Prospect Power Rankings: RVA (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 five prospects for the Richmond area.
5) Curtis Blair III | 6’5” F | Steward School 2023
Blair is a guy who comes from a great basketball bloodline as his father Curtis Blair Jr. is a former NBA player himself and one of the top officials in the NBA today. While Blair had somewhat of an up and down year for Steward, that is something you’d expect out of a freshman typically, he did show some great flashes of what he can become and he seems to show improvement every time you watch him play as well. He has good physical features including a good frame with length and he seems to get taller all the time, he’s shown the ability to shoot it from deep and he’s bouncy on the glass and a good finisher above the rim as well. He already holds early offers from Liberty and Virginia Tech and as he gets tougher, stronger and more confident, Blair is a guy who should take a big leap here soon.
4) Alphonzo Billups Alphonzo Billups 6'7" | SF Varina | 2022 State #154 Nation VA | 6’5” WF | Varina 2022
Billups emerged this year on a young but talented Varina team as one of the top prospects in the 2022 class in all of VA, and the scary thing about it is that he still has room to improve in almost every facet of the game as well. He’s a long and wiry wing with natural athleticism and decent ball skills as he showed at times this year he can handle the ball and get them into sets, and he’s a naturally talented offensive player that can score at multiple levels. He plays way above the rim, he has decent feel and makes the right play more often than not and he has the tools to be a versatile defender at the next level as well. He picked up his first offer from VCU and with time that should continue to grow.
3) Dennis Parker Jr. | 6’6” G/F | John Marshall 2023
While we went with the more experienced guys that are already nationally ranked seniors, there’s a good chance that by the time Parker is done with high school he’ll be right in the same kind of conversation as the two below him. Parker is well beyond his years both physically and from a skillset standpoint, and while he’s 6’6” he has a point guard’s mentality with the ability to put it on the deck and use his size to see over top of defenders and deliver passes on point in a variety of ways. He’s a strong kid for his size and a very athletic finisher who can finish above the rim through traffic, he has a nice jump shot from deep that should continue to become more consistent and he brings it on both ends of the floor as well. He already holds offers from Virginia Tech, Ole Miss and Rutgers and should see a lot of schools start to follow him soon.
2) Roosevelt Wheeler Roosevelt Wheeler 6'9" | C John Marshall | 2021 State #62 Nation VA | 6’10” C | John Marshall 2021
While Wheeler already holds offers from a lot of very impressive schools, this summer he was set to blow up after a dominant junior season where he showed great improvement on the offensive end. He’s the type of big man that schools are starting to recruit more and more as he may not have the perimeter skill set but he runs the floor extremely well and he holds down the paint as a shot blocker and rebounder as well. He doesn’t need many touches as he can go get it off the glass or in transition or on duck ins, but he started to demand the basketball more in the paint and showed improvement on his touch over the shoulder and out to the elbows as well. He holds offers from the likes of Kansas, Texas A&M, Providence, Georgetown, Miami, NC State, Virginia Tech and VCU and is among the top bigs in the country on most national sites.
1) Efton Reid Efton Reid 7'0" | C The Steward School | 2021 #27 Nation FL | 6’11” C | Steward School 2021
Reid gets the slight nod for the best prospect in the Richmond area because he is one of the most unique big men in the country with his skill set on the offensive end. He’s a massive kid who has improved greatly in his mobility and athleticism over the past few years, and he’s a guy who can score the basketball in so many ways when he’s on the floor. He can play in the post where he can score over either shoulder or go over top of defenders to finish at the rim, he can face up and put it on the deck where he has counters and spins that are tough to guard and he can step out and shoot the ball from deep as well. He’s also a great teammate and very unselfish superstar that makes him easy to play with too. He holds offers from Kansas, Maryland, Louisville, Miami, NC State, Iowa State, Ohio State, Florida State, Georgetown and more, and while he doesn’t boast them often he has said time and time again he’s wide open which means his recruitment will be fun to watch pan out.