2018 Rankings Breakdown: Underrated and Under Recruited (Part Two)
It’s that time of the year again! With our new and updated comes new names, new recruitment and more! Over the next few weeks we’ll be breaking down all of our rankings. Today we’ll be featuring seven of the most underrated and under recruited rising seniors in Virginia. Stay tuned to Vantage Hoops for positional breakdowns across each class, and more content on our updated rankings!
Lamont Edmonds | 6’4” WG | Booker T. Washington (#106 Overall)
Hard to think back to my day that a kid from Booker T. Washington would be overlooked, but the fact is Edmonds is extremely talented but plays on a struggling program right now. At 6’4” he has great size on the wing, and he’s a true three level scorer. He can shoot it off the catch, attack and finish in the middle and has the mentality to go at you every time he catches the ball. He’s one of the best wings in the 757 that no one really talks about.
James Nworah | 6’5” PF | North Cross/Roanoke Pacers (#108 Overall)
Relentless is the way to describe Nworah, who brought both an inside presence and experience to a North Cross team that made it to the VISAA Division 3 Quarterfinals. He’s a monster on the glass, and will battle and battle with much bigger posts. He’s not really perimeter oriented, but he can work in face up situations and switch on pick-and-rolls. He’s productive inside, and even if his shot isn’t falling offensively he’s going to continue to work to help his team in whatever way possible.
Keenan Austin | 6’6” PF | Heritage (Lynchburg) (#116 Overall)
Austin is full of potential because he is long, athletic and has a nice looking stroke from 18 feet, and he showcased all of those in the biggest game of the year when they lost in the state quarterfinals. His bounce allows him to make plays on the glass, and while he doesn’t have the softest touch around the basket he can get multiple opportunities. He’s still raw, and looks like he doesn’t have much game experience, but he intrigued us enough to debut him at 116.
Nathaniel Pollard | 6’2” F | Highland Springs/RVA Elite (#123 Overall)
He’s an undersized tweener at the forward position, but Pollard is very productive and efficient when he gets his opportunities. He has a never ending motor, eats the offensive glass and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He was named to the All Conference 12 team his junior season, and with a big senior year college coaches will have to start overlooking his physical limitations.
Tyson Hancock | 6’2” WG | Brookville/CVA Flight (#124 Overall)
He has good size for an off guard, and he still manages to play bigger than most guys at his position. He finishes through traffic around the basket, hits the offensive glass and he’s a shot maker from deep. He’s in an area where he can easily dominate most of his opponents, however he steps up not only his game against better competition, but also his energy and activity.
Latrell Winkey | 5’10” PG | Tandem School/VA Elite (#135 Overall)
A shot making guard that’s relatively unknown because he plays at such a small, academic school in Charlottesville, Winkey is a college prospect at some level. He may not have played the best competition in the state, but he still averaged 28 points per game, and he’s had some big early tournaments with VA Elite. He can shoot it, has a high IQ and plays with a toughness about him that allows him to negate his size against bigger players.
Zach Hatter | 5’11” CG | Waynesboro (#139 Overall)
Another kid that may not pass the looks test and also happens to play in a smaller market, Hatton is a high IQ combo that can make plays in a number of ways. First and foremost he’s a knock down shooter, but he’s also crafty in the middle in the way he finishes and he’s got great vision and feel in transition. He also plays with a chip on his shoulder, so the mix of toughness and IQ makes him a a straight hooper.