VA Recruiting Recap: New Commitments

<p>Although college coaches can’t be in person at grassroots events, there have been plenty that have taken notice through services and live streams and have started to recruit new guys in doing so. We will take a look at some of the recruitment frenzy going on right now, starting with six guys in the 2020 and 2021 class who have recently committed to schools.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="798691" first="Jason" last="Nelson"] | 5’8" PG | John Marshall 2021 (University of Richmond)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Nelson-Jason-JM.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1015341" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Nelson-Jason-JM-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Nelson seemed like he was destined for U of R from the moment I watched him, and the school has had a ton of success with smaller guards in the past and with this current team as well so it seems to be a great fit. He’s one of the most skilled and smartest lead guards I’ve watched, and despite his height he has this killer instinct and so many tricks in his bag he can score against almost anyone put in front of him. He’ll stay home and have a chance to continue to help continue to build a program with them for the foreseeable future.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="798696" first="Garrett" last="Johnson"] | 6’6” F | Episcopal 2021 (Committed to Princeton)</strong></p> <p>Johnson emerged as one of the top high academic forwards on the east coast over the summer and at one point had over 20 offers and it seemed like he was getting one every day. He stayed true to his high academic wants and needs and chose to take his talent to Princeton starting next year, saying that he believes the Ivy League is on the come up. At his size with his explosion in transition and his ability to shoot the rock from deep, Johnson has tremendous potential in that league and could be an immediate impact guy depending on how he develops this year.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="798682" first="Elvin" last="Edmonds"] | 6’2” CG | Hopewell 2021 (Committed to Bucknell)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Edmonds-Elvin-MVP.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1023817" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Edmonds-Elvin-MVP-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Edmonds’ recruitment had been somewhat of an enigma to me because it was so quiet for so long, but once high academic schools started to watch him and realized the student he was they jumped all over him. Edmonds’ game fits perfectly in the Patriot League as he’s a highly skilled guard that can make shots at a very high rate and can play on or off the basketball. He’s heady, strong and very productive, and the way he shoots the rock he shouldn’t have any problems finding his way onto the floor sooner rather than later.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957886" first="Mark" last="Sears"] | 6’0” CG | Hargrave 2020 (Committed to Ohio)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Sears-Mark.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1023818" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Sears-Mark-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Sears was supposed to come back to Hargrave next year but when Head Coach Lee Martin split to take an assistant job at Ohio it didn’t take long for Sears to reclassify up and follow his coach to the MAC. A guy who saw high major interest and would have seen more if he stayed ’21, he’s a guy with tons of tools and a lot of potential despite being just 6’0”. He’s got a strong frame and is explosive around the rim, he can score it in a number of ways and makes others better and he’s a competitor that brings it every day.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="687581" first="Klemen" last="Vuga"] | 6’9” PF | VES 2020 (Committed to Monmouth)</strong></p> <p>Vuga was a late commit to Monmouth, committing in July, but he could end up being a huge steal for them moving forward. A euro style big, Vuga is extremely skilled for his size as he’s able to play inside and out, he has the ability to make shots from all over and he can handle the rock on the perimeter as well. He has a nice array of moves both on the perimeter and in the post, and had he been healthy for his senior year he could have been a very sought after prospect.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="687585" first="Andre" last="Bottoms"] | 6’0” PG | Oscar Smith 2020 (Committed to Norfolk State)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Bottoms-Andre-MVP.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1023821" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Bottoms-Andre-MVP-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Bottoms was a fixture in the 757 season his whole career, as he started all four years at Oscar Smith, one of the most successful programs in the area. He’ll stay at home heading to Norfolk State, where he’ll join a host of local talent that has seen success for the MEAC program. He’s a guy who brings a great work ethic, along with a solid skill set and a great feel and understanding for the game, and he’ll make others better while also competing for a spot on the floor too.</p>