Jack’s VA Preps Standouts (Part 2)
It was the second session of the VA Preps Classic held by Matt Hatfield at Churchland this past weekend, and as always the field featured a number of talented teams from all over the state of Virginia. I wasn’t able…
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Continue ReadingIt was the second session of the VA Preps Classic held by Matt Hatfield at Churchland this past weekend, and as always the field featured a number of talented teams from all over the state of Virginia. I wasn’t able to get to all of them, but I was there for the final four games of the day. Below is a list of the scores from those games, and a list of nine standouts from the last two games.
Varina 60 Lake Taylor 57
North Stafford 57 Menchville 52
Western Branch 56 LC Bird 39
John Marshall 78 Oscar Smith 66
Keyontae Lewis | 6’7” PF | LC Bird 2022
The young Skyhawks looked a little rattled in their loss to Western Branch, but young big man Keyontae Lewis showed a lot of the promise that makes him an intriguing prospect. He’s a big guy that is still growing into his body, but he’s able to use his size to carve out space in the paint and he has good touch with both hands around the basket. He finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks in their loss.
Bobby Johnson | 6’2” WG | Western Branch 2021
Johnson earned MVP and rightfully so in their win over Bird, as he was a guy who not only made shots but showed great energy on both ends of the floor. The 6’2” guard is a strong kid who isn’t afraid to be physical with ball handlers, and he showed good consistency from deep and strong finishing in the paint. He was a menace defensively and was great in transition, finishing with 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 rebounds and 2 steals in the win.
Cam Edmonds | 6’2” G | Western Branch 2021
A combo guard that also plays with good energy on both ends, Edmonds has been and continues to be the x-factor for a young but talented Western Branch team. While he didn’t shoot the ball particularly well from deep, he attacked the teeth of the defense well and showed good body control around the basket and finished through contact regularly. He’s a natural athlete on both ends of the floor and he makes winning plays, and he finished with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in the win.
Efrem Johnson | 6’3” G | Western Branch 2022
One of the best young scoring guards in the 757, Johnson didn’t have it clicking for him from a shooting standpoint but he showed that he’s much more than a scorer and a guy who can run the point and make plays for others. He has great size as a ball handler so seeing him being able to be the main guy who initiates the offense was very intriguing, and he made plays for others on drive and kicks and in transition throughout the game. He finished just 3-for-10 from the field with 7 points, but as a scout that doesn’t worry me because I’ve seen that he can score the ball especially well. The fact that he finished with 8 assists, 3 steals and no turnovers bolds very well for him moving forward.
Torrey Jordan | 6’2” WG | Oscar Smith 2020
Jordan is the x-factor for this Oscar Smith team and with their point guard Andre Bottoms dealing with foul trouble he came up big for the team. He’s a smooth shooting wing guard with deep range and the ability to attack closeouts, and he did both of those really well throughout the game. His shooting was a big bonus for them, as he finished with 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field and 3-for-3 shooting from deep.
Kenyon Giles | 5’9” PG | Oscar Smith 2022
Giles continues his tear as a breakout sophomore in the area as he’s been Oscar Smith’s leading scorer throughout the season. He isn’t the biggest guy on the floor but he’s very fundamentally sound, he makes the right play and he shoots the ball particularly well from deep both off the catch and off the bounce. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and never backs down on either end, as he showed he’s a good defender both on and off the basketball as well. He finished with a team high 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting from the field and 6-for-10 from deep while pitching in 4 rebounds as well.
Jason Nelson | 5’9” PG | John Marshall 2021
The floor general for a very talented John Marshall team continues his quest for Class 2 Player of the Year, and while he isn’t the most touted prospect on this group he’s absolutely the straw that stirs the drink. He sets the tone on both ends with his toughness and all out style of play, he controls the game with the ball in his hands and makes others better and he’s become a much improved shot maker that can fill it up in a number of ways. He finished with 22 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field and had 7 assists and 4 rebounds as well.
Roosevelt Wheeler | 6’11” C | John Marshall 2021
A nationally ranked big man who should be recruited by almost all of the high major programs this summer, Wheeler made his impact in the paint on both ends and was as dominant as I’ve seen him be in his three years at JM. He’s very nimble for his size allowing him to run the floor and get off his feet quickly, he has good touch in the paint and he’s able to score on the offensive glass and on duck ins without plays being centered around him. He finished with 26 points, going 8-for-11 from the line, and pitched in 9 rebounds and 2 blocks as well.
Dennis Parker Jr. | 6’6” WG | John Marshall 2023
Parker Jr. is likely going to be a nationally ranked prospect in the 2023 class, and he exhibits a lot of tools that already translate to the next level. At 6’6”, he has great physical and athletic tools and he uses them especially well on the defensive end where he can guard multiple positions and use his length to cause havoc. He can bring the ball up or play off where he moves well without it, he’s a good passer with good feel and he’s a good shooter that should get better over time. He finished with 12 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds in the win.