Vantage Hoops Top 250 Sophomore Standouts
The Prep Hoops Top 250 Expo held by Vantage Hoops at Randolph Macon last Sunday was a huge success with over 200 prospects and 35 college coaches in attendance. Over the next week, we will be breaking down the standouts and stock boosters throughout the camp. With so much talent from throughout the state in attendance, it was hard to see, let alone mention, every player that made an impact at the event, however we wanted to list a few prospects that caught our eyes. Here’s seven kids that stood out from the sophomore class on Sunday.
Jakhari Taylor | 6’1” G | Colonial Forge HS
Taylor showed a lot of raw talent and athletic ability throughout the day last Sunday. In stations, he soaked up information and put out a lot of effort to get better in all aspects of the game. He showed quickness off of the bounce, range on his jump shot off the catch and used his athleticism to make plays on the glass and on the defensive end. While he has some work to do, especially in suring up his ball handling and vision as point guard, his high motor and great work ethic means that he has a chance to continue to get better after a solid freshman season at Colonial Forge.
Josh Oduro | 6’7” PF | Battlefield HS
Big, active and skilled, Oduro showed great versatility as he did a little bit of everything on Sunday. While he has to tone up his body as he gets older, Oduro showed surprising lateral quickness defensively, and ran the floor well even when he started the break with an outlet. He was comfortable catching the ball on the perimeter, showed a good face up game and showed touch from the midrange. He still has a ways to go to get his body right, but his ability to play at a high level in the post and on the perimeter bold well as he moves forward. Expect him to be a key contributor for Battlefield this season.
Alex Fitch | 6’3” WG | William Byrd HS
Coming off of a hot summer where he led the Under Armour Circuit in three point shooting percentage for 15U, Fitch didn’t miss a beat as he torched nets all day on Sunday. He showed a quick release and effortless range well beyond the three point line, but he also showed that he can attack closeouts and finish in the middle with a pull up or floater. He has great length and his shooting ability is already top notch, so as he fills his frame out expect him to become a more well rounded player on both ends of the floor.
Malachi Poindexter | 6’0” G | Louisa County HS
Another guard that can absolutely stroke it, Poindexter showed the full array of offensive skills on Sunday while being matched up against mostly older players throughout the day. He shot it well off the catch and off the bounce, got in the lane effectively when attacking closeouts and was very aggressive when looking for his shot. On top of his stellar play throughout the day, he was also one of the best performers in stations, taking instruction well and working to get better. His ability to fill it up whether he’s playing on or off the basketball should be in full display this season at Louisa.
Jonathan Mondrey | 6’2” G | Monacan HS
Effort, toughness and production are three words that rang well for Mondrey at camp, as he was all out throughout the camp both in stations and in gameplay. The rising sophomore will have an opportunity to get more time for the reigning 4A State Champions, and if his play on Sunday was any indication he’ll do whatever it takes to remain in the rotation. He rebounded extremely well for his size, showed good fundamentals on both ends and he hit shots from all three levels. It was a very impressive day for the young guard.
Cody Mains | 6’5” F | WT Woodson HS
Great size, a high IQ and good feel on the offensive end were just a few of the things that stood out for the young wing from Woodson in our first chance to see him at a Vantage Hoops event. He’s able to guard multiple positions on the perimeter and in the post, and he filled lanes well to get easy shots in transition when the pace picked up. He has a soft touch from the midrange, and has great fundamentals out of the triple threat. As he continues to grow into his body, Mains has a chance to be an all around wing that does a little bit of everything, much like former Westfield star and Boston University commit Tyler Scanlon, who’s game he mirrors a lot.
Jordan Hairston | 6’0” PG | Westfield HS
Hairston showed all of the qualities that you want out of a sound point guard, and he found ways to be successful on the offensive end without dominating the basketball and shooting every time. He is crafty when handling it, lives in the lane and showed a tough mentality as he went right into the body of bigs to finish in the lane. He’s a dual threat point guard that can fill it up in a number of ways while also keeping his teammates involved, and should be an immediate impact player at Westfield after transferring from Bishop O’Connell.