2021 Most Athletic Prospects

James Richards

May 4, 2020 @ 10:09 AM

Prep Hoops West Virginia released its inaugural 2021 class rankings this week and the updated list features 75 players. Here Prep Hoops takes a look at the top four best athletes in the class of 2021 in WV.   [player_tooltip player_id="977516" first="Ayden" last="Ince"] - Woodrow Wilson 2021 6’6” SF Ince is a solid shooter from the mid range and is a good 3 point shooter. Ayden is a good finisher with both hands, and plays way above the rim. On fastbreaks, he is always looking to put down a crowd pleasing dunk. He has a solid handle and is a decent passer. Ince is a good offensive rebounder. He averaged 2.3 offensive rebounds per game this past season. Defensively, he guards 2-4. He can do this because of his elite athleticism. He stays in front of his man and does a great job playing the passing lanes and stealing passes. Ayden has good speed and moves well laterally. He jumps out of the gym and can jump like that off of 1 or 2 feet. Low major D1’s need to put this kid on their radar.   [player_tooltip player_id="977515" first="Bryson" last="Lucas"] - Robert C. Byrd 2021 6’5” SF [player_tooltip player_id="977515" first="Bryson" last="Lucas"], a two-sport athlete had great seasons’ on both the football field and the basketball court. Lucas is a decent shooter from the mid range and is a decent 3 point shooter. Bryson is a very good finisher with both hands, and plays above the rim as he skies in for highlight reel dunks. He has a solid handle and is a decent passer. Lucas is a good offensive rebounder. He averaged 2.4 offensive rebounds per game this past season. Defensively, he guards 2-4 and does a good job on his assignment. Bryson has good speed and moves well laterally. He jumps extremely well off his left foot and also jumps very well off 2 feet. His numbers this year were good, but they don’t represent how good he actually is. D2’s and low major D1’s need to reach out to him.   [player_tooltip player_id="977527" first="Ryan" last="Niceler"] - University 2021 Niceler, a 6’3” wing, had a great year that wasn’t talked about enough. Niceler is a good shooter from the mid range, shoots the pull up well and is a streaky 3 point shooter. Ryan is a good finisher with both hands, and on the fastbreak will go up and throw one down. He has a solid handle and is a decent passer. Niceler is a good offensive rebounder for his position. Defensively, Niceler can guard 1-3 and is a good defender. Ryan has good speed and moves well laterally. He jumps well off his left foot and he also jumps well off 2 feet. Sometimes he was shadowed, playing alongside two Division I guards and a Division II forward, but he is a player who next year will garner a lot more attention. D2’s and low major D1’s need to reach out to him.   [player_tooltip player_id="977551" first="Shaheed" last="Jackson"] - Wheeling Park 2021 Jackson, a 5’7” combo guard, Jackson is more known for his efforts on the football field. He is a decent finisher, who gets a ton of elevation on his finishes. Jackson doesn’t really shoot jumpers to make a comment on his, but he’s a decent foul shooter. His handle is decent and still needs work, but he is a solid passer and is extremely unselfish. He will always make the extra pass. At just 5’7”, he’s actually a pretty good offensive rebounder. He crashes the boards extremely hard and gets a ton of elevation on his rebounds. Defensively, he is one of the best perimeter defenders in the state. He always had the challenge of guarding the other team’s best guard and did a great job. Shaheed is a solid defensive rebounder. D3’s should contact Jackson.