2024 Names You’ll Learn This Year (Part 1)
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With the high school season fast approaching, we are taking a look at some of the young guns in the state that are ready to become household names in the 2024 class. While there’s already quite a few that you…
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Continue ReadingWith the high school season fast approaching, we are taking a look at some of the young guns in the state that are ready to become household names in the 2024 class. While there’s already quite a few that you know, here’s a look at part one of some of the sophomores you’ll get to know this year.
Damon Thompson Damon Thompson 6'0" | PG John Marshall | 2024 State VA | 6’0” PG | John Marshall
Thompson is already starting to get collegiate attention as he already holds a slew of division one offers, and at a program like John Marshall that has produced division one point guards over the past decade that shouldn’t be a surprise. Thompson showed flashes with Blue Magic in their club Covid season last year in numerous CBG events and some other events, and he had a big summer as the go-to guy on Team Loaded VA’s talented 15U team. He’s a smooth operator at the guard position who is crafty and skilled off the bounce, can create and make tough shots from all three levels and is highly skilled as a scorer and a distributor.
Isaiah Abraham Isaiah Abraham 6'7" | SG Paul VI | 2024 State #62 Nation VA | 6’6” SF | Highland School
Abraham has the chance to be a big time prospect with his freak physical and athletic tools, and he showed flashes on a Highland School team that was riddled with upperclassman talent last year and should be a much more focal point to their group this year. He showed how good he was compared to competition in his own grade as he was dominant for Team Takeover 15s last year, and he’s simply well beyond most wings his age as far as his athleticism and ability to make plays others just can’t. He’s a two way impact player that can guard multiple positions and rebounds well for his position, he can play on and off the ball and is a menace at the rim and he continues to improve on his ability to create and make shots from multiple levels on and off the ball.
Machi Chester Machi Chester 6'3" | PG Friendship Collegiate | 2024 State MD | 6’3” SG | Bishop O’Connell
Chester is part of a very talented 2024 group at O’Connell, some that are already well known and some that are ready to make a name for themselves, and Chester is one of them I expect to solidify himself as one of the top young prospects in the DMV. He doesn’t look like a sophomore with his strong frame and size, and he has good athleticism and looks very natural as he is a fluid athlete and has a good skill set already. He’s able to handle in transition and make plays for himself and others, he can create in isolation situations and he’s able to score it in bunches from multiple levels.
Zekhi Darden Zekhi Darden 6'5" | SF King's Fork | 2024 State VA | 6’5” SF | King’s Fork
Darden showed flashes as a freshman playing with Peanut City’s club team in their Covid season in multiple CBG events and other events, and he had a good summer with Boo Williams and Team Loaded 757 too. His long term potential is evident as he’s long and very athletic, he plays with a great motor and does the dirty work on both ends and he continues to show improvement on the offensive end and could turn into a very versatile player that can play inside and out. He’s improving as a shooter off the catch and makes great energy plays on both ends, and as the season progresses I see him becoming a very important piece for a King’s Fork team that should compete for a state championship.
Josiah Rickards Josiah Rickards 6'3" | CG Catholic | 2024 State VA | 6’4” SG | Catholic
Rickards reclassified to the 2024 class after having a strong season last year for Catholic, and I expect him to be one of the top players in the TCIS this season. The 6’4” two guard is smooth in every sense as he’s a good athlete and has good strength for his age, he can play on and off the basketball and make plays for himself and others and the game just seems to come very easily to him. He can score it in bunches from all over the floor and is very efficient, and he can impact the game in a number of different ways.
Abu Yarmah Abu Yarmah 6'5" | PF Patrick-Henry (Roanoke) | 2024 VA | 6’4” PF | Patrick Henry (Roanoke)
Yarmah turned some heads in western VA last year as he started for a PH group that made it to the state semifinal before falling to eventual state champs Stone Bridge, and he has tons of potential moving forward. He’s very advanced for his age as far as his physical and athletic tools, and he’s able to make plays others simply can’t at his age. He plays well above the rim and rebounds well on both ends, he can guard multiple positions and he impacts the game in a number of ways both in the stat sheet and in ways that don’t show up on the stat sheet.