2021 Unranked Prospects I Missed (Part 1)
Doing prospect rankings is tough for a number of reasons, and one of the biggest reasons is that we just flat out forget some players. When you watch as many games as we do, no matter how organized we are…
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Continue ReadingDoing prospect rankings is tough for a number of reasons, and one of the biggest reasons is that we just flat out forget some players. When you watch as many games as we do, no matter how organized we are there are always going to be kids that we forget. While we did 125 prospects in the latest rankings (we plan to go up to 150 in the next ones), there were quite a few I realized I forgot as soon as they were done. Here’s a look at some of them.
Jack Taylor | 6’4” WG | George Marshall
Taylor was a huge miss for me as he was one of the best players in Northern VA and my colleague Adam Ayalew has done a great job of covering him recently. A 6’3” Taylor has good size on the wing is an extremely athletic finisher at the rim whether it’s in traffic or in transition. He’s a guy who can shoot it from deep, break his man down off the bounce and gets to the line quite a bit as well. He led the Northern Virginia public schools in scoring this year at 23 points per game and is a guy college coaches should get all over here soon.
Greg Spurlock | 6’4” PG | Rock Ridge
Spurlock is a true point guard with great size that had a breakout year this year at Rock Ridge. The 6’4” lead guard led his team in scoring, assists, rebounds and steals on the way to being named First Team All Conference and Second Team All State. He’s a two way guy who uses his length and athleticism defensively to make plays, and offensively he’s highly skilled off the bounce as a guy who can finish from multiple levels and knows where his teammates are at all times as well.
Pharaoh Lassiter | 6’2” WG | Bethel
Lassiter is one I realized immediately I left off after seeing him play well at the Prep Hoops Top 250 and during the season with Bethel where he was one of the top scorers in the Peninsula District this past year. He’s a smooth guard with a lot in his bag as he’s able to play on or off the basketball, he can score it from multiple levels and has a good feel for the game as well. He’s a natural scorer who can fill it up in bunches and should be one of the top seniors in his area next year.
Junior Bonsu | 6’5” PF | Battlefield
Bonsu was a breakout guy this past year for Battlefield as he brought energy, athleticism and toughness to a talented team full of guards and wings that can fill it up. He’s a blue collar big man with great mobility and strength, and he thrives in an uptempo system where he can run the floor and finish around the basket. He works his tail off on both ends of the floor and is a guy who doesn’t need the ball in his hands much to be effective and productive.
Trenton Picott | 6’6” PF | South County
Picott is another big out of the Northern VA area I forgot to put in our rankings but he was a big reason for South County’s run to the state championship this year. He’s still a little raw but he’s long and athletic, he impacts the game on both ends of the floor and he’s a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions. He wasn’t the go-to guy on a very talented team but he was as important as anyone as he was a double-double machine that held down the middle all season long.
Yusef Salih | 6’3” WF | Highland School
Salih was a breakout guy for Highland this year and emerged as a two impact guy who was a reliable second or third option throughout the year. He has some intriguing qualities for the next level as he’s a big and strong kid who can shoot it from deep and get to the rim off the bounce. He’s a tough kid who takes advantage of his opportunities and can make an impact in a number of ways on the game.
Hayden James | 5’9” PG | Heritage Christian
James doesn’t play at the biggest school as they don’t play in the VHSL or the VISAA, but this 5’9” guard is putting Heritage Christian on the map with his play. He was absolutely dominant this season, averaging 22 points per game and doing a little bit of everything for his team. He’s a gym rat that’s surprisingly athletic and can play at the rim despite his size, he can create his own shot and has the ability to pull up from deep off the bounce and he has a killer instinct you just can’t teach.
Marcus Nesmith | 6’3” WG | Menchville
Nesmith is a guy I forgot because Menchville had so many talented guys this past season, but Nesmith absolutely deserves to be ranked because he does arguably the most important skill in the game which is shooting. At 6’3” he has good size on the wing and is a guy who has an absolute ratchet from deep and will shoot it whenever he’s open. He can knock it down on the move or when set, he shoots it well in transition and he moves well without the ball to get open.