch moments, which he showed in the 3A West Championship when he scored 16 points off the bench in their win over Spotswood. He'll have to be more consistent, as he's likely to see bigger minutes, but if he can do that Northside will be a tough group to beat. <strong>Williamsburg Christian</strong> 2018 Cle'Von Greene, 2018 Ra'Shawn Cook, 2018 Da'Shawn Cook The theme of this group has to be replacing big seniors, and WCA is no exception as they lose three year high scorer Xavier Green who is now a freshman at ODU. While it hurts losing a 6'6” wing, the ball will now be in the other Greene's hands in Cle'Von, an explosive 6'2” combo guard who plays with a lot of energy on both ends. His athleticism is his biggest asset, as he owns a lightning quick first step, attacks the glass on both ends and he plays way above the rim in traffic. If he can be consistent and under control on both ends, he'll have a good chance to win Metro Conference Player of the Year. Joining him in the backcourt are the Cook twins, Ra'Shawn and Da'Shawn, two 5'10” scoring guards that can both fill it up in their own rights. Ra'Shawn is the more experienced one, starting for the Eagles last year in their run to the VISAA Division Three State Semifinals. He was simply more consistent than Da'Shawn, but they can both shoot, handle and pass the ball, and they'll likely split time at the point together and will be looked at to make shots with defenses keying on Greene. If the Eagles can get consistent scoring from these three and maybe find one or two more guys, there's no reason they shouldn't be able to make another run at the state championship this season.