VHSL Class 5 Preview: All State Candidates (Part 1)

With the high school season around the corner, we have been previewing the up coming season in a number of different ways, including our All State teams by class which is only done here at Prep Hoops.   For the more traditional readers, we will be doing a preview of All State teams by classifications too. While most VHSL All State teams have two teams with 8 players on each, we have decided to simply list some of the players we expect to be on the team at the end of the season.   With that being said, here's a look at part one of our picks for VHSL Class 5 All State candidates, looking at six players we expect to be in the conversation.   POY: [player_tooltip player_id='992530' first='Trevor' last='Smith'] | 6'0” PG | Woodside 2023   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Smith-Trevor-Loaded.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Smith-Trevor-Loaded-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1438616"/></a></figure>   Smith gets the nod for Player of the Year as we picked his loaded Woodside team to win the state championship, and if they do it will be because of his play and his leadership. The University of Richmond commit is a dynamic lead guard who is smooth with the ball in his hands and is excellent in transition, he has terrific footwork to create space and can make tough shots from multiple levels and he brings it on both ends of the floor. They'll have a tough road to states, but if they can come through he should be in the conversation for Player of the Year.   [player_tooltip player_id='999649' first='Etienne' last='Strothers'] | 6'3” PG | Menchville 2023   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/09/Strothers-Etienne-CBG-scaled.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/09/Strothers-Etienne-CBG-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1584921"/></a></figure>   Strothers will also be in conversation for Player of the Year as his Mencvhille team and Woodside will be on a collision course in Region B and should have some very heated matchups. The App State commit was a First Team All State selection last year and is coming off a big summer and fall where he showed improvement in his consistency all around, he's playing with great confidence as both a scorer and a distributor and he's an electric player that is one of the most fun players in the state to watch.   [player_tooltip player_id='999636' first='AJ' last='Clark'] | 6'3” WG | Menchville 2023   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/Clark-AJ-757.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/Clark-AJ-757-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1459324"/></a></figure>   While I try to keep players from the same teams off this list, it's impossible to leave Clark or Strothers off as they combine to make perhaps the best backcourt in public school basketball in Virginia. Clark is a high motor and high energy player who will guard the other team's best player, he's a super explosive athlete who plays above the rim and uses his athleticism to jump passing lanes and block shots in chase down and help side situations and he's able to score the ball well in a number of different ways.   [player_tooltip player_id='999619' first='Yuri' last='Manns'] | 6'3” WG | LC Bird 2023   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/10/Manns-Yuri-CBG.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/10/Manns-Yuri-CBG-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1302372"/></a></figure>   Manns is another player who could be in the conversation for Player of the Year, as he was a First Team All State Selection last season averaging over 20 points per game and now he'll be the undisputed go-to guy on this Bird team and will be one of the top scorers in the state. The 6'3” available guard is wired to score it as he can create in isolation or off of ball screens and dribble hand-offs, he has deep range from deep, he's a good midrange scorer with floaters and pull-ups and he's a strong finisher through traffic when he gets to the rim.   [player_tooltip player_id='1241926' first='Justin' last='Bass'] | 6'0” PG | Kecoughtan 2023   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Bass-Justin-CBG.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Bass-Justin-CBG-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1421167"/></a></figure>   Bass wasn't an All State player last year but that was mainly because he played behind now Western Carolina point guard DJ Campbell, but the way he's played this summer and fall it will be hard to think of an All State without him if he scores the ball the way he has. He's playing with a lot of confidence and shooting the ball well from deep off the catch and off the bounce, he's super quick off the bounce and gets to the rim where he can finish over bigger defenders and he's a very good defender too.   [player_tooltip player_id='1403954' first='Jalen' last='Milt'] | 6'3” WG | Norview 2023   Milt is heading into his senior year as one of the more underrated players in the 757, and as the go-to guy this year for Norview he could put up huge numbers for the Pilots this year. The 6'3” wing is an all-out type of player who comes at you over and over again and makes all the hustle plays, he can get hot quickly and fill it up in bunches in different ways and he'll have a chance to put up big numbers this year.

With the high school season around the corner, we have been previewing the up coming season in a number of different ways, including our All State teams by class which is only done here at Prep Hoops.