Updated 2022 Rankings: Wings (15-6)

<p>One of the coolest things about the new Prep Hoops rankings is that it automatically ranks players by position, allowing you to see the rankings among PGs, CGs, SGs, SFs, PFs and Cs. However, new school guys like me who believe in relatively positionless basketball, as the game trends that way, believes that you can simplify the game to just three positions in guards, wings and bigs.</p> <p>So, I took the time to breakdown the rankings into the three positions, and have ranked the top 25 in each position. Here’s a look at some of the top shooting guards and small forwards, looking at numbers 15-6 in the new rankings.</p> <p><strong>15) [player_tooltip player_id="815597" first="Brycen" last="Blaine"] | 6’3” | LC Bird (#39 Overall)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Blaine-Brycen-CBG.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1082840" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Blaine-Brycen-CBG-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>One of the more underrated guys in the Richmond area, Blaine is part of a talented LC Bird team that will have a chance to compete for a state championship this year with him being a part of it. A two way wing that can guard the other team’s best player, he plays with a high motor on both ends and is a good rebounder at the wing position as well. Offensively, he’s a versatile scorer that is a good slasher and can finish through contact, can stick it from deep when left open and makes good reads and passes when he gets downhill.</p> <p><strong>14) [player_tooltip player_id="1107829" first="Tazir" last="Smith"] | 6’3” | VA Academy (#37 Overall)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Smith-Tazir-Head-Shot.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1068043" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Smith-Tazir-Head-Shot-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Smith was a standout at Colgan High School last year before transferring and reclassifying to the 2022 class at VA Academy, and he’s going to be a very promising prospect now. At 6’3” he’s a playmaking wing that can handle it and get in the lane at will, he sees the floor very well and makes good passes and he’s able to create shots for himself and score it from multiple levels as well. He’s a good athlete who’s also a versatile defender that can pretty much guard any of the perimeter positions.</p> <p><strong>13) [player_tooltip player_id="964450" first="Jacob" last="Rice"] | 6’6” | Miller School (#36 Overall)</strong></p> <p>Rice is a breakout candidate in the Charlottesville area as he transferred across town to Miller School from Blue Ridge, and after a great summer he’s going to get a fresh start to show what he can do. A high motor and athletic forward that has a budding skill set, Rice is a guy who is productive on both ends and doesn’t need to dominate the ball to do so. He thrives in transition where he can use his size to finish at the rim, he rebounds on both ends and is a versatile defender that can guard both on the perimeter and in the post. He’s very productive and will be a guy who could see his stock rise moving forward.</p> <p><strong>12) [player_tooltip player_id="815604" first="Camron" last="Kearney"] | 6’4” | Veritas (#35 Overall)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Kearney-Cam.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1089919" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Kearney-Cam-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Kearney has gotten off to a great start this season after transferring from Salem to Veritas, where he’s helped turn them into a contender and beat some good teams already this year. Kearney has the prototypical size and athleticism to play at the division one level, and he has an intriguing skill set including the ability to shoot it from deep and create space off the bounce to make shots from multiple levels.</p> <p><strong>11) [player_tooltip player_id="962786" first="Christian" last="May"] | 6’4” | Bishop O’Connell (#33 Overall)</strong></p> <p>May is part of an incoming crop to O’Connell that should make a big impact for a team that was very young but talented last year, and coming from rival PVI he has a chance to get some much more needed opportunity on this group. A hyper athletic wing with good size and a good motor, May is an energy guy who brings it on both ends of the floor and is a workman on the glass as well. He can defend multiple positions, he can make shots from deep when left open and he plays well above the rim in transition and in traffic.</p> <p><strong>10) [player_tooltip player_id="815607" first="Cavan" last="Reilly"] | 6’3” | Bishop O’Connell (#26 Overall)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Reilly-Cavan-Head-Shot.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1069409" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Reilly-Cavan-Head-Shot-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Reilly is another guy who will join May as a transfer to O’Connell, and after being a key part of Middleburg’s run to the state semifinals last year he’ll be a welcome addition with his ability to impact the game on both ends. Reilly is a three-and-d kind of guy who can light it up from deep on the catch and on the move, he’s terrific off the ball defensively as he can jump passing lanes and step in to take charges and he’s a high IQ guy who makes winning plays regularly. He’s an all-around skilled guy who can be a secondary ball handler and is an underrated athlete and finisher as well.</p> <p><strong>9) [player_tooltip player_id="815587" first="George" last="Beal"] | 6’4” | King’s Fork (#25 Overall)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Beale-George.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1027927" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Beale-George-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Beal was a standout on the King’s Fork team that were named co-champions last year due to the coronavirus pandemic canceling the championship game, and while he’s dealt with some injuries he’s shown some big time potential moving forward. He’s a terrific athlete with great size on the wing, and he plays with a high motor so he is very productive on both ends of the floor and makes energy plays for his team. He’s able to guard multiple positions across the board, he rebounds the basketball on both ends and he thrives in transition where he can use his size and athleticism to finish at and above the rim when he gets downhill.</p> <p><strong>8) [player_tooltip player_id="1107825" first="Carmelo" last="Pacheco"] | 6’4” | Spotswood (#24 Overall)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/0-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1071064" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/0-1-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Pacheco is one of the best prospects in the Harrisonburg area as he was the only sophomore named to the Class 3 All State team, and he’s improved even more over the summer and is set to see his recruitment take off when he gets a chance to play in front of college coaches. The 6’4” wing is a knock down shooter from deep with good size, and he has a great IQ and feel for the game on both ends of the floor and has improved as a defender and looks like he could be a three-and-d guy at the next level. He plays the game with good energy and understands spacing and works well off the ball, he has a quick release and great form from deep and he’s able to attack closeouts and either finish or make plays for others when he gets in the lane.</p> <p><strong>7) [player_tooltip player_id="1107824" first="James" last="Patterson"] | 6’5” | Carmel School (#22 Overall)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Patterson-James-CBG.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1082505" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Patterson-James-CBG-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Patterson is set to be the breakout guy in the Richmond area this year and see his stock go through the roof now that he’s reclassified to the 2022 class and transferred to Carmel School. He’s a highly productive wing with good size that plays well on both ends of the floor, and the energy and versatility he brings to a team is very impressive moving forward. The 6’5” wing is a guy who can create shots on the ball and make them from deep when he’s off the ball, he’s an athletic finisher who can do it above the rim through traffic or in transition and he’s a good defender and rebounder as well.</p> <p><strong>6) [player_tooltip player_id="962789" first="Davin" last="Cosby"] | 6’3” | John Marshall (#20 Overall)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Cosby-Davin-CBG.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1064009" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Cosby-Davin-CBG-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Cosby is another guy who is set to be breakout candidate in the Richmond area and should see his stock go through the roof with his size and ability to shoot the basketball at a very high clip from deep. He’s one of those shooters that has supreme confidence and knows that his role is to work to get open and stretch the defense, and he’s a guy who can get hot very quickly after making one and can string a number in a row and take over a game doing so. He’s shown improvement in his athleticism and ability to make plays off the bounce, he has an improved handle and he’s a good rebounder as an off guard as well.</p>