AAU Spotlight: VA Venom Hughes 17U
With everything still in limbo but some AAU tournaments starting to happen, we decided to do a series to spotlight some of the AAU teams across the state this summer. Today, we look at Virginia Venom 17U. The Virginia Venom…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWith everything still in limbo but some AAU tournaments starting to happen, we decided to do a series to spotlight some of the AAU teams across the state this summer. Today, we look at Virginia Venom 17U.
The Virginia Venom club is one of the few teams that have already got started as far as playing tournaments as they went down to Big Shots Myrtle Beach and put on a show against some very talented teams. They went 5-1 beating a number of good teams including the Dallas Seawolves, and had a ton of press for multiple players of theirs.
Based out of Williamsburg, VA, Venom has kids from all over the peninsula that are starting to come into their own and make a name for themselves. Below, you can see the full roster, along with a breakdown of some of their top players and most underrated players, along with their remaining schedule as well.
Roster
Marcus Banks Marcus Banks 6'2" | SG Bethel | 2020 State VA | 6’3” G | Fork Union 2021
Jaden Curry | 5’11” G | Peninsula Catholic 2021
Pharaoh Lassiter | 6’2” G | Bethel 2021
Lamont Jones Jr. | 5’11” G | Lafayette 2021
Lamond Jones | 5’10” G | Lafayette 2021
Caleb Thomas | 6’3” G | Mathews 2021
Jayden Evans | 6’6” F | Walsingham 2022
Zion Funderburk | 6’4” F | Warhill 2021
Matt Nunez Matt Nunez 6'11" | C Hargrave | 2022 VA | 6’10” C | Walsingham 2022
Jackson Hughes | 6’4” F | Jamestown 2022
Cooper Jones | 6’3” G | Walsingham 2022
Key Players
Marcus Banks Marcus Banks 6'2" | SG Bethel | 2020 State VA | 6’3” WG | FUMA PG 2021
Banks had a monster tournament down in Myrtle where he scored 52 in a game and showed some improvement in handling the ball and initiating the offense. He’s a guy who’s wired to score as he has deep range and is a consistent shooter from deep, he can get downhill and get to the rim and he gets to the free throw line often as well. He’s going to have an opportunity to put up big numbers like that in front of a lot of coaches at Fork Union next year.
Matt Nunez Matt Nunez 6'11" | C Hargrave | 2022 VA | 6’10” C | Walsingham 2022
The Walsingham big man announced that he was reclassifying to the 2022 class then he went out and had a good showing in Myrtle. His size is something you can’t overlook and it makes an impact immediately, as they often fed him early and let him use his size for some easy buckets then played inside-out once the defense started to double him. He’s a guy who mans the paint on both ends, he can challenge and block shots without fouling and he has a nice offensive game from about 15 feet and in.
Travon Gray | 6’5” WF | Peninsula Catholic 2022
Another guy who announced he was reclassifying, Gray was one of the first names that Big Shots started blasting on their social media and he made a name for himself. The reclass year should be good for Gray, who has sprouted up to about 6’5” and improved every time I have seen him play. He’s a high motor guy that will do the dirty work but he’s also a pretty good offensive player that can score from multiple levels, rebound and make the right play.
Under the Radar Guys
Pharoah Lassiter | 6’2” G | Bethel 2021
Lassiter is a guy that I have overlooked at times and then he always proves me wrong, and he’s set to have a huge year at Bethel if he chooses to return. The 6’2” shooting guard is a smooth bucket getter that can create for himself in isolation situations, he can shoot it from deep and once he gets it going it doesn’t take long for him to get hot. He had multiple 20 point games throughout the tournament and when you watch him score the ball the thing that stands out is how effortlessly he does it.
Jayden Evans | 6’6” WF | Walsingham 2022
When I watched film from this past weekend, I was really intrigued by the potential of Evans who is playing up on this group. The 2022 wing is still a little raw but he has great physical tools and plays with great passion on both ends of the floor, making him an impact with hustle plays and his ability to use his length to rebound and disrupt guys defensively. He’s a guy who is great when he gets downhill and gets to the rim and he still has a lot of room to get better moving forward.
Jaden Curry | 5’11” PG | Peninsula Catholic 2021
Curry will often be the overlooked guy because of his role on this group, but he’s one of the guys that makes them go with his leadership and poise at the point guard spot. He’s a natural floor general who can handle pressure and get them into sets, he sets the tone and controls the tempo and he can make everyone better while also being a scoring threat himself.
Schedule
NTBA Nationals | Myrtle Beach, SC | 7/16-7/20
Hoop Group Summer Jam Fest | Lancaster, PA | 8/7-8/9
Hoop Group Southern Jam Fest | Hampton, VA | 8/21-8/23