Virginia’s Five Best Shooting Backcourts
Editor’s Note: In anticipation of the upcoming high school season, Vantage Hoops will be taking a closer look at various teams and players throughout Virginia. Below, we run down five of the hottest shooting backcourts in the state in no…
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Continue ReadingEditor’s Note: In anticipation of the upcoming high school season, Vantage Hoops will be taking a closer look at various teams and players throughout Virginia. Below, we run down five of the hottest shooting backcourts in the state in no particular order.
Xavier Johnson and George Mawanda-Kalema | Episcopal
Rising sophomore Xavier Johnson and rising senior George Mawanda-Kalema demonstrated the ability to consistently connect from long range during Episcopal’s run to the VISAA Division I State Championship last year. These two continued to tear up the nets over the summer with their respective AAU clubs. Kalema and Johnson’s ability to constantly make shots from the perimeter will once again be important to their team’s success this year. The hard-working guard tandem will likely continue their efficient shooting as they look to defend their state title.
Jalen Ray and Marquis Godwin | Hampton
Marquis Godwin, who began last season at Christ School in North Carolina, will begin the season at Hampton and get a full season under his belt with the Crabbers. The 6-foot-5 sharpshooting rising senior, who is committed to Richmond, will pair up with fast-rising lefty and fellow senior Jalen Ray to form one of the best shooting backcourt duos in the state. Ray, who has landed recent offers from Campbell, NJIT, Hofstra, and Loyola among others, is one of the hottest prospects in the state as a result of his strong play this summer. Look for these two to connect on a ton of shots from long range throughout the winter.
Matthew Palumbo and Jayden Nixon | St. Anne’s Belfield
STAB rising senior Matthew Palumbo has always been considered among the most accurate long range marksmen in Virginia. With the recent development of Jayden Nixon‘s jump shot making him a much more consistent shooter, the Charlottesville-based back court absolutely deserves to be considered with the best in the state.
Alex Petrie and Joe Bamisile | St. Christopher’s
Having already scored 1,000 points in his career at St. Christopher’s, future Lafayette Leopard Alex Petrie has established a reputation as one of the best shooters in the history of his high school. Following in the footsteps of Petrie will be rising freshman Joe Bamisile. While he isn’t quite known on the varsity level to this point, Bamisile is a very good shooter in his own right. These two are a no-brainer to make this list.
Jason Aigner and Matthew Urbach | W.T. Woodson
Jason Aigner hit around 80 threes as a junior for Head Coach Doug Craig at W.T. Woodson last year while shooting about 50% from beyond the arc. Aigner followed up his high school campaign with a summer full of hot shooting. He was joined late in the summer by 6-foot-3 rising junior sharpshooter Matthew Urbach, a transfer from Paul VI. Urbach and Aigner lit it up at the BSN Summer League. Look for them to do more of the same during the upcoming season.