Vantage Hoops Top 250 Expo: 2019 Standouts (Part 2)
The 2018 Prep Hoops Top 250 Expo at Randolph Macon College last Saturday was a huge success, bringing over 120 high school players from the Virginia area and beyond to compete in front of scouts and college coaches. The atmosphere was great with skill development drills and intensely competitive games as kids pushed each other during the final exposure event before the high school season began.
Throughout the next week or so, we will be breaking down some of the best performers of the event in a number of ways. We will be doing class breakdowns of top performers and top breakout performers, along with specialized lists that include top shooters, top defenders and others across the board.
We continue with our look at part two of the standouts from the 2019 class.
Donald Hardway | 6’6” WG/WF | Boys Latin of Maryland
Hardway showed out in almost every way possible, showing good skill set, athleticism and leadership as well. He has good size for a wing, plays fast but under control in transition and knows how to use his body to finish around the rim. He can stroke it from deep off the catch, but isn’t a volume shooter that will break the flow of the offense. He can make shots off the bounce and showed good vision, and he used his strength to defend and rebounded very well on both ends for a wing. He was impressive throughout in almost every facet and should have a big junior season at Boys Latin.
Arnold Henderson | 5’8” PG | St. Christopher’s
You have to love a guard who makes everyone better and is a great decision maker, and that’s what Henderson is. He can shoot the deep ball consistently, reads the pick-and-roll well and plays at his own pace, knowing when to push in transition and when to slow it down and wait for his teammates. He changes pace really well with the ball in his hands, is a pesky and smart defender and has a number of of floaters and pull-ups to negate his size when he’s in the lane.
Jordan Richeson | 6’4” WF | Jefferson Forest
Richeson continues to impress at camps, and is slated to have a big season at Jefferson Forest this year. The 6’4” wing is a sniper with good size that can play either the three or the four if his team chooses to go small ball. He has great footwork on his shot prep, always being shot ready and he has a killer shot fake to attack closeouts after knocking a couple down. He can get up and down the floor and finish above the rim in transition as well. As he continues to transform his frame and tighten his handle he should be a versatile option that causes mismatches whether he’s on the wing or in the post.
Asa Shannon | 6’4” WF | Episcopal
Shannon stood out from the beginning of camp, showing great work ethic and athleticism in stations and carried it over to live games as well. He has great length to go along with his athleticism, and he has a tight handle that allows him to create his own shot off the bounce in the half court. He really showed out in transition, showing great body control around the basket and had some chase down blocks defensively. He showed a good stroke from midrange, making him even more tough to guard because of his speed and ability to finish around the rim too.
Jimmy Kpadeh | 5’11” PG | National Christian Academy (DC)
A big strong guard with good vision and feel, Kpadeh thrived in transition using his strength. His coach described him as a “bowling ball in transition” that can use his frame to bully his way into the paint and finish through contact when he gets downhill. He’s very strong with the ball, initiates and takes contact with ease and can stretch the floor and hit the midrange off the bounce. He’s also a good on ball defender that that uses his quickness and size to keep ball handlers in front of him. He played under control and was a dual threat PG that made everyone better.