VA Preps Classic Underclassmen Standouts
Last weekend was Session 2 of the 11th Annual Virginia Preps Classic, which for the past decade has been one of the top High School basketball one day classics every year. Fun fact, I was injured for the game but…
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Continue ReadingLast weekend was Session 2 of the 11th Annual Virginia Preps Classic, which for the past decade has been one of the top High School basketball one day classics every year. Fun fact, I was injured for the game but participated in the first ever Virginia Preps Classic as a senior.
With snow disrupting the first session, the second session was a big one that had seven games and went from 11 in the morning to almost 11 at night. With all those games there were a number of standouts, and we broke down the different standouts based on class. Here’s a look at the scores and part two of the senior standouts and best players from the event.
Bethel 44 James Monroe 34
Tallwood 76 Thomas Edison 62
Nansemond River 62 Woodrow Wilson 50
Green Run 59 Western Albemarle 23
Varina 74 Norcom 51
John Marshall 69 Landstown 55
Oscar Smith 85 Wakefield 46
George Wilson | 6’4” F | Green Run 2021
Wilson is a guy with a lot of upside if he can transition to the wing, and it looks like he has the feet to do it so it’s all on player development and offensive skill set. He has a great frame with good length and broad shoulders, he runs the floor well and moves his feet well and he can get way up on rebounds and finishes. He finished with 6 points and 10 rebounds in just 14 minutes of play.
AJ Williams | 6’2” G | Varina 2021
Williams didn’t have his best game the night before against Henrico, but he came ready to play and did what he did best against Landstown which is shoot the basketball. The most impressive part about his jumper is his ability on the move to catch and shoot quickly whether his feet are square are not. This allows him to shoot contested shots and get his shot off quickly now that teams are denying him the basketball. He finished with 20 points on 4-for-9 shooting from deep and won MVP in their win over Norcom.
Jason Nelson | 5’7” PG | Varina 2021
Nelson was the star in their win over Henrico but one of the best parts about Nelson’s game is that he doesn’t need to be the star. The floor general was just that, as he set the tone on both ends, made everyone better and took great care of the basketball. He finished with 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the field and 5 assists with no turnovers on the game.
DJ Hand | 6’3” G | Landstown 2022
Son of former UVA legend Donald Hand, DJ has a chance to play at that level as well with his early skill set and size. He has good length and is likely still growing, he can shoot the basketball and score from all three levels and he’s savvy and smart and gets to the line. He has a natural feel and natural talent to play the game and will only get stronger and better moving froward. He finished with 14 points on 4-for-8 shooting from the field and 6-for-6 shooting from the line.
Kenyon Giles | 5’9” PG | Oscar Smith 2022
Giles is a young point guard that the Smith coaches and other people around the area are very high on, and I can see why. The freshman showed his ability to shoot the basketball, going 4-for-5 from deep and scoring 12 points on the game, but he also showed elite quickness and good ball handling. He looks like a dual threat point guard who will be a guy to watch moving forward for sure.
Henry Sullivan | 6’5” PF | Western Albemarle 2022
While Sullivan didn’t have a great showing as Western Albemarle was outmatched from the beginning against Green Run, he’s interesting because he has great length and is likely still growing and if he fills out and continues to develop he’ll be very good moving forward. It’s interesting because Western Albemarle seems to have a kid like this every other year since I’ve been covering basketball in this state.