Nova Hoops Classic Junior Standouts

The Nova Hoops Classic Junior Standouts section highlights some of the most talented and impactful juniors who took the court during this year's event. These rising stars demonstrated advanced skill sets, leadership qualities, and a competitive edge that set them apart from their peers. Their performances not only energized their teams but also provided a glimpse into the next generation of high school basketball talent in the DMV region. From scoring ability to defensive prowess and versatility, these juniors made their mark and are poised to become household names as they continue to develop and lead their programs.    An uber versatile forward, Amir Payne loves to compete and will do anything he can to win games. He brought constant energy. A player to watch this season. Amir is a solid forward who scores and finishes in traffic, creative off the bounce, sharp anticipation, knocks down jumpers, competitive defender, initiates contact & highly intelligent. Finish the game with 11 points 4-4 from the field, 1-1 from the 3pt line, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steals.     Rose made his presence felt and his ability to use the long wingspan and timing grabbing rebounds and showed he could score from all 3 levels. Rose has nice touch on shots within 15 feet, has a decent handle to get downhill off the wing, and uses the pull-up jumper effectively. Rose has a good motor, stays in the play, and as his perimeter game develops, he will be a handful on offense, as well as one of the top two-way players on the Virginia Academy team. Finished the game with 11 points on 6-12 from the field, 1-3 from the 3pt line, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.     Gray displayed relentless on-ball defense, as well as his ability to control the pace of play at the lead guard position. Gray hard noise southpaw who has active hands to get deflections and steals that lead to open-court buckets. Gray has solid handles, the moves to create off the dribble, good change of speed with the ball in hand, and is a creative finisher around the basket. Gray is accurate with the 3-ball off the bounce and the catch and shoot, with the court vision to make plays when on the attack. Scores in volume…Finish the game with 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.     Uzziah is a massive young man he is a load to once he gets the ball on the block. Despite his size he is nimble big who can really drive and finish around the rim with purpose. The 6-9 possesses solid footwork for his size, nice shooting touch and a lot of grit. Morton finished with a team-best 15 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to Bishop Ireton. If Uzziah ever gets in shape he has the potential to be a legit Division 1 prospect. He's a dangerous inside player who is a nifty shooter as well and good free throw shooter.     This was my second time seeing Garris play with the Potomac school program in the last month and the combination of size, shooting ability, and skill set are very impressive, and another Class of 2027 prospect that could jump up the ranks over the course of this upcoming season. Garris has enough handle and moves to create shots off the dribble, has nice touch around the basket, makes good reads off the pick and roll as a threat from both outside and in the paint, and has a smooth and accurate shot from the 3-point line with range. Garris can defend the 3 through 5, does a solid job on the glass, provides second-chance points, and has good court vision to make reads from the high post or from the wing finding cutters. Garris is one to keep an eye on over the next two years and is making the most of his opportunities. In 23 minutes of play Garris scored 7 points, 3-4 from the field, 13 (7 def/6 off) rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal.

The Nova Hoops Classic Junior Standouts section highlights some of the most talented and impactful juniors who took the court during this year's event. These rising stars demonstrated advanced skill sets, leadership qualities, and a competitive edge that set them apart from their peers. Their performances not only energized their teams but also provided a glimpse into the next generation of high school basketball talent in the DMV region. From scoring ability to defensive prowess and versatility, these juniors made their mark and are poised to become household names as they continue to develop and lead their programs.