2018 Rankings Updated Free Overview
It’s the final stretch of the 2018 high school season, which means it’s time for our final Class of 2018 Prospect Rankings! We’ve had four years to watch and evaluate prospects from all over the state of Virginia, and the hardest thing do is compare so many different players that we’ve seen. Both Adam considered close to 400 prospects, and to pick and sort out just 150 kids is a difficult thing to do.
Things don’t look much different than before, because we’ve had so long to evaluate the elite prospects, but things have changed from when we began. Here’s a free overview of some of the big things in our rankings, and stay tuned for more in depth breakdowns moving forward, along with other class rankings as well!
Take a look at the 2018 Rankings
Commitments are In, and There’s a ton of Them!
It isn’t the biggest class of division one athletes that we’ve seen in Virginia, but there’s still a large amount of them compared to the rest of the country. So far in our 2018 rankings (to our count), 30 prospects have committed to division one schools, with at least 10 signing to division two programs and numerous signing to division three and NAIA programs as well. Expect more to sign late as well with the transfer rate and schools that are still looking for available players in the class.
New Names and Biggest Movers!
Despite us having four years to do this, there’s still always new kids that we find and new kids that transfer in to the state. There’s also kids who surprise us and take a big leap in each rankings. Here’s a look at some of the new players and biggest movers in the new 2018 class.
Will Richardson | PG | Oak Hill (#3 Overall)
The 6’4” Oregon commit transferred into Oak Hill and immediately became the best point guard in the VA class. The lefty is crafty, can score from all three levels, play on and off the basketball and has the size and athleticism to make an immediate impact at the next level. He’s one of the biggest reasons Oak Hill is looking like a national championship contender.
Maurice Calloo | F | Oak Hill (#16 Overall)
While Richardson has been one of the go-to guys for OHA, Calloo transferred from Huntington Prep and has been the glue guy on their very talented roster. The 6’7” hybrid forward can play inside-out, stretch the defense, guard multiple positions and accepts whatever role his team needs for them to be successful. Calloo hasn’t committed, but is considering a number of mid and high major programs.
BJ Fitzgerald | WG | Carlisle (#31 Overall)
One of the fastest stock risers this past summer, we finally got to see him this season and he definitely lived up to the hype. A 6’5” guard that can play on and off the basketball, he’s a good athlete with good size and a great skill set. He can score from all over the court and has good vision with his the ball in his hands. He holds offers from Radford and Lincoln-Memorial, with interest from a number of division one programs.
Benson Lin | WG | Hargrave (#35 Overall)
The Taiwanese native probably needs to be ranked higher, but we simply haven’t seen him that much, but what we’ve seen is impressive. A 6’4” wing with a high IQ and good stroke, Lin’s understanding of the game and ability to score it from all three levels is quite impressive. He’s a good defender that can guard multiple positions, and he’s a game changing shooter that can take over the game whenever he’s ready.
Marcus Holman | PG | Life Christian Academy (#65 Overall)
Up over 10 spots from the last ranking, Holman has had a sensational senior season and has shown the progression you want out of a high school prospect over four seasons. He’s lighting up the Richmond area, with multiple 30 point games this season and now that he’s finally in a situation that he can show his improved scoring ability he’s doing it at a high level and coaches are taking notice, as he picked up an offer from Alabama A&M earlier this year.
Malik Jordan | PG | Kempsville (#70 Overall)
Jordan hovered around 100 the last couple of rankings, but he’s exploded as a senior and has been one of the most lethal guards in Virginia Beach this year. He didn’t play AAU, so he’s still relatively unknown, but watch this dual threat PG work and you’ll see a scholarship level player that can fit multiple systems.
Josh Whelan | PF | Fort Defiance (#85 Overall)
The West Virginia Tech commit doesn’t play in an area that’s a hotbed for basketball, but the 6’8” power forward was a force for SQBA and the division two school in neighboring West Virginia scooped him up. Unfortunately he suffered a foot injury that has him out for his senior year, but the big man has good hands and feet and is a guy with a lot of potential moving forward.
Krys Lloyd | WG | North Stafford (#91 Overall)
I hadn’t seen Lloyd until this season, and I’ve seen him a couple of times and he’s been impressive each time. The bouncy lefty plays bigger than his 5’10” frame because of his athleticism, but really it’s his shooting prowess that makes him so effective. He has deep range, a quick release and can flat out stroke it when he gets it going.
Still Available Gems for All Levels!
There’s still available players across the state of Virginia that are worth a look for colleges of all levels, including JUCO and NAIA schools. We will be publishing our “Best Available” lists over the next week, looking at some of the best available players from each position at different levels and in different areas.
Positional Preference Per Area
When prepping for the breakdowns, which I plan on doing by area this time, I saw a distinct pattern in what positions thrive in what areas. While there’s players from all over the state in different areas I definitely saw a trend of things as I laid it out.
For example, the Hampton Roads area, or the “757” is loaded with guards, something that the area has become known for. The Nova area, along with the Central and Western VA areas, which both feature the premier private and boarding schools across VA, were stacked with wings, while the Richmond area led the way with the most big men.
While it doesn’t mean much in the long run, it was interesting to see, and I’ll be keeping my eye out to see if that’s a trend in other classes or just in this 2018 class.
The Top 10
1) Keldon Johnson | 6’6″ WF | Oak Hill Academy | Kentucky |
2) Dave McCormack | 6’10” C | Oak Hill Academy | Kansas |
3) Will Richardson | 6’4″ PG | Oak Hill Academy | Oregon |
4) Brandon Slater | 6’6″ WF | Paul VI | Villanova |
5) Jaelin Llewellyn | 6’2″ PG | VES | Princeton |
6) Xavier Johnson | 6’1″ PG | Bishop O’Connell | Nebraska |
7) Keyontae Johnson | 6’5″ WG | Oak Hill Academy | Florida |
8) Rasir Bolton | 6’2″ PG | Massanutten | Penn State |
9) Jason Wade | 6’5″ PG/WG | Trinity Episcopal | ODU |
10) Florent Thamba | 6’9″ C | Mount Mission | Baylor |