Hargarve Tip-Off Standouts (Part 3)
The season is about to get underway, and what a wonderful way to start it with the Hargrave Military Academy Tip-Off in Chatham, VA, featuring some powerhouse programs and some up and coming ones as well. I was able to…
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Continue ReadingThe season is about to get underway, and what a wonderful way to start it with the Hargrave Military Academy Tip-Off in Chatham, VA, featuring some powerhouse programs and some up and coming ones as well. I was able to get to the second day of the two day event, and while I missed the first day there was still plenty of standouts on the day featuring eight teams. Here’s a look at some of the underclassmen standouts for the event, featuring nine guys.
Khalil Ward | 6’1” WG | Richmond Christian 2021
Ward had some very impressive moments that makes him look like an intriguing long term prospect with his length and athleticism at the guard position. He’s a good defender who can sit down and guard the ball, but he’s also impressive as a help side defender who can come over and block shots or alter them with good timing and ups. He rebounded well for a guard and was all over the rim, and with continued improvement he’ll be a guy to keep an eye on moving forward.
CJ Highsmith | 6’10” C | Richmond Christian 2021
A long term big man prospect, Highsmith has a ways to go on the offensive end but he’s a big body who competes and does the little things even when he isn’t scoring the basketball. He has things you can’t teach in his size and length, and he used that to rebound well and contest shots in the post without fouling. He’ll be one to keep an eye on, and if he can fill out and develop some kind of offensive game he’ll be an interesting guy moving forward.
Maleek Richardson | 6’3” G/F | Richmond Christian 2022
Richardson is a guy I had never seen before the event, but I came away intrigued by his skill set and ability to score the basketball. He’ll need to trim his body down moving forward, but he showed the ability to score it from all three levels and do it on and off the basketball. He made some very impressive moves and shots, he rebounded well and competed despite a blowout loss to Hargrave, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the game.
Piercen Young | 6’3” G | Virginia Episcopal 2022
A standout at Brookville High School over the past two seasons, Young transferred and reclassified at VES where he should continue to develop as a combo guard. He played both guard positions, showing a good feel as both a scorer and a playmaker, and he competed on the glass and on the defensive end as well. He has a good skill set that includes the ability to make shots from all three levels, make the right play off the bounce and he has a mean and competitive streak that he showed when his team needed it the most. He finished with an impressive line of 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in their close loss to LCA.
Walker Andrews | 5’11” G | Virginia Episcopal 2022
Andrews is a guy who is still a little under the radar but I expect to have a breakout season for VES this year. He was phenomenal at James River in Buchanan last year, and he’s a perfect fit at VES as a floor stretcher who gets hot quickly and can make shots from way behind the arc. He has a quick release and great form from the feet up, he’s confident in his shot and while he may not look like it he’s also a big time athlete who can play above the rim in transition. He finished with a team high 14 points, hitting four three-pointers and he was great defensively with four steals as well.
Desmond Roberts | 6’3” G/F | Virginia Episcopal 2022
Another transfer who will make a big impact this year, Roberts has a lot of potential and still has the option to reclassify to 2023 according to his coaches. He has a great frame at 6’3” with pure muscle, he’s strong and bouncy and he isn’t afraid to do the dirty work to help his team win. If he continues to improve on his perimeter skill set he’ll be a guy to watch moving forward.
Cavan Reilly | 6’2” WG | Middleburg 2022
Reilly didn’t shoot the basketball particularly well, which is usually his best attribute, but that didn’t stop him from making an impact on both ends as he played his tail off and made winning plays for his team throughout their blowout win over Veritas. He’s a sneaky good athlete who has some toughness to him, he has great instincts on both ends of the floor and he refuses to just be a shooter. He finished with 9 points, 5 assists and 5 steals in the win.
Robby Matos | 5’9” PG | Virginia Episcopal 2023
Matos has a ways to go offensively which you’d expect from a young point guard, but he had some terrific moments in their close loss to LCA that makes him very intriguing moving forward. He plays with good poise, he’s lightning quick with the ball in his hands, he defends 94 feet and he’s able to get in the lane at will and probe the defense. He over dribbles at times and needs to become a more consistent shooter, but he has a natural knack as a young PG that’s fun to watch and he competes at a high level already. He finished with 12 points and 3 assists while not turning the ball over one time the whole game.