2022 Rankings Breakdown: Guards (Part 3)
With the new 2022 rankings will also come in depth breakdowns of every player we ranked in the form of our positional rankings. To get started, we’ll rank the guards throughout the state. There were 19 guys we consider “guards”…
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Continue ReadingWith the new 2022 rankings will also come in depth breakdowns of every player we ranked in the form of our positional rankings. To get started, we’ll rank the guards throughout the state. There were 19 guys we consider “guards” that we ranked, so in part three we will look at 6-1 and give you a breakdown of their games to show why we ranked them where we did. Enjoy and be sure to keep an eye out for more rankings breakdowns throughout the next week or so.
6) Amari Gray | 6’0” | LC Bird (#19 Overall)
Gray leads a very young but deep 2022 LC Bird class that features seven, yes 7, kids who are ranked in the class, but Gray is different because along with big man Keyontae Williams he was on varsity last year and learned from a senior ladened group that came up short in a state tournament run. He can play on or off the basketball, he has a very strong frame and mature game and he’s capable of getting downhill and bullying smaller guards off the bounce. He can finish through traffic, he gets to the line with ease and he’s a big time rebounder for his size on both ends of the floor. With his physical maturity it won’t surprise me to see him be very successful moving forward.
5) Kenyon Giles | 5’10” | Oscar Smith (#17 Overall)
Get ready for a lot of 757 guards, as four of the top five guards in the class are from the Hampton Roads area, starting with Giles who played a major role and had some big time games for Smith who was one of the best teams in all of Class 6 last year. He followed it up by leading the way for Team Loaded VA who ended up as one of the best 15U teams in the country, and Giles has all the traditional traits you like to see out of a point guard. He’s fundamental and smart, he makes plays off the bounce, he can shoot it well from deep when left open and he makes everyone else on the floor better.
4) Kanye Clary | 5’11” | Princess Anne (#10 Overall)
Clary had one of the best seasons of any freshman in the state as he helped revamp the Princess Anne program who could be one of the most surprising teams in the Hampton Roads area. Clary is a dynamic guard who is quick off the bounce and super shifty with the ball in his hands, and he has terrific feel and vision as he makes plays for other guys and can run all their stuff to perfection. He’s great in isolation situations and in transition, he’s becoming and more consistent shooter from deep and he’s a guy who has a competitive chip and will go at anyone in his way. He’s also growing and getting stronger, which bolds well for him moving forward.
3) Donald Hand Jr. | 6’3” | Landstown (#7 Overall)
The difference with this year’s rankings and the few before is that there wasn’t a clear number one and really there’s a number of prospects who could end up at number one, Hand being one of them. He was a huge part of Landstown’s state championship run and will likely be the go-to guy with the ball in his hands for a team that has a decent chance at repeating. Hand’s father was a stand out at UVA and a renowned trainer who has worked with him for a while and his skill set shows that. He’s able to create off the bounce for himself or others, he shoots the basketball well and has good feel for the game on both ends of the floor. He has sprouted to about 6’3”, giving him the best size and stature of any of the guards on this list and that should bold well for him in his recruitment moving forward.
2) Knassir “Dug” McDaniel | 5’9” | Paul VI (#3 Overall)
McDaniel has one heck of a resume, as he started for one of the best teams in the WCAC as a freshman and has attended multiple Team USA Camps. He’s playing for the point guard factory in Paul VI, who under Head Coach Glen Farello has produced multiple high level division one point guards and McDaniel looks like he has the opportunity to be the next one with his playmaking abilities. While he doesn’t have the size of some of the other guys, he has some of the best and most natural feel I’ve seen for a player his age and he has unbelievable passing ability as he can thread the needle and has some flare to it. He’s a streaky shooter but can finish at the rim and in the middle and as he continues to improve as a scorer he’ll be one of the most highly recruited guards on the east coast.
1 Jayden Epps | 6’0” | Kings Fork (#1 Overall)
It wasn’t a slam dunk to put Epps at number one because there were quite a few players we considered for it, but Epps has both the game and the resume that deserves to be at the top of the list. He comes from a basketball family and has been playing against older guys his whole life, so he has a poise and matureness to his game that many young guards don’t have. He’s a smooth athlete that’s strong with the ball, he has good burst with it in his hands and he’s able to create space off the bounce to get his shot off. He’s a three level scorer that can fill it up in bunches and then gets his teammates involved after that, and he’s a good on ball defender as well. He already holds offers from Florida, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, Providence, VCU, and ODU, among others.