Next 10: Jack’s Holiday Tour of VA
Every year after Christmas, I travel from the 757 to the 540, stopping at many places in between to take in Holiday Tournaments across the state. Since I live in Richmond, I decided to stop at four cities other than that see as many teams as I could. My schedule looked like this:
December 26th: Scope Holiday Basketball Classic in Norfolk, VA
December 27th: James Monroe Holiday Basketball Festival in Fredericksburg, VA
December 28th: Daily Progress Holiday Classic in Charlottesville, VA
December 29th: Northside Invitational Tournament in Roanoke, VA
I did standouts from each of the three events, and now that it’s all done it’s time for my 10 Best from the four tournaments. Stay tuned for a “Next 10” for even more superlatives from my tour across VA.
Best Game: North Stafford vs. West Potomac
It didn’t get the original best game because it was just a consolation game, but man was this one of the most fun games to watch and evaluate. It was back-and-forth all games, kids on both teams got hot, kids on both teams made plays and it came down to the wire. North Stafford’s Javon Swinton hit the go-ahead shot with five seconds left, and West Potomac got a great look to win the game but it just wasn’t able to fall. North ended up winning 75-73, in a shootout that was fun to watch from the beginning to the end.
Best Offensive Performer | Daryl Mackey Jr. | West Potomac 2019
In the best game that we were talking about earlier, West Potomac guard Daryl Mackey Jr. got hot late in the second quarter and didn’t stop for the rest of the game. The junior finished with 38 points, with 23 of them coming in the second half, and he did so by scoring it from all over the floor. He got in the lane and finished around the basket, got hot from deep and showed that he could make shots off the bounce and he got to the line regularly going 11-for-13 from the line. He also chipped in seven rebounds, and came up with big plays for them whenever they needed it.
Best Defensive Performer | Tyler Carroll | Kellam 2018
Despite Kellam dropping their first game of the season to Norview in the Scope Holiday Classic, Carroll showed a natural ability to protect the paint and the rim. He finished with 7 blocks on the game, the most of any player I saw at all four locations. He was already in help ready to come protect the rim, and he showed good footwork and timing on the defensive end. At 6’7”, he used all of his length to help his team.
Best Underclassman | Jaylani Darden | Norview 2021
Darden put up solid numbers in Norview’s win over Kellam at the Scope, and his upside is tremendous moving forward. A long 6’3” guard with good feel and a high IQ, Darden finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in the win, and while he made some mistakes it was an impressive performance from just a freshman who played multiple positions throughout the game. Expect Darden to continue to grow and mature, and he’ll be a player to watch in the near future in the 757.
Best Breakout Performance | Isaiah Folkes | Stonewall Jackson 2020
If you’re talking about breaking out onto the scene, the sophomore guard from Stonewall is next up for the Raiders who start nothing but seniors. He came off the bench in their win over Lancaster to lead the team in scoring with 17 points, but it was the way he scored it that was impressive. He made mature and strong basketball moves, showed that he understood spacing off the ball and he attacked the rim and finished with both hands in transition. The 6’0” combo guard also pitched in five boards and three assists, and he’s only going to play a bigger role moving forward.
Best Shooter A | Krys Lloyd | North Stafford 2018
Lloyd has had a big start for North Stafford this season, and he showed al of what he can do in their 75-73 instant classic in the second day of the Daily Progress in Charlottesville. The senior guard finished with 29 points, hitting big shots for them throughout the game and scoring from all three levels. What gives him the “best shooter” tag is the range he shows. The lefty is effortless from beyond NBA range, as it looks the same as his smooth stroke from the free throw line. He’s filling it up this year from beyond the arc, and could be one of the best shooters in the Fredericksburg area.
Best Shooter B | Jaylen Rowell | Norview 2018
In Norview’s win over Kellam, Rowell was the go-to guy as he got hot and knocked down shot after shot for the Pilots. He finished with 22 points, 16 of them coming in the first half, and was red hot from the field shooting 8-for-9 from the field and 6-for-7 from deep. The only senior on the team, Rowell’s ability to step up and make shots will be important if this Norview team is going to make a run come March.
Best Athlete | Zae Baines | North Cross 2020
Baines struggled early in North Cross lost to Northside in the Championship game of the Northside Invitational Tournament as he settled for a lot of jump shots early, but once he started getting downhill and attacking the rim he got things going. The 6’3” guard has quick burst, is a strong and bouncy finisher in the lane and uses his athleticism to hit the glass and make plays defensively. He’s a high major football prospect and seeing division one interest already as a basketball player, and his natural athleticism is something that’s easy to see after just a couple of possessions.
Best Handle | Mike Gray | James Monroe 2020
The 6’2” point guard is one of the best scorers in the Fredericksburg area, and it’s his tight handle and ability to break down defenders off the bounce that makes him so lethal in both the half court and in transition. He can pat it with both hands, has a wicked crossover and multiple counters, and he’s able to cover a lot of ground with his dribbles. His tight handle and good footwork, along with his ability to finish with both hands around the rim, makes him an isolation guy who can really fill it up when he gets downhill.
Best Team Effort | Handley over Granby
The Judges had a four and a half hour bus ride to Norfolk before taking on Granby in the first round of the Scope Holiday Tournament, but that was hard to tell as they came out with energy, shared the ball and got a convincing win in what was essentially a road game. Handley put all five starters in double figures, with two players going for 16, one for 15, one for 14 and one for 11 points. They shared the ball well with 20 assists as a team, and everyone played better as time went on. With a team full of guys that could be the star on another team, they all play together and are the reason Handley is one of the top teams in Class Four this season.