NOVA starting 5: Class of 2027

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2027 class is loaded in NOVA. So many freshmen immediately impacted their team, some not even listed here. Here are the starting 5 in NOVA for 2027.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HM [player_tooltip player_id='2353638' first='Kevin' last='McClinton Jr.']<br></strong>Kevin McClinton is a solid combo guard for Wakefield. He does a lot of things well and has huge potential. He is a good passer and can knock down open threes. Kevin's handle is solid, and he is a good defender. Kevin is a player to watch down the line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HM [player_tooltip player_id='2353624' first='JJ' last='Stanford']<br></strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2353624' first='JJ' last='Stanford'] is a player to watch out for this summer. He had a great year for Stone Bridge and still has a lot of room to grow. He led Stone Bridge in scoring, averaging 12.6 PPG. JJ is a good shooter and a good athlete with a nice frame. When he cleans up some of the mistakes he tends to make, which comes with age, he will be a force.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2353612"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"JJ Bell had an excellent year for Gar-Field. Gar-Field plays in a good conference against some talented teams, and JJ was still able to produce. JJ is a high-level shooter and a great mover without the ball. He gets his shot off quickly and has a nice release. JJ had some big scoring games, and I expect him to become more dynamic as a scorer with age.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["2353657"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='2353657' first='Kaylen' last='Chilton'] led a solid Woodson team in scoring this year, and when I had the chance to watch him in the district playoffs, he impressed me. Kaylen is athletic and a great two-way player. He scored the ball well this year and is a good shooter. He has a high IQ and very good vision. Kaylen is one of the best guards in the class and was an easy choice for me here.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["2353625"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='2353625' first='Andrew' last='Ross'] has been outstanding for St. Stephen's St. Agnes this year. He is a versatile player with a great IQ for a freshman. Andrew is good with the ball and moves well without it. He is a good scorer and has a lot of potential on defense. Andrew is a combo guard right now, but over time, I could see that changing. Andrew is the number one ranked Freshman in the state, and he contributed to SSAS in a big way.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["2353646"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Whenever I watched [player_tooltip player_id='2353646' first='Simas' last='Kacerauskas'] this year, his defensive ability and disruptive nature stood out to me. He can shoot the ball a little bit, and he was a riser to me early in the season. He is a good finisher, and even though he's left-handed, he is comfortable finishing on his right. He has the versatility to play multiple positions, and he was an easy choice for me at one of my forward spots.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["2353633"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"At the Center spot, I have Bishop Ireton big Matt Mena. Matt started out a little rough, but towards the end of the year, he was fantastic. Matt is 6'7u0022, which is obviously big, but it feels like he is a lot bigger than that. He has excellent post moves and finishes nicely on either side. Mena has a solid jump shot and is strong. Matt was as impactful as any freshman big in the state late in the year.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66087e327e58e"} /-->