Vantage Hoops Top 250 Junior Standouts
The Prep Hoops Top 250 Expo held by Vantage Hoops at Randolph Macon last Sunday was a huge success with over 200 prospects and 35 college coaches in attendance. Over the next week, we will be breaking down the standouts and stock boosters throughout the camp. With so much talent from throughout the state in attendance, it was hard to see, let alone mention, every player that made an impact at the event, however we wanted to list a few prospects that caught our eyes. Here’s eight kids that stood out from the junior class on Sunday.
Jahdon Robinson | 6’5” WF | LC Bird HS
On the contrary, Robinson showed tremendous explosiveness on Sunday, and with an extra three inches after a growth spurt from last season he’s starting to make highlight reel plays regularly. In transition, he showed no fear as he attacked the rim and threw down some ferocious dunks that shut the gym down mid game. While his big finishes bring energy to everyone on his team, his bread-and-butter will likely be on the defensive end, where he’s able to guard every position on the floor, come help side to contest shots and he’s a good rebounder that can start the break himself. His jump shot continues to improve, and if he can become a consistent threat to score the ball in the half court his game will take a big leap this season.
Shey Webb | 6’3” WF | Northside HS
He had been sidelined a couple months before the event to rest a sore knee, but you couldn’t tell the way that Webb came out and went smack at his opponents from the jump. He was very aggressive offensively, where he showed the ability to make shots on the perimeter and play in the post where he rebounded and used his strong upper body to finish over taller defenders. While he doesn’t have a true position, Webb’s work ethic, blue collar mentality and versatility on both ends of the ball makes him an impact player that’s hard to take out of the game. This will be a big season for him, as he will be looked at to score a lot more for a young, but talented Northside team
Chris Dean | 6’4” WG | Deep Run HS
A big wing with a “do-it-all” type of game, Dean was phenomenal last Sunday, especially on the offensive end where he played well enough to earn a spot in the All Star game. His game can best be described as smooth, as he isn’t super explosive but he’s methodical in his ability to get to the right spots and make shots all over the court. He ran the floor well in transition for easy baskets, knocked down the deep ball and showed that he can create his own shot in isolation situations. He uses his size well to shoot over smaller players, and while he isn’t the best athlete he gave great effort on the defensive end and on the glass as well.
Tyson Hancock | 6’1” WG | Brookville HS
One of the surprises of the camp was Hancock, who is a high energy wing out of Lynchburg that got after it from the moment stations started. His high motor and work ethic didn’t stop once skill work was done however, as he continually made plays whether he had the ball in his hands or not. He showed a lot of toughness on the offensive glass, continually crashing and keeping plays alive against players much bigger than him. He showed a soft touch in the midrange, craftiness in finishing around the rim and was very coachable throughout the event. He firmly put himself on our radar with his play, and we’re expecting to hear more about him moving forward.
Demarieyea Sills | 5’10” PG | Gloucester HS
He was far from the biggest guy at the event, but the fact is that no one could contain Sills as he filled it up with the best of them. A quick point guard with deadly range, he lit it up from the beginning and continued his stellar play throughout the camp, earning him a spot in the All Star game. While he’s short in stature, he showed great strength in the lane and put pressure on the defense every chance he got. He showed a lot of heart and intensity getting after it against bigger names, and if he can do it against them we have no doubts that he’ll be a big time scorer his junior season at Gloucester.
Shyheim Gilkerson | 6’1” PG | Middleburg Academy
Gilkerson has always been a playmaker at the point guard spot, where he owns a lightning quick first step and is able to blow by defenders off the bounce with ease. What was encouraging on Sunday was that he played much more under control and made the right play time and time again. He handled pressure well, finished in the middle well to avoid charges and continually pushed the pace in transition which put defenders on their heels and allowed him to make plays for others. He also showed the ability to be a lockdown on-ball defender and was an efficient finisher in traffic at the basket. He’ll be a nice addition to a Middleburg team that graduated three of their top four guards last season.
Chris Steppe | 6’4” F | Louisa County HS
We had the opportunity to check out Steppe a few times over the summer, and after his performance on Sunday we’re officially intrigued by the upside. Right now he’s a more of an undersized four man that rebounds well, can score in face up situations and alter shots at the basket. However, he showed pretty good lateral quickness when guarding on the perimeter, and a soft touch on his jump shot out to the three point line, which means there could be a chance he develops into a 4/3 combo forward making him a mismatch in either scenario. We will have to see more of Steppe to see if he continues to develop his game, but his ability to post up smaller defenders and step out against bigger posts was impressive.
CJ Ford | 6’6” PF | LC Bird HS
If we gave out a “Mr. Station’s Award,” Ford likely would have been the runaway favorite. The LC Bird big man is still raw, but he takes advantage of every opportunity he has to get better. On the court he has that same blue collar mentality, as he is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win. Sunday he was a monster on the glass on both ends of the floor, showed improvement in his athleticism and conditioning and used his size and motor to find and convert scoring opportunities in the paint. He still has a ways to go, especially on the offensive end, but it’s safe to say that he’s willing to put the time and work in to get better moving forward.