6 NOVA Players That Could Take the Junior Jump This Year

It's common knowledge that players often breakout in their junior season, the "junior jump" as it's referred to by scouts and coaches. With the season approaching rapidly, we're going to take a look at six players in the Northern VA area I expect to take that junior jump and make themselves known as prospects that coaches should keep an eye out for.   [player_tooltip player_id='2546241' first='Micah' last='Young'] | 6'3” WG | Gainesville   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/Young-Micah.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/Young-Micah.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2962203" /></a></figure>   Young came on our radar as a young player at PVI a few years ago, and he's now at Gainesville with a talented group and has looked like he's made a lot of progression in the past few years this fall. The 6'3” wing has grown into his body and has a strong frame with explosive downhill athleticism he can put on display at any given moment, he shoots it well from deep with good range off the catch, he is super dynamic in transition and he has all the tools to be a lock down defender as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='2815378' first='Trey' last='Lonardo'] | 6'4” SF | George Marshall   Lonardo had a good sophomore season for Marshall showing flashes of brilliance and having some big time games when they needed him to, and this fall he's showing that he is ready to be the go-to guy for this group moving forward. The 6'4” wing is super versatile on the offensive end with the ability to shoot it from beyond the arc and post up smaller defenders in the paint, he looked aggressive when we watched him attacking off the bounce and hunting his shot, he's a sneaky athlete who is a good rebounder for his size, and he has good intangibles and a knack for making the right play consistently.   Jordan Garland | 6'3” SF | Heritage   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/Garland-Jordan.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/Garland-Jordan.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2962205" /></a></figure>   Garland is a new name in the NOVA area to keep an eye on, as the 6'3” wing has a ton of upside and seems to be figuring out how to put it together and be more productive across the board. He has a great frame and is a big time athlete when he gets out in transition or gets downhill and to the rim, he can make open shots off the catch from deep, he can use his strength to guard multiple positions, and he plays with a good motor on both ends too.   [player_tooltip player_id='2896959' first='Daniel' last='Russell'] | 6'9” C | Potomac School   Russell came onto the scene at the DMV Live this summer with Potomac School, giving them a much needed presence in the paint, and he's going to be an absolute matchup nightmare for teams this year and should be a double-double machine for them. At 6'9” he's strong in the paint with good touch around the rim and is able to play through contact, he can run the floor and finish above the rim, he is a good rebounder and rim protector, and he can stretch the floor and makes his free throws consistently too.   Chuma Achusufi | 6'2” SG | Episcopal   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Screen-Shot-2023-10-28-at-4.29.48-PM.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/Screen-Shot-2023-10-28-at-4.29.48-PM.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2258032" /></a></figure>   Achusufi is part of an Episcopal junior group that showed tons of promise last year, and coming off a big summer with AKT I expect him to build upon that and increase his scoring numbers this year. The lefty guard is a sniper from deep with a quick release and a ton of confidence off the catch, he has a quick first step and good speed in transition to get to the rim and finishes well over bigger defenders, he brings great energy defensively and jumps passing lanes for easy buckets, and he brings a lot of toughness and the ability to get hot and ring off points in bunches when he gets it going.   [player_tooltip player_id='2780037' first='Tal' last='Rose'] | 6'7” PF | VA Academy   Rose had a great season last year at Loudoun Valley, and opted to transfer to VA Academy and reclassify to the 2027 class to give him another year to develop, and he's in a good situation to make a name for himself with this group. The 6'7” forward is a versatile player and a tough matchup as he can stretch the floor and is a knock down shooter from deep, he uses his size well to shoot over defenders in the midrange and in post ups, he can deck it and attack closeouts and use his size to finish at the rim, and he can switch and guard multiple positions too.

It's common knowledge that players often breakout in their junior season, the "junior jump" as it's referred to by scouts and coaches. With the season approaching rapidly, we're going to take a look at six players in the Northern VA area I expect to take that junior jump and make themselves known as prospects that coaches should keep an eye out for.