Updated 2021 Rankings: Wings Rankings (5-1)

<p>One of the coolest things about the new Prep Hoops Rankings is that they automatically rank the players by positions as well. Within the rankings you can see the rankings for point guards, combo guards, shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards and centers. However, I have a different way of thinking of the game now, and believe the positions in basketball are now just guards, wings and bigs.</p> <p>So we’ll be breaking down the top 25 of each in those positions. Here’s a look at the top 5 ranked wings in the updated class of 2021 rankings in the state of VA.</p> <p><strong>5) Wes Peterson Jr. | 6’5” | Bishop O’Connell (#16 Overall)</strong></p> <p>Paterson has quietly been one of the best wings in the WCAC over the past few years, and he has an impressive offer sheet of close to double digit schools from multiple conferences. He fits the prototype as he has a great frame and good strength, he’s athletic when attacking the rim and rebounding and he’s able to make shots from deep when he’s left open. At times he can be streaky as a scorer but he’s a smart kid who’s capable of making plays for others and he’s a good defender who brings it on both ends as well.</p> <p><strong>4) [player_tooltip player_id="957889" first="Anouar" last="Mellouk"] | 6’7” | Fork Union (#14 Overall)</strong></p> [caption id="attachment_1090078" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/IMG_2753.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1090078" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/IMG_2753-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> Photo: Shelly Shuman athletics.forkunion.com[/caption] <p>Mellouk was the guy that I called the best kept secret in VA and had a chance to have a huge summer if AAU ball didn’t get canceled, but he’s wasted no time as he’s had a fantastic start to the season for FUMA’s post grad team. The 6’7” forward from The Netherlands is very versatile as he can play both forward positions and pretty much guard any position on the court, and you can also see that while he’s skilled and athletic he is still only scratching the surface with how good he can be moving forward. He plays with a great motor on both ends, he’s long and athletic allowing him to rebound and block shots on the defensive end, he can stick it from deep when left open and he can handle and finish above the rim in transition. This will be his breakout year, and he’s already picked up an offer from Wyoming and I could see a lot more schools getting involved if he continues the way he has started.</p> <p><strong>3) [player_tooltip player_id="798696" first="Garrett" last="Johnson"] | 6’7” | Episcopal (#11 Overall)</strong></p> <p>There was one point during the summer where it seemed like Johnson was picking up a new offer every single day if not more than one offer, and the way that he’s improved over the past few years makes it very easy to see why. First off, he sprouted up from about 6’4” to 6’7” over the past few years, which is always nice, and that just added to him as a guy who could play at the rim and make shots from deep. His new found size and improved aggression made him a walking mismatch as a guy who could play some small ball four and could also play the two or the three, and he improved in his ability to score it from other levels and become more aggressive as a scorer. He picked Princeton of the Ivy League over a number of other schools, and if he continues to develop he’ll be a problem for an already very talented team.</p> <p><strong>2) [player_tooltip player_id="957885" first="Jalen" last="Ricks"] | 6’6” | Oak Hill Academy (#3 Overall)</strong></p> <p>Ricks is one of the only returning players for Oak Hill from last year’s very successful team that would have competed for a national championship if the tournament wasn’t canceled, and so far this year he’s looked like he’s ready to take on a better role moving forward. The 6’6” forward is versatile on both ends as he can play and guard multiple positions, he’s a natural athlete that plays well above the rim and he’s always around the basketball as a good rebounder and a guy who puts himself in easy positions to score. He can make shots from deep, he’s a good defender and he’s a guy who you can rely on to handle it in transition or make the right pass as well. He holds offers from a number of high major programs and is one of the top available wings in the country.</p> <p><strong>1) [player_tooltip player_id="543841" first="Trevor" last="Keels"] | 6’4” | Paul VI (#1 Overall)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/05/Keels-Trevor-Head-Shot.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1012353" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/05/Keels-Trevor-Head-Shot-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>If Ricks is one of the top available wings on the east coast, Keels may be the top guy, at least in the entire mid-atlantic region. Keels has been a starter for PVI since his freshman season, has competed at the highest levels in both high school and AAU basketball and has been successful in both and he’s one of those guys that just gets it done in pretty much every which way on the court. He’s an excellent defender who moves his feet well, he rebounds the ball well from the two guard spot, he can score it from multiple levels both on and off the basketball, he’s unselfish and makes great reads and he’s a super likable guy that teammates love to play with. He’s been a winner at every level and whatever school is able to lock him in late is going to be doing a lot of celebrating moving forward.</p>