2018 Rankings Breakdown: Richmond Area Guards
This year, for our updated rankings breakdowns we decided to do it by area and by position. The Greater Richmond Area has become one of the places that some of the best players in the state come out of. There are highly ranked prospects at all levels and all positions, and we take a look at the top senior guards in the 804 area.
*Note: This list only includes players who play high school basketball in the Richmond area.
Jason Wade | 6’4” | Trinity Episcopal (#9 Overall)
The ODU commit has shown the ability to guard almost every position on the floor, play both guard positions and make plays for himself and others. He’s also shown he’s willing to accept whatever role will help his team win. As impressive as that is, his athleticism and body are already college ready, and his high basketball IQ should help him make the transition to the collegiate level easier than most prospects.
DeAndre Thomas | 6’4” | Millwood (#19 Overall)
Thomas is a do-it-all kind of guard with good size that can play on and off the ball. He can guard multiple positions and is a stat sheet stuffer that rebounds on both ends of the floor. The Samford commit is a guy who scores it in spurts, but he’s still a guy that finds a way to impact the game in other ways even when he isn’t knocking down shots.
Rahim Jenkins | 6’1” | LC Bird (#43 Overall)
The opposite of Thomas, Jenkins is a combo guard that can also play on and off the ball but is a naturally gifted scorer. He’s a good shooter from deep both off the catch and off the bounce, and he’s an athletic finisher that is crafty around the basket and explosive in transition who finishes above the rim. He’s also a guy with a lot of upside because he still has a lot to learn and experience to gain.
Timon Jones | 5’10” | Henrico (#62 Overall)
At 5’10”, Jones isn’t the biggest guy but he’s a threat to make plays on both ends of the floor. He’s a good on ball defender that hounds ball handlers the length of the floor, turning them and he can also shoot the gaps for steals in the press. He’s a tough shot maker, who knows how to use his body and has an array of shots to get over bigger defenders. His biggest strength is his ability to score in both transition and in the half court with the ball in his hands.
Marcus Holman | 6’2” | Life Christian Academy (#65 Overall)
Perhaps the guy with the biggest breakout senior season has been Holman, who has lit it up time and time again since transferring to LCA. He’s a combo that has improved every year of his high school career, and he can really shoot the deep ball which opens the rest of his game. He’s a much improved athlete and ball handler, and he’s able to make tough shots in traffic.
Faizohn Taylor | 6’2” | Hopewell (#81 Overall)
Taylor’s an under the radar guy for Hopewell, and is unknown to many college coaches mostly because he didn’t play AAU ball. The kid has a little playground in him, but he can flat out play the game. He’s a crafty finisher in transition, a shot maker from deep off the catch, can hit the pull up and he has natural instincts defensively. He’ll likely have to go the JUCO route but he’ll be worth the look for D1 JUCO coaches.
Calvin Henderson | 6’2” | Lancaster (#127 Overall)
Henderson’s natural position is as a point guard, as he’s a playmaker with the ball in his hands, but because he’s one of the tallest players on 1A Lancaster he’s a guy who has expanded his game to everything. He rebounds well, sees the floor, can guard all five positions and is an athletic finisher around the rim.
La’Kye Oweens | 6’1” | Highland Springs (#135 Overall)
Owens has been held back by injury this year, but when he’s healthy he brings toughness to the backcourt of whatever team he’s on. He doesn’t turn it over, he’s a great defender and he’ll bang down low on the glass with the bigs as well. He has a smooth middle game and he can use his strength to finish through contact at the rim.
Toriano Lewis | 6’1” | Armstrong (#145 Overall)
Lewis is a combo guard that can make shots from deep both off the catch and off the bounce. He’s a knock down shooter so much that when he goes through shooting droughts, they don’t last very long. He has a craftiness about him as well when he’s attacking the rim.