VISAA Final Four Standouts (Part 2)
It’s one of the best weekends for high school basketball fans and media, as the private school state championships come to the city of Petersburg and Virginia State University for a great weekend of basketball. Friday there were six semifinals…
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Continue ReadingIt’s one of the best weekends for high school basketball fans and media, as the private school state championships come to the city of Petersburg and Virginia State University for a great weekend of basketball. Friday there were six semifinals starting at 12 and ending around 10 PM. There were two games in each division ranging from D1-D3, and with that came some great basketball and a lot of standout players. Below, you’ll see the scores of the games, along with part two of the individual standouts from throughout the day.
Game 1 (D3 Semi): #1 Life Christian 89 #4 Christ Chapel 56
Game 2 (D3 Semi): #3 Eastern Mennonite 52 #2 Walsingham 47
Game 3 (D2 Semi): #1 Blue Ridge 63 #4 Middleburg 47
Game 4 (D2 Semi): #3 Miller School 52 #2 VES 47
Game 5 (D1 Semi): #5 Episcopal 63 #1 Paul VI 57
Game 6 (D1 Semi): #3 St. Stephen’s St. Agnes 76 #2 Bishop O’Connell 46
INDIVIDUAL STANDOUTS
Ben Li | 6’5” F | Middleburg 2020
A guy who is very intriguing as a prospect and has seen a good amount of recruitment this year, Li showed his ability to play both inside and out, showing a lot of versatility. A stocky 6’5” forward, he’s much more athletic than you would think looking at him and he plays with a high motor on both ends and on the glass. He showed good touch around the rim, was a secondary ball handler and battled throughout the game. He finished with a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.
Joel Kabimba | 6’8” PF | Middleburg 2019
One of the best available bigs in the state, Kabimba showed a lot of improvement and his skill set is very intriguing moving forward. He’s big, athletic and physical which makes him a presence in the paint and on the block, but he also showed good skill set offensively which included hitting a three, facing up and putting it on the deck, all which are impressive at his size. He finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds in their loss to Blue Ridge.
David Penney | 6’0” PG | Middleburg 2019
The sole point guard and ball handler for Middleburg, Penney was harassed and shadowed all game long, and while he had some trouble with turnovers it’s to be expected in that situation. However, he showed a lot of promise as a dynamic guard who changes speeds well, can beat guys off the bounce, make plays for others and finish at the midrange and around the basket. He finished with 11 points and five assists in the loss.
Quadir Pettaway | 6’0” G | Miller School 2021
It’s great to see Pettaway back in action after a freak injury kept him out for the first half of the season, and he’s exactly what a good Miller team needs to make them even better. He’s a natural scorer who can play both guard positions, and he’s able to not only make shots but create them off the bounce for himself. He showed a great scorer’s repertoire which included the ability to catch-and-shoot from deep, a great floater in the midrange and the knack to get to the free throw line. He finished with a team high 16 points in their win over VES.
Daryl Anderson | 6’7” F | Miller School 2019
The Norfolk State commit didn’t have his best shooting game of the year, but he did enough on both ends of the floor to make a big impact on the game. Using his length he did a good defensively denying the ball, he got a lot of deflections and picked up some steals in the press. He hit some shots when they needed to and rebounded well too, finishing with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
Jordan Brown | 5’9” PG | Miller School 2020
Despite finishing with just three points on the game, Brown was as important as anyone with his defensive intensity, great energy and ability to make plays for other people. He did a great job throughout the game handling pressure, and he provided pressure throughout the game on the defensive end. He got in the lane and made plays for others as well, finishing with eight assists on the game.
Michael Caprise | 6’6” PF | Virginia Episcopal 2019
A two sport star, Caprise is the glue that keeps VES together and is the heart and soul of their team with his blue collar work ethic. He brought it against Miller, playing his tail off on both ends of the floor and coming up big throughout the game. During their second half comeback he was a monster inside and really handled the paint well. He finished with an impressive double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds in the loss.
Ismael Plet | 6’6” F | Virginia Episcopal 2020
Plet is an intriguing guy moving forward because with just a little bit of skill development he could become a real problem. Defensively he’s very versatile, as he’s able to switch on guards and move his feet and is big and strong enough to guard true posts as well. Offensively, he has a solid handle and is able to get downhill and finish at the rim or hit the midrange as well. He finished with 12 points in their loss to Miller School.
Klemen Vuga | 6’8” F | Virginia Episcopal 2020
Vuga is in his first season in the states, but he shows so much potential at his size as a mismatch on the offensive end. He has the typical European style game, where he can play on the perimeter and dribble, shoot and pass. His jump shot looks so pure from deep, and he has a great shot fake that allows him to get in the lane where he has great footwork to finish in the midrange. He finished with 11 points, 4 rebounds and three assists in their loss.