Prospect Power Rankings: 540/276 (5-1)
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 the top 5 prospects in the 540 and 276 area codes.
5) Kyrese Mullen | 6’5” PF | Massanutten 2022
Mullen transferred to Massanutten from Lake Taylor where he reclassified to the 2022 class and played up on their post grad team this season. He looked really good when I saw him as he looked like he dropped some weight and worked on his perimeter game as he shot it well from deep and still battled with big men much taller than him in the paint and for rebounds. He’s surprisingly quick for his size, he has decent ball skills that should continue to get better and when he plays hard on both ends he’s able to be an impact guy in a number of ways. As he continues to get his body better and improve on his skill set he should have an opportunity to show coaches what he can do and he’ll have plenty of chances to get recruited on the post grad scene.
4) Brock Vice | 6’8” PF | Blacksburg 2023
It isn’t everyday we talk about a possible big time prospect out of Blacksburg which is known more for producing football players than hoop stars, but Vice has the potential to be as good as they come on the basketball court if he continues to work and grow. His father is a line coach for Virginia Tech so he also plays football, but standing 6’8” and likely still growing his best bet may be on the basketball court where his size will be a huge benefit with the style he plays. He has good touch out to the three-point line, he’s pretty mobile and runs the floor well, he pursues the basketball and rebounds well on both ends and all of it looks like it’s just natural and he simply plays hard. In a game against Class 3 State Champions Cave Spring and a lineup that featured a 6’6” and 6’7” big, Vice put up 25 points and 19 rebounds while coming off the bench. He has great tools moving forward and is likely just scratching the surface with how good he can be.
3) Dominic Strother Dominic Strother 6'10" | PF Woodstock Academy | 2022 VA | 6’7” PF | Central-Woodstock 2021
Strother was one of the best players in Class 3 all season as he helped Central-Woodstock to the state tournament this season and he has a skill set that not many people his size have. At 6’7” he plays in the post defensively but offensively he plays like a big guard who can shoot it from deep, handle in transition and is a big time finisher when he gets downhill. At his size he’s able to isolate bigs on the perimeter and use his ball skills and quickness to get by people, he can pull bigs out and open the lane for others and he’s able to go inside where he can use his size to rebound and finish in the paint as well. There are rumors that he’s looking to go to the 2022 class at some point, and if that happens he’ll have a chance to be recruited at a pretty high level if he fills out and can show he can do it against top competition.
2) Markus Ilver Markus Ilver 6'7" | SF Massanutten | 2021 OH | 6’7” WF | Massanutten 2021
The Estonian native was set to blow up this summer on the AAU trail, and even without it he’s been a hot commodity who seems to announce a new offer every day on his twitter. He’s a guy who has played at the highest level in the FIBA ranks and played up on Massanutten’s post grad team where he was one of their best players and is a prospect that has all of the tools to play at the high major level. At 6’7” he’s a true wing who can knock down shots from deep, he’s a dynamic athlete who can finish above the rim through traffic and he plays with a chip on his shoulder and toughness you can’t teach. Despite being a big time prospect, he’s a guy who will fight for 50-50 balls and make hustle plays on both ends, and once he gets it going he can fill it up in bunches. He’s picked up offers from Stetson, Marshall, Quinnipiac, Holy Cross, Toledo, UNCW, Fairfield, George Mason, ECU, Bryant and St. Bonaventure all since the season ended.
1) Tyler Nickel Tyler Nickel 6'8" | SF East Rockingham | 2022 State #85 Nation VA | 6’6” WF | East Rockingham 2022
Nickel is on a historic pace so far in his first two seasons at East Rockingham as he has scored more points through his first two seasons than anyone else in VHSL history. That’s flat out amazing if you think about some of the talent that has come through the state. He led East Rockingham to a state semifinal appearance this year before falling to a stacked John Marshall team that ended up winning the championship, and scored 802 points this season bringing his career total to 1,465 which already breaks the school record. He checks almost all of the boxes as a high level prospect with great size, good athleticism and the ability to score it from almost anywhere on the court. He’s a big time shooter from deep, he can put it on the deck and get by guys and he’s an explosive finisher at the rim who isn’t afraid to go through someone when they stand in his way. Arguably the best trait he has is his competitiveness, as he wants to be the best and wants to prove it to everyone. He already holds offers from Penn State, Virginia Tech and VCU and should be a breakout guy on the national stage when AAU comes around.