Who are Some of the High Flyers in the 2028 Class?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the debut of our first ever Virginia 2028 class rankings last month, we'll take a deep dive into some of the players and their strengths now as we continue to watch them develop. Here's a look at some of the top above the rim finishers in the sophomore class in VA.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2916369' first='Isaac' last='Smith'] | 6'6” SF | Hargrave (#2 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2724494,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/tempImage3ERkbd.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/tempImage3ERkbd.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2724494" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smith made his presence felt early on as a freshman for GW Danville where he was named First Team All State, and followed it up with a great summer on the Nike E15 Circuit with Team United, and now will head to Hargrave next season to play for their varsity team before possibly moving up to their Prep team in a year or so. There's a lot to like about him as a long term prospect as he has great size and ball skills to play on the perimeter and can knock down shots from deep at a good clip, but his explosive athleticism is well beyond what you see for most players his age, as he can attack and finish with authority in transition and when he gets downhill, and he makes it look very effortless with his fluidity and high flying ability.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2916383' first='Rashad' last='Shaw'] | 6'2” CG | Landstown (#8 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shaw had a huge freshman season for Landstown which has one of the most talented young teams in the state, and when it comes to guards his size I can't remember the last time I saw one as explosive as he is at this young of an age. Within the first week of the season there were clips of him throwing down monstrous slams with one or two hands, showing the ability to get a head of steam in transition, but also showing his ability to jump off of two feet and even dunk off of drop steps, and couple that with his ability to create shots and defend, he's got a bright future ahead of him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2353668' first='Kamdon' last='Brangman-Cain'] | 6'4” SG | Blue Ridge (#10 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brangman-Cain transfers to Blue Ridge this season and will reclassify to the 2028 class after two impressive seasons at Gainesville, and if there's one thing we know about him he has major upside with his blend of size, athleticism and skillset at his size for his age. The 6'4” off guard is tremendous getting downhill where he is fearless taking off and challenging defenders at the rim, he is dynamite in transition where he can handle it or run the floor and catch lobs, and he can use his length and athleticism on the defensive end as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2815380' first='Jayden' last='Banks'] | 6'5” SF | Highland (#16 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Banks is a player to keep an eye on at Highland as he was called up midway through the season from JV to contribute on their state championship team, and with a reclass year to the 2028 class he's starting to come into his own athletically and physically as he's growing into his body. The 6'5” wing is a smooth athlete who can get downhill and take off to play above the rim off of one or two feet, he is getting stronger to be able to take contact when he gets to the rim, and he is just scratching the surface not only with his athleticism but with his skillset as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2918931' first='Jarrell' last='Hurt'] | 6'7” PF | Henrico (#23 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hurt had a great freshman season for Henrico stepping in right away to play big minutes for a team that needed size even if he wasn't fully ready, but when watching him this summer you can see it starting to click with him improving his body and getting more explosive as well. He's a power big who can drop step and clear out space and throw it down with authority off of two feet, he brings energy with his thunderous dunks, and he's still growing so it's only going to get easier and more intimidating as he continues to develop.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->