Vantage Hoops 2017 Rankings: Point Guards (Pt 1)

The Vantage Hoops Virginia 2017 Top 150 Rankings were updated yesterday, and now it's time to take a closer look. Below is part one of our breakdown of the top point guards in the class. Stay tuned for more content, including additional position-by-position break-downs, biggest stock boosters, and more. Matt Coleman | 6'2” | Oak Hill Academy (#2 Overall) He's been the top point guard in the state for the last four years, and last year with Oak Hill he proved to be one of the top guards in the country as he led them to a national championship. Coleman, who's undecided but says he's down to Duke and Texas, has shown time and time again that he's the perfect lead guard to facilitate a talented team, including leading the USA U18 team to a FIBA Gold Medal this summer. He has good burst, controls the pace and sets the tone on both ends of the floor, and can finish in traffic from 15 feet and in. If he can simply do what he did last year, Coleman could leave high school as a two time national champion. Lindell Wigginton | 6'1” | Oak Hill Academy (#5 Overall) He sometimes got overshadowed in Oak Hill's talented backcourt last season, but there's no more sleeping on Wigginton! Rated the best Canadian prospect in high school basketball, the Nova Scotia born combo guard is extremely versatile on the offensive end. He's a score first guard that can break the defense down off the bounce, but he's also a freak athlete that can play off the ball, thrives in transition and attacks the offensive glass for big put backs. He's such a natural that at times he forces things, but when he's allowed to play through his mistakes he almost always makes it up. He recently committed to Iowa State in the Big Ten, where he'll have an opportunity to play a lot of early minutes. Aaron Thompson | 6'3” | Paul VI (#7 Overall) Thompson has been one of the elite guards in the WCAC since his sophomore season, and the Pittsburgh commit is looking to go out on top with both a WCAC and a VISAA Championship. In downhill scenarios he's almost impossible to stop because he's both strong enough to finish through cheap fouls and he's shifty enough to change his body midair to finish. He has incredible feel and vision, and he has the natural ability to stay calm and make good decisions when he's pressured. He's also a lock down defender that pressures ball handlers and reads passing lanes well too. Alex Petrie | 6'3” | St. Christopher's (#17 Overall) Petrie originally reclassified to the 2018 class, and he had a huge summer for River City Reign where he was one of the top scoring guards in the state. However, he decided after the summer that his best fit would be to commit to Lafayette University in the Patriot League for 2017, where he'll have a chance to start from the get-go. He's not the most athletic guard, but he's filled out to where he's stronger than most other guards which allows him to create space in the lane without altering his shot. He has a tight handle and a quick release off the bounce, which has to be frustrating for defenders because he can create separation and let it fly quickly. With the absence of Nick Sherod who's now at Richmond, Petrie should be one of the most dynamic scorers in the Richmond area yet again this year. Jahlil Jenkins | 6'0” | VA Academy (#19 Overall) Talk about a killer, Jenkins comes through in big games and in big situations time and time again, both for VA Academy and for his AAU team Uncommon Bulls. No matter who he's matched up with, he's going to go straight at them The Farleigh-Dickinson commit can score it from all three levels, can shoot it off the catch or off the bounce and handles pressure really well. He works well out of the pick-and-roll, and after he hits a couple of shots it opens up easy scoring opportunities for his teammates. His play in big games has solidified himself as one of the most clutch players in the state. Johquin “Pinky” Wiley | 6'0” | LC Bird (#22 Overall) Wiley may not check all of the boxes when evaluating a point guard prospect, but he checks the most important one which is wins. In his three years at LC Bird, Wiley has never lost at home and has lost less than 10 games total leading the Skyhawks. He has an unreal understanding and feel of the game, as he sees the game one play ahead and is able to make passes and finish over defenders in ways that leave you scratching your head. His feel is also evident on the defensive end, where he constantly gets deflections, jumps passing lanes or swipes shots loose around the basket. A two sport star, “The General,” as his coaches call him, will be looking to win Bird a state title before the season ends. Mastadi Pitt | 6'1” | Hampton (#23 Overall) He's back at Hampton after one season at Atlantic Shores, and the Norfolk State commit leads one of the most talented backcourts in the state. Pitt teams up with two shooters who are both division one commits, and it should make life very easy for Pitt. A strong attacking guard, Pitt lives in the lane where he can finish through contact and drive-and-kick to his shooters. His ability to score at a high level, along with facilitate for his teammates makes him a tough guard for opponents, and if he can accept the leadership role and keep everyone involved the Crabbers will be one of the favorites in 5A this season. George Mawanda-Kalema | 6'1” | Episcopal (#26 Overall) The MVP of the VISAA Division One State Tournament, Mawanda-Kalema is a gym rat who leads by example. He's usually the first one in the gym and the last one out, and you can see that his teammates trust him because of it. He's a good decision maker, works well out of the pick-and-roll, makes shots from all over the court and gives all he has on the court. He protects the basketball while making plays for others, and most importantly he's a lead guard that will do whatever it takes to help his team win. He's also a great student, and he'll be a solid four year player at Brown in the Ivy League.