Standouts: VA Preps Classic Session 2 (Part 2)
The 10th annual Virginia Preps Classic had it’s second session at Green Run on Saturday, and like every year it goes on it was one of the most competitive and exciting events of the year. It featured seven games of both private and public schools from all over the state, and VA Preps guru Matt Hatfield always does a great job of putting together intriguing and competitive matchups of teams that you won’t see play each other in any other setting. It has become a staple over the past decade (I actually played in the first two Classics in 2008 and 2009), and has grown over the years into one of the best events every year.
Here’s a look at part two of the standouts from Saturday, featuring ten of the best performances of the day.
- Jordan Miller | Loudoun Valley 2018
The George Mason commit made big play after big play to help Loudoun Valley take down Hampton powerhouse Phoebus 71-68 in overtime. He completely took over in overtime, as he hit a big three with less than two minutes left to put them up, then after Phoebus answered he broke his man down and got in the lane and finished a big And 1 to put them up for good. He has that clutch gene, getting many buckets late in isolation situations, but he’s also an efficient scorer that gets a lot of shots throughout the game within the flow of his team’s offense. He finished with 33 points on 13-for-20 shooting and he pitched in 13 rebounds and four steals, getting it done on both ends of the floor. He was arguably the best player in the entire event.
- Dominic Peterson | Loudoun Valley 2018
If Miller was the best player in the event, Peterson would be nominated for best role player. The senior has been there the last two years for Valley’s successful run, and they are simply a better team when he’s on the floor. He’s a high IQ leader that’s a scrappy defender and a shot making guard that knows his role and thrives at it. He made four threes for them, consistently made the right play and was productive, finishing with 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
- Antwan Miles | Phoebus 2018
A lightning quick and explosive 5’10” guard, Miles is the epitome of a 757 guard with his toughness and athleticism. He went smack at everyone on Loudoun Valley, and despite having a tough shooting night from deep he still managed to keep his team in the game with an impressive double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds. He’s a guard who thrives in transition as he has great end-to-end speed, and he’s a great leaper who’s strong in the air which allows him to play much bigger than his 5’10” frame. His toughness and alpha dog demeanor makes him one of the best and most fun guards to watch in the 757.
- Detionne Leach | Phoebus 2019
The 6’5” hybrid forward was all over the place for Phoebus, and almost won the game with a layup that put them up two with just under one minute to play. Leach used his athleticism and length to make plays over the floor, and his high motor showed with his double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds, and he also pitched in three blocks on the game. One of the most under-rated big men in the 757, Leach has that new era big man game that involves running the floor, putting the ball on the deck and creating mismatches on the offensive end. He’s athletic and plays hard as well, which is always something that you look for in a post player for the next level.
- Darius McGhee | Blue Ridge 2018
The Liberty commit has been one of the best scorers in Virginia this season, and he continued that pace with 25 points in Blue Ridge’s 62-51 win over a very good Maury team. After a solid first half where he scored 11 points on nine shots, McGhee stepped up his activity and motor in the second half and that helped everything, including his shooting. He’s a high volume shooter but a guy you have to let shoot it a lot because once he gets it going he has in the gym range, which he showed by hitting three volleyball line threes late in the third quarter. The 5’8” guard is a natural scorer both on and off the ball, and don’t sleep on his athleticism as he can play above the rim despite his size.
- Jaden Frazier | Blue Ridge 2019
Frazier spent the last two seasons battling with UVA commit Mamadi Diakite and Clemson commit Aamir Simms in practice, and he’s starting to show a lot of signs of improvement and increased production. He isn’t the go-to guy, but he’s their only true post player and when he gets his opportunities he takes advantage of them. At 6’8”, he can play with his back to the basket, rebounds well on both ends and he can stretch the defense and knock down the midrange shot. He finished with 10 points and six rebounds on 5-for-6 shooting from the field.
- Ashley “AJ” James | Green Run 2019
James got off to a red hot start for the Stallions, scoring their first nine points of the game and he didn’t slow up all game long. Despite them losing a close one 62-60 to Cape Henry, James was arguably the best player on the floor, finishing 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting from the field and 6 rebounds. A slippery quick 6’3” combo guard, James can get in the lane at will and contort his body to finish at the rim in traffic. He’s a solid shooter from deep, knocking down two of his four attempts, and if he can continue to improve his middle game and ability to score off the basketball he’ll be a two way impact player that should see his recruitment take off this summer.
- Shawn Saunders | Green Run 2018
The 6’5” big man got it going in the second half and was huge down the stretch for them to keep the Stallions in the game. He got to the line regularly, hit the glass offensively to give them extra opportunities and played his tail off on both ends of the floor. He finished with a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds, going 9-for-14 from the line and scoring 15 of his 20 points in the second half.
- Dajour Rucker | Cape Henry 2019
One of the most productive big men in the 757, Rucker’s ability to play inside-out is what makes him so hard to guard, and throw in the fact that he has a high motor and is efficient offensively makes him one of the best players on the court usually. His 19 point, six rebound outing looks even more impressive when you see that he was 8-for-11 from the field and 2-for-2 from deep, all while banging in the paint on both ends of the floor. He’s strong, skilled and plays with a high motor, which is why he’s been one of Cape’s best players over the past three seasons.
- Christian Moore | Cape Henry 2021
The brother of former Nansemond River standout Ashton Moore who played at the Citadel, Christian is quickly starting to look like one of the best freshman guards in the 757, perhaps in the state. At 6’0” he has decent size and he’s a shot making specialist who has moxxy beyond his years. He can play on and off the ball, is a good athlete and he can make contested shots from all three levels. He has to work on taking care of the ball when handling the rock, but he’s well beyond his years in terms of being able to score the ball and lead his team. He finished with 18 points and four rebounds on the way to MVP honors in the final game.