VA Live Period Shootout 1 Standouts (Part 1)
While the VHSL didn’t take advantage of the new live period rules in June, the VISAA did thanks in large part to Blue Ridge Head Coach Cade Lemcke who took it upon himself to host an event at Blue Ridge…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWhile the VHSL didn’t take advantage of the new live period rules in June, the VISAA did thanks in large part to Blue Ridge Head Coach Cade Lemcke who took it upon himself to host an event at Blue Ridge for VISAA schools and some others from outside of the area. The event featured 18 teams (Blue Ridge split into 2 groups) and had college coaches from all levels and all over the east coast come in town to see some of the top teams in the state dual it out. It was the perfect set up with plenty of opportunities to see numerous kids, and I took full advantage watching as many as I can and seeing a number of prospects worth mentioning. With that being said, here’s a look at part one of my standouts from the event.
Misha Zuribashvilli | 6’6” WF | Bishop Sullivan 2020
The foreign exchange student from Georgia made somewhat of a name for himself in the VISAA last year with Holy Cross out of Lynchburg and looks like he’ll be moving to Virginia Beach to attend Bishop Sullivan next year. On the wing he has really good size that allows him to get his shot off with little space and he’s able to use his big frame to get to his spots and finish through traffic. He isn’t the most athletic guy but he’s a knock down shooter from deep who can get hot and fill it up quickly.
Onaje Jackson | 6’5” PF | Bishop Sullivan 2021
A transfer from Grafton HS on the other side of the water, Jackson showed a great motor and a competitive drive while also showing a solid skill set that should make him a serviceable big man for the Crusaders the next few years. He showed the ability to stretch the floor with a couple threes, he ran the floor hard offensively and busted it back defensively every play and he’s an all out kind of guy you have to love. He still has room to grow on the offensive end and gives them a much needed inside-out presence that’s hard to matchup with.
William Lee | 5’11” G | Blue Ridge White 2020
The combo guard from NYC started to find his stride toward the end of last season, and if this week showed anything he’s ready to be the man moving forward next year. He’s compact and strong but also quick and fast with the ball in his hands, he can make shots from all over the floor off the catch and off the bounce and it only takes a couple easy ones to get him going and he’s off to the races and the hardest guy to stop once he gets it going. He’s a microwave scorer who can fill it up in bunches, and he’s also a solid defender and playmaker as well. He’s starting to look like division one schools should possibly take a look at the versatile scoring guard.
Sasha Glushkov | 6’11” C | Blue Ridge White 2020
Another guy who took a while to get it going last year but looks much more comfortable now, Glushkov is a walking mismatch that has great length in the post but will light you up from deep on the offensive end. The Russian native looks good as he’s continuing to fill out, and he’s no longer stiff as he showed great mobility running the floor, moving without the ball and attacking closeouts. He still needs to continue to get stronger so he can bang in the post defensively but his skill set on the offensive end is something that you don’t come across very often with guys his height, and he’s perfect for any system that runs a five out or Princeton style offense.
Andy Nwaoko | 6’5” F | Blue Ridge White 2020
A two sport star that has supposedly been killing it at football camps all over the state, Nwaoko looks like the prototypical linebacker as he has a big frame that’s ripped up and he’s one of the most athletic guys on the court every time he steps on it. He plays somewhat like a football player too as he throws him weight around and bullies smaller guys, he runs the floor and finishes and he owns the glass on both ends when he’s on the floor. He’s likely going to choose football in the long run but the high academic athlete could be a guy who goes to play both as well.
Josh Campbell | 6’3” G | Carmel School 2020
Campbell and his teammate Elijah Role (below) continue to show why they’re a couple of the more underrated prospects in the Richmond area. While he can be streaky at times, Campbell has a good skill set on the offensive end and a high motor in multiple facets of the game, and his intensity and competitiveness goes to another level when he’s challenged with other guys who can play. He has a scorer’s mentality and he’s aggressive on the offensive end, he can shoot the rock from deep and attack closeouts and finish in the lane, he gets to the line often and he’s a good rebounder for his size that shows his high motor. He’s someone coaches should definitely take a look at.
Elijah Roye | 6’8” C | Carmel School 2020
A native of Canada who came to Carmel School last year, Roye is still a work in progress but he has great physical tools and plays the game the right way and works extremely hard when he’s on the court. He isn’t the most athletic guy but he’s strong in the paint when he boxes out and hits the glass hard, he can protect the rim without fouling, he has good hands and soft touch in the paint and he still has a lot of room to grow as he’s still new to the game. If he continues to improve his body and game he’ll be a sleeper that could play his best basketball at the next level.
Dion Tuell Jr. | 5’11” G | Church Hill Academy 2021
Tuell led a scrappy Church Hill group full of under the radar kids from the Richmond area, and he had a huge breakout game when I watched them beat Bishop Sullivan where he scored 29 points with 22 of them coming in the first half. He’s an athletic freak who can play way above the rim despite being sub 6 foot, and he had a number of impressive dunks that brought energy to his team. He can play on and off the ball, he showed the ability to make shots from deep and he got after it defensively too. He’ll be a key guy for them in their first year in the VISAA this season.
Mac McDonald | 6’1” WG | Collegiate School 2021
After a sold sophomore year where he made a big impact despite being on a senior ladened team that featured now Northwestern freshman Robbie Beran, McDonald is going to have to be the guy this year for a young Collegiate team and he looks ready to do just that. He’s a very good shot maker who works hard off the ball to get open, has picture perfect form on his jump shot with a quick release and a solid frame to attack closeouts after he makes a few. He’s able to score in bunches with his ability to knock down shots from deep and even when you gameplan for him they do an excellent job running stuff to get him open looks and he comes through more often than he doesn’t.
Tymu Chenery | 6’6” W | Episcopal 2020
One of the best available seniors that was at the event, Chenery has all of the physical tools to be a wing at the next level and his game is coming along nicely as well. At 6’6” he has long arms and is a natural athlete that can guard multiple positions, finish at and above the rim and rebounds well from the wing position. He can put it on the deck in the open floor and isn’t selfish when doing so, and while he’s a streaky shooter he’s shown the ability to knock down shots both in the midrange and from deep. With continued development Chenery could be a guy who takes a big jump moving forward.
Darius Johnson | 6’1” PG | Episcopal 2021
One of the top guards in the 2021 class in VA, Johnson will have the ball in his hands this year with the departure of his bother Xavier who is now a freshman at George Mason and this should allow him to show his ability to create shots for himself and others as will. A stocky and athletic guard who thrives when he gets downhill, Johnson is able to get in the lane off the bounce and use his size to draw contact and either finish through it or get to the line where he’s a very good free throw shooter. He has deep range off the bounce as well and while he’s a score first guard he also has a good IQ and is able to make others on his team better as well. He’s heard from a litany of HM schools since they could call him and holds offers from George Mason and South Florida.
Garrett Johnson | 6’6” W | Episcopal 2021
Johnson is a new addition to Episcopal after announcing he will transfer from Oakton and reclassify to the 2021 class which should have division one coaches very intrigued moving forward. He has great size on the wing at 6’6”, he can shoot the rock from deep off the catch and he’s able to put it on the deck in transition and when attacking closeouts where he can use his size and athleticism to finish at the rim. He needs to round out and fine tune his game on both ends of the floor but he has a nice mix of physical tools and skill set that should bold well for him moving forward.