VA Recruiting Roundtable: 2022 Commitments

<p>Now that the live periods have ended, we’ll take a look at some of the recruitment of the top players in the state. While it’s still early, some of the best players in the VA area have committed, mostly to high major programs. Here’s a look at some of them as of 8/5/21.</p> <p><strong>Jayden Epps | 6’1” PG | Committed to Illinois</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Epps-Jayden-2K21.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1246132" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Epps-Jayden-2K21-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p><em>What is Illinois getting?</em></p> <p>Epps, who will spend his senior season at Combine Academy in North Carolina after his past few seasons at King’s Fork, is an elite scoring guard that can fill it up in bunches and in a number of ways. Originally committed to Providence before decomitting before the AAU season, Epps is a quick and strong guard with great balance off the bounce, he can get in the lane at will and hit an array of floaters and runners and he has deep range when he gets it going. He has a killer mentality and brings it on both ends and if there’s one thing he’ll do from day one in Champagne it is compete against whoever is put in front of him.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1091481" first="Elijah" last="Kennedy"] | 6’3” WG | Committed to Florida</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Kennedy-Elijah-BWSL.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1207521" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Kennedy-Elijah-BWSL-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p><em>What is Florida getting?</em></p> <p>Kennedy was set to go to Combine as well but play on the post grad team, before he blew up over the summer and caught the eyes of many programs including the Gators who invited him to come join the team this year which he accepted. Whether they plan on redshirting him or not, Kennedy is a late bloomer who has sky rocketed up recruiting boards with his mix of length, athleticism and shot making ability. He’s a player you have to let go as he can take over games with his ability to shoot it from deep, make contested shots and he plays with great energy, and he’s someone who has room to get better moving forward.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="815578" first="Knasir" last="McDaniel"] | 5’9” PG | Committed to Michigan</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/McDaniel-Dug.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1201614" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/McDaniel-Dug-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p><em>What is Michigan Getting?</em></p> <p>Juwan Howard and the Wolverines continue to score in the DMV area, adding McDaniel to a roster that includes Hunter Dickinson (DeMatha) and Terrance Williams (Gonzaga). McDaniel isn’t the biggest guy but he’s proved time and time again that it doesn’t matter how big his competition is he can go with the best of them, and he will fit in a Michigan system that likes to play fast and runs a lot of pick-and-roll sets. McDaniel is a tone setter on both ends and one of the best on ball defenders on the east coast, and he can create within the set or in isolation situations late in the shot clock as well.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="815583" first="Kanye" last="Clary"] | 5’11” PG | Committed to Penn State</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Kanye-Clary.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1085340" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Kanye-Clary-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p><em>What is Penn State getting?</em></p> <p>The Nittany Lions have dipped into the state of VA and the DMV over the past few years a good amount, and they get another under the radar but very talented guard in Clary. He played on Massanutten’s post grad team last year and played against guys two years older than him and more than held his own as their top scorer and assist man, and he’s as dynamic as they come off the bounce with his quickness and ability to change speeds and change directions. He can make tough shots going either way off the bounce, he’s extremely crafty and he lives in the lane, and he’ll come in and compete from day one.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="962785" first="Justin" last="Taylor"] | 6’5” WG | Committed to Syracuse</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Taylor-Justin-ECE.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1148655" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Taylor-Justin-ECE-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p><em>What is Syracuse getting?</em></p> <p>The STAB wing was on the top of the Orange recruiting board for the past few years, and you have to love the fit of him in a Syracuse program that has done very well with shooters with size on the wing in the past few years. Taylor is highly skilled for his size as he can knock it down from deep but also can score in the midrange and at the rim with his explosiveness, and he’s a capable and willing playmaker off the bounce and is a threat late in the shot clock to create a shot for himself or others. He’ll fit them well defensively in their patented zone with his length and ability to close out and keep drivers in front of him as well.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1173210" first="Judah" last="Mintz"] | 6’4” WG | Committed to Pittsburgh</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/Mintz-Judah-Head-Shot.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1111190" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/Mintz-Judah-Head-Shot-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p><em>What is Pittsburgh getting?</em></p> <p>Mintz was one of the top standouts at Peach Jam helping his Team Durant group on a long run to the quarterfinals, and his mix of explosive scoring along with his efficiency was second to none throughout most of the week. A big guard who an score from multiple levels with ease, Mintz can play on or off the basketball, he can knock it down from deep consistently and he’s a strong and explosive finisher through traffic when he gets downhill. One thing people don’t talk about enough is Mintz’ ability on the defensive end, and I think he’ll be able to come in immediately and be a lock down guy for the Panthers while he figures things out on the offensive end when he gets there.</p>