Small School Spotlight: D2 Commits in VA

At Prep Hoops, our main mission is to cover prospects of all levels, not just the top players in our markets. As we head into the new year, we thought it would be a good time to highlight some of the prospects who have committed to non D1 schools. Here's a look at 7 players that we know of that have committed to Division 2 schools and what they can bring to their school next year.   [player_tooltip player_id='2459244' first='Amare' last='Cooper'] | 6'3” CG | Monacan } Mount Olive (D2 NC)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tempImagetNEyU6.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/tempImagetNEyU6.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2448643" /></a></figure>   Cooper has been one of the top scorers in the Richmond area over the past few years, and he caught the attention of multiple scholarship level schools, and committing just before the season to Mount Olive who has a history of getting very good players in VA. The 6'3” combo is a walking bucket who can score it effortlessly in different ways, using his shifty and slippery handle to get to the rim, creating space on the ball to knock down shots from deep and in the midrange, and being able to move off the ball and come off screens to make shots on the move.   Emmanuel Villegas | 6'8” C | Benedictine | Emory & Henry (D2 VA)   Villegas is a player we've been watching develop over the past few years, and he ends up with a chance to go play for Emory & Henry in the SAC, a program that is legendary in the Southwestern part of the state. The 6'8” big man has developed nicely as he's grown into his body to get stronger and more athletic, he uses his length well to rebound and challenge shots while also moving his feet well on the defensive end, he has good touch and has improved his range out to the three-point line, and he still has a lot of room to improve moving forward.   [player_tooltip player_id='2459378' first='Jonathan' last='Jennings'] | 6'5” WF | Fairfax Christian | STAC (D2 NY)   Jennings dealt with injuries earlier in his career, but when he came back healthy last year to help Fairfax Christian to a third straight state championship, then followed it up with a big summer with [program_tooltip program_id='2078813' first='VA' last='Premier'], he caught the attention of one of the best D2 programs in the country in St. Thomas Acquinas who has often dipped into the DMV area over the past few years. Jennings has a lot of tools that make me think he could be at a D1 program at some point as he is built to play the game with a long and flexible frame, he's a big time athlete who is dynamite in transition, he is a very good defender both on and off the ball with a great motor, and he can score the ball efficiently without needing a lot of plays ran for him.   [player_tooltip player_id='2605296' first='Messiah' last='Dixon'] | 5'10” PG | Fairfax Christian | Clarion (D2 PA)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/tempImageng69OW.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/03/tempImageng69OW.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2801389" /></a></figure>   Dixon was the heart and soul of FCS run to the state championship last year, and the 5'10” guard is a classic lead guard who is a tone and tempo setter, natural leader and a dual threat as both a scorer and distributor on the offensive end of the floor. Defensively he shines with his ability to pick up full court and also his instincts and quickness to jump passing lanes, he's quick and shifty with the ability to create in both isolation and in ball screens, he is dynamite in transition with his speed and passing ability, and he picks his spots and scores it efficiently from all three levels.   [player_tooltip player_id='2246278' first='Julian' last='Burgdolf'] | 6'0” PG | St. Stephen's St. Agnes | Cal U (D2 PA)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/IMG_5131.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/IMG_5131.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2683842" /></a></figure>   Burgdolf is another classic type of point guard who has started at SSSAS since he was a sophomore, and he's one of those players that you love not only for his skillset and production level, but also as a culture piece who does things the right way, which fits in perfectly at Cal U one of the best teams in the PSAC. Burgdolf plays the game right as he plays with great pace and makes fantastic reads out of ball screens, he is shifty off the bounce and has great footwork to create space to get his shot off, he can score it off the bounce from all over the court, and his high IQ is evident on both ends of the floor too.   [player_tooltip player_id='2618849' first='Collin' last='Bowles'] | 6'2” CG | Massaponax | Shippensburg (D2 PA)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/Bowles-Collin.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/Bowles-Collin.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2963630" /></a></figure>   Bowles was a breakout player going into his junior season, and with his tireless work ethic he has emerged into perhaps the best player in the Fredericksburg area and one of the best shooters in the entire state over the past few years. The 6'2” combo guard is a lights out shooter from deep with great form and in the gym range both off the catch and off the bounce, he has a high IQ and great instincts on both ends of the floor, and with his trajectory of improvement as well as his work ethic there's no doubt he's only going to continue to improve moving forward.   [player_tooltip player_id='1595768' first='Wade' last='Bland'] | 6'3” CG | Stuart Hall | Jefferson University (D2 PA)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/Screen-Shot-2022-09-26-at-2.38.35-PM.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/Screen-Shot-2022-09-26-at-2.38.35-PM.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1603921" /></a></figure>   Bland was a standout for three years at Blacksburg before transferring to Stuart Hall last season where he reclassified to the 2026 class, and in doing so he led the Dragons to a VISAA D-IV state championship and was a First Team All State selection as well. The 6'3” combo guard has shown his ability to succeed in multiple roles as he was a go-to scorer who averaged over 20 a game at Blacksburg then took more of a floor general role at Stuart Hall last season, he is shifty off the bounce and can create space and make shots at multiple levels, he's a high IQ playmaker who makes the right read consistently, and he brings great energy on both ends of the floor too.

At Prep Hoops, our main mission is to cover prospects of all levels, not just the top players in our markets. As we head into the new year, we thought it would be a good time to highlight some of the prospects who have committed to non D1 schools. Here's a look at 7 players that we know of that have committed to Division 2 schools and what they can bring to their school next year.