Unranked 2028 Gems Making a Splash

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While we pride ourselves in our class rankings in Virginia, it's simply impossible to rank every single player and sometimes we miss some. With that being said, here's a look at five sophomores who are making us look dumb for leaving them out of the rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3244002' first='Kris' last='Woods'] | 6'0” CG | Eastern Mennonite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Woods has been having a breakout season for EMHS, and the 6'0” combo guard has a lot of game that will only get better with time moving forward. He's a quick and shifty guard who can create space and score it from multiple levels, he is dynamite in transition with his speed and finishing ability, he can move off the ball and knock down shots from deep, and he can make plays for others as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2546116' first='Jake' last='Bryan'] | 6'2” CG | Meridian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2552816,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/720-Jake-Bryan.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/720-Jake-Bryan.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2552816" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bryan is having a great season for Meridian who is having a big season and looks to make a run in the state tournament in a few weeks, and despite just being a sophomore he's been a big part of that success. He's really found a role as someone who can score it but doesn't need to take away from their senior leaders, he shoots a good ball from deep and is great in 1-2 dribble pull-ups, he can finish through traffic when he attacks closeouts, and he does all the little things to help his team win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2402934' first='Evan' last='Custis'] | 6'1” SF | Christiansburg</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The son of former Virginia Tech standout Ace Custis, Evan is starting to come into his own as he's in the middle of a huge growth spurt and has shown huge flashes of athleticism throughout the season. While he's only 6'1” now he's starting to grow the way his 6'7” father did, he aggressively attacks downhill and will take anyone to the rim with him that he can, he's an excellent on ball defender and help side shot blocker, and he's just scratching the surface with how good he can be.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3363680' first='Yasin' last='Hammad'] | 6'1” PG | Battlefield</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hammad is having a breakout sophomore season for Battlefield as he's been a steady and productive two way player that looks like he's going to be a big time player for them moving forward. The 6'1” lead guard is able to run the show and make plays for others both in transition and in the half court, he scores the ball efficiently from multiple levels both on and off the ball, he rebounds well for his position, and he sets the tone defensively with good instincts and hands too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2456622' first='Ryder' last='McClure'] | 5'10” PG | John S. Battle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While he's not the biggest guy, McClure has had a great start to his high school career and looks like he'll be one of the top guards in the SWVA area over the next couple of seasons. The 5'10” lead guard is shifty off the bounce with the ability to get in the lane and draw defenders with great passing ability to make plays, he's a crafty finisher around the rim, he can move off the ball and knock down open shots, and he's a very good charge taker defensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->