Prospect Power Rankings: 434 (15-6)
With no live periods or AAU so far this season, we decided to take our content a different way and do power rankings for each metropolitan area in the city. These rankings include all classes between 2021, 2022 and 2023…
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Continue ReadingWith no live periods or AAU so far this season, we decided to take our content a different way and do power rankings for each metropolitan area in the city. These rankings include all classes between 2021, 2022 and 2023 and are based on how good we think the prospects will be at the next level. This is one of the hardest things to do because it encompasses all classes, but should be great for debates throughout the cities.
With no further ado, here’s a look at prospect numbers 15-6 in the 434 area code.
15) Zion Russell Zion Russell 6'0" | PG Hargrave | 2022 VA | 6’0” PG | Hargrave 2021
One of the most athletic guards in the state, Russell may only be about 6’0” tall but he’s a high flyer who plays way above the rim and uses his athleticism to make plays on both ends. Whether it’s a fast break off a steal, a designed lob or crashing the offensive glass, Russell will get guys out of their seats with his ability to take off and make plays above the rim. He’s also a good shooter from deep and a guy who can slash in the paint to make plays and he guards the basketball well defensively.
14) Eli DeLaurier | 6’7” PF | STAB 2023
The youngest brother of former STAB and Duke standout Javin DeLaurier, Eli has shown flashes of the same motor and athleticism that made his brother so good in the past. He’s a super long and fluid big man who can run the floor and protect the rim, he rebounds well in and out of his area and he’s shown time and time again that he doesn’t need the ball to make an impact on the game. It will be interesting to watch him develop but for a young prospect he’s very impressive.
13) Quadir Pettaway Quadir Pettaway 6'0" | PG Woodside | 2021 State VA | 6’0” PG | Miller School 2021
Pettaway is one of the best scoring guards in the state and a guy who possibly could have pulled in some offers if the live periods happened in April. He isn’t the biggest or most athletic guard but he’s very smooth with the ball in his hands and has shown time and time again he can get to his spots and score it at a high rate no matter who is guarding him. He shoots it well from deep, he’s a crafty ball handler and finisher around the basket and he’s a guy who can go get a bucket when you really need one.
12) Houston Emory Houston Emory 6'10" | C Blue Ridge | 2022 State VA | 6’10” C | Blue Ridge 2022
Emory unfortunately missed this season with a stress fracture in his back but luckily he reclassified to the 2022 class and will have another year to build and get seen by more. The Pennsylvania native is a very intriguing prospect at his size as he’s mobile, athletic and has some toughness about him that might surprise some people. He’s a great rim protector and rim runner in transition, he rebounds well on both ends of the floor and as he gets stronger he should become a better offensive player in the post as well.
11) Carter Lang | 6’8” PF | STAB 2023
Lang started as an eighth grader for STAB two years ago and while it was an up and down year it did wonders for his confidence and he had one of the best seasons of any freshman in the state this year. The 6’8” Lang showed a mix of skill, strength and motor that made him very productive on both ends of the floor and he has great potential moving forward as well. He’s still growing into his body and will get more fluid with time but he showed he has good touch in the paint and out to the elbow, he rebounds well in and out of his area and has plenty of room to get better moving forward.
10) IJ Ezuma IJ Ezuma 6'8" | PF Hargrave | 2021 State VA | 6’8” PF | Hargrave 2021
Ezuma was the best prospect on Hargrave’s varsity team and will likely move up to the post grad team next year and should get plenty of offers from the vast wave of college coaches that trickle through the Hargrave gym throughout the fall and the season. Ezuma is a mix of a throwback big with his ability to score in the paint and bully other bigs and a new age big man with his mobility and ability to run the floor in transition and finish above the rim. He’s an excellent athlete with a big frame and big hands, he protects the rim and owns the glass on both ends and he continues to improve his offensive skill set in a number of ways. He’s also a high academic kid who should see a lot of college interest moving forward.
9) Anour Mellouk | 6’7” F | Fork Union 2021
Mellouk is a guy that is about as under the radar as anyone else in the state as he’s a native of the Netherlands and in his first season in the United States he played on the post grad team for Fork Union. He’s still a little raw but he has immense potential moving forward with his mix of size, length and athleticism and he fits the mold as a hybrid forward who can play both on the wing and be a small ball four as well. He can catch and shoot from deep with consistency, he’s an elite athlete who can make plays way above the rim on both ends of the floor and he showed a good motor against some elite competition when I watched him. He’s a gem who still has his best basketball ahead of him as he’s just now starting to scratch the surface with how good he can be.
8) Derrick Jones Derrick Jones 6'6" | SF Blue Ridge | 2021 State VA | 6’4” WF | Blue Ridge 2021
Jones is a guy who dominated public school basketball as a sophomore and junior at Albemarle and was named to the VHSL All State team, and he decided to take a reclass year last year to help him on the court and in the classroom as far as recruitment goes. Jones is a natural talent with great length and bounce and the ability to shoot it from deep and create for himself off the bounce as well. He has all of the tools to be an impact two way guy at the next level as long as he gets stronger, and he is able to make plays that other people simply can’t. He already holds offers from a number of mid major programs and if we get to AAU this summer he could see many more come his way.
7) John St. Germain | 6’0” PG | STAB 2023
Arguably the best freshman point guard in the state this year, St. Germain played on a Miller School team that went to the state championship as an eighth grader and moved to STAB last year where he showed he has savvy well beyond his years at the lead guard spot. He’s a strong kid for his size and he knows all the nuances of the game. He makes great reads with the ball in his hands, he controls the tempo well and his change of pace and direction are terrific and look extremely natural. He can score it from multiple levels and create his own shot when he needs to but he’s best at running the show and making everyone on the team better.
6) Mike Gray Mike Gray 6'0" | CG Blue Ridge | 2021 State VA | 6’1” PG | Blue Ridge 2021
The VISAA D2 Player of the Year continues to prove doubters wrong and show that he’s one of the most under recruited guards on the east coast. He led Blue Ridge to another state championship and led the team in scoring, and while he’s a guy who is wired to score and does so with a bag full of tricks he’s also a guy who makes good decisions when attacking and is a great rebounder at his position as well. He can score it from all three levels off the bounce, he gets hot quickly and he’s terrific in isolation situations when his team needs a bucket. He picked up a recent offer from Middle Tennessee State to go along with a few he already had, and if we have AAU he’s a guy who could blow up this summer.