Updated 2022 Rankings: Wings Rankings (5-1)
In this article:
We will be spending the next week or so breaking down our updated VA class of 2022 rankings. We continue by looking at the top shooting guards and small forwards in the rankings, ranking the top 5! Be sure to…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWe will be spending the next week or so breaking down our updated VA class of 2022 rankings. We continue by looking at the top shooting guards and small forwards in the rankings, ranking the top 5! Be sure to stay tuned to Prep Hoops VA for even more rankings content moving forward.
#5 Donald Hand Jr. | 6’5” | Landstown (#8 Overall)
Hand Jr. had one of the best high school seasons of anyone. On this list, as he averaged close to 30 points per game helping Landstown to the state championship and showing he’s one of the top scorers in the state. He’s had a good start to the spring as well and continues to pull in offers, his latest coming from Boston College, and he has many tools that will translate to the next level with his size and ability to flat out score the basketball. He can play on and off the basketball and can make shots on the move, he is crafty in the half court and knows how to get to the free throw line often and he can create and make shots from multiple levels.
#4 Judah Mintz | 6’5” | Oak Hill Academy (#7 Overall)
Mintz comes into the 2022 rankings for the first time after announcing he will transfer from Gonzaga in the WCAC to national powerhouse Oak Hill Academy, and he’ll make an immediate impact on both ends of the floor with his mix of size, athleticism and overall skill set. Mintz has been an impact player both for Gonzaga and for Team Durant on one of the most talented grassroots teams in the country over the past few years, as he’s an athletic and strong guard that can play on or off the basketball, he can stick it from deep and get downhill to finish at the rim and he’s an excellent defender that can lock down the other team’s best player and is great in help side as well. He recently committed to Pittsburgh in the ACC, and he’ll have a chance to get some early time as he continues to develop and play against the top competition in the country.
#3 Alphonzo Billups Alphonzo Billups 6'7" | SF Varina | 2022 State #154 Nation VA | 6’7” | Varina (#6 Overall)
“Fatts,” as he’s known by coaches and teammates, has continually developed over the past few years into one of the top players in the state and is starting to get national recognition with a list of high majors that have started to make him a priority, and he’ll only get more of those as he continues to get seen in the right settings. Billups is versatile as a wing and really thrives in situations where he doesn’t have to be the go-to scorer, as he has terrific feel with the ball in his hands and can make all the passes while seeing over the defense at 6’7”, he’s athletic and thrives in transition, he’s improved as a shooter especially from the corners and he has a lot of potential on the defensive end as well. He started to really turn the corner toward the end of last season in the CBG events, and this spring with Team Loaded he’s been fantastic in a number of roles on a team full of alpha scorers.
#2 Tyler Nickel Tyler Nickel 6'8" | SF East Rockingham | 2022 State #85 Nation VA | 6’7” | East Rockingham (#5 Overall)
Speaking of alpha scores on the Team Loaded group, Nickel is one of those and one of the best scoring wings on the east coast and will likely end his career as the VHSL all-time leading scorer. At 6’7”, Nickel is a smooth operator that has a killer mentality and will come at you time and time again whether it’s off the bounce or working off the basketball to get open. He’s an excellent shooter from deep who can make shots on the move, he can use his size to get to spots in the midrange and hit contested shots including fadeaways over defenders in the mid-post and he’s a strong and explosive finisher at and above the rim. His offer list is extremely impressive with teams from the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, SEC, Big East and more vying for his services, with his latest offer coming from UNC.
#1 Justin Taylor Justin Taylor 6'5" | SG IMG Academy | 2022 State #156 Nation FL | 6’5” | St. Anne’s Belfield (#1 Overall)
Taylor was in contention for the top spot in last year’s 2022 rankings but consensus top 20 wing MJ Rice moved to Oak Hill, and with his departure it was time to move Taylor, who recently committed to Syracuse, into the top spot. There’s just so many things that Taylor does that translates to the next level to take into consideration, and one of the big reasons he gets the nod is in how much he has improved over the past four years in areas outside of his ability to shoot it from deep. He has prototypical size to play on the wing at the next level, he’s a fluid athlete that moves well laterally and can play above the rim, he can make shots on the move and he can create shots late in the shot clock with his ability to create space off the bounce and he’s underrated in other areas including his playmaking and rebounding ability. He’s also a great fit at Syracuse and should have a chance to come in and make an immediate impact for the Orange next season.