Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament Standouts – Virginia

<p>The Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament (MAIT) was the country’s most elite tournament so far this year, and Oak Hill was well represented by powerhouse Oak Hill. Here are the players who stood out:</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1107820" first="MJ" last="Rice"], Oak Hill Academy, 6’6", 2022</strong></span></p> <p>Rice is one of the most hyped recruits in the country for a good reason, he’s one of the best combinations of strength and intelligence that I’ve seen this year. The wing went for 18 PPG across 6 games, and in every one of them showed a facet of his game that is elite. He’s a solid shooter, and is elite at getting to the line. He has a special "intentionality" to his game: he only takes shots he thinks he can make, he’s patient on offense and very effective, he knows how to get to the line, and his defensive moves all have specific and high IQ intentions. He can improve defensively, but he has the frame and quickness to be an elite defender in the future. His build is incredible, and he’s big enough to intimidate defenses both in the paint and going downhill. Rice will one day be a household name and is one of the best players that has ever come out of Virginia. </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1091480" first="Camryn" last="Carter"], Oak Hill Academy, 6’2", 2021</strong></span></p> <p>Carter might be the most slept on player in his class. The guard was absolutely killer for Oak Hill all weekend. In Oak Hill’s win over La Lumiere, Carter posted one of the most dominant statlines I’ve seen, finishing with 19 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocks. The senior guard is a great finisher who is an electric athlete. He can finish in traffic and is a menace in transition. He’s got a few solid D1 offers, but should be on more coaches’ radars as the season picks up. Carter has a great feel for the game on both ends and can be a difference maker as a spark off the bench or as a energy player in a high-major starting lineup. </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957885" first="Jalen" last="Ricks"], Oak Hill Academy, 6’7", 2021</strong></span></p> <p>Ricks was a great player for Oak Hill in most games, however, he struggled with some inconsistency across the 6 games for Oak Hill. He was, however, a beast on the boards for the entire tournament. Despite being 6’7" (a bit small to be rebounding over teams who all have 7 footers), Ricks averaged 6 RPG, good for fourth at the tournament. This was as a result of his elite bounce. His athleticism made him very effective for finishing and rebounding. He was also a great shooter at times, and could go on hot streaks that would take over and control games. Ricks is a high D1 guy who will make a big impact on a D1 roster next season.</p>