NOVA Top Lead Guards (Part 2)
With the season approaching we at Prep Hoops will be compiling all sorts of lists and rankings to get everyone prepared. Today, we’ll take a look at some of the top lead guards in the state, continuing with the Northern…
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Continue ReadingWith the season approaching we at Prep Hoops will be compiling all sorts of lists and rankings to get everyone prepared. Today, we’ll take a look at some of the top lead guards in the state, continuing with the Northern VA area. Here’s a look at 6 of the best underclassmen, in no particular order.
Darius Johnson | 6’1” | Episcopal 2021
The little brother of now George Mason freshman Xavier Johnson, it will be Darius’ turn to take over the Episcopal program after his brother helped make them one of the best programs in the state and he’s ready for his turn. The young Johnson is a stocky and dynamic guard who can get downhill and uses his size well to finish at the basket, but he’s also a capable shooter who can bomb away from 25 plus feet off the bounce or off the catch. He’s a good athlete who rebounds well for a guard, he has good burst off the bounce and his handle is both tight and efficient as he’s able to get north-south and in the lane with ease. He already holds offers from South Florida and George Mason and has seen interest from a number of high major programs.
Angelo Brizzi | 6’3” | Highland School 2021
A guy who is being recruited by a number of schools at multiple levels, Brizzi is a flat out hooper who is capable of going for 30 on any given night. He has a swagger about him that you can’t teach as he knows he’s very skilled and can cook anyone with his ability to shoot the deep ball off the catch and he has supreme confidence in it as he’ll let it fly from NBA range whether it’s in transition, off the pick-and-roll or on a broken down play. He has a good IQ and solid playmaking ability, he’s a better athlete than he’s given credit for and he can take over a game at any point.
Isaiah Folkes | 6’0” | Middleburg 2021
Folkes is set to blow up with his recruitment after reclassifying to the 2021 class after three solid seasons at Stonewall Jackson, and it’s already showing as he holds offers from Youngstown State, ODU, Stetson, Norfolk State and Radford all after he reclassified. He’s chock full of potential as he’s one of the best athletes in the whole state at the point guard position, and he plays with a motor on both ends that allows him to use that athleticism to make plays others simply can’t. He rebounds well for a guard, he’ll strap up ballhandlers, he can get downhill and finish above the rim and he continues to improve his perimeter skill set and his ability to make others better as well.
Chris Kuzemka | 5’10” | Centreville 2021
Kuzemka is the kind of guy you would overlook in an open gym until you see that he’s the one who controls the game and makes everyone else look good. He’s a scrappy, throwback kind of PG who gets you into your sets, puts everyone else in positions to succeed and he’s able to create something out of nothing when everything breaks down. He’s a knock down shooter off the bounce and a solid finisher who knows how to use his body and uses an array of floaters and pull-ups to negate his size in the lane.
Knasir “Dug” McDaniel | 5’9” | Paul VI 2022
The top point guard in the NOVA area not named Jeremy Roach, McDaniel will get an opportunity to play alongside the Duke commit after he was thrust into the fire when Roach went down with a knee injury last season. McDaniels showed great poise for a young PG in one of the top conferences in the country, and his natural feel for the game and his impeccable playmaking ability were on display all year as he thread the needle and wowed crowds every game. He’s born to be on a mixtape with his flashy and tight handle, his great passing ability and his toughness as a little guard who won’t back down from anyone. He can score it well in the midrange and at the rim despite his height, and it’s his ability to make plays for others that will open up lanes and allow him to pick and choose his spots to score the ball.
Kyle Honore | 5’10” | Potomac 2022
The coach’s son and the brother of Keijon Honore who now plays at Virginia Wesleyan, Kyle has some of the tools his brother had but isn’t the same player as he’s a little bigger and more dynamic off the bounce. He’s a pitbull on both ends of the floor and won’t back down from anyone, he sets the tone by defending and getting them in their sets and he’s able to make others better with his ability to break down the defense and make good reads off the bounce. He’ll be a guy to watch as Potomac looks to get back to their glory days after a couple of rebuilding seasons.