#111 6’4 2022 Donald Hand Jr: Landstown High School
The first thing you notice about Hand is his unrelenting motor. The kid simply plays the game with the kind of effort level you love to see out of a high level prospect. He excels in transition where he uses his length and speed to blow by defenders, finishing at the cup consistently. Those excellent physical traits translate to the other side of the court as well. Hand is a multi-positional defender that has a ton of upside within that aspect of his game. He has great anticipation skills when filling the passing lanes and can get some chase down blocks as well. As his outside shot continues to improve, it will only open things up even more for Hand. I have no doubt that his skillset will continue to round out and Hand will continue to see his stock elevate as a prospect over the course of the next couple of years.
#114 6’5 2021 Caleb Kenney: Douglas Freeman High School
Kenney brings a lot to the table when he’s on the floor. At 6’5 he’s capable of defending the rim with his long arms and excellent timing, but also a reliable scorer from the wing or mid-post on the offensive end. He’s got legitimate pop to his game, capable of punching on defenders in transition, or taking a bigger guy out on the perimeter and drilling a pull-up J in his face. Kenney has a diverse skillset that should be on display for all of Virginia to see.
#83 5’9 2021 Jason Nelson: John Marshall High School
Nelson is a super smooth point guard that appears to be on an entirely different level than most of the competition. He holds a handful of D1 offers and it’s easy to see why. He shoots the cover off the ball from deep in a confident fashion. He possesses a special type of vision, consistently making his teammates better with his decision making. Unlike a lot of young PG’s the ball never sticks in his hands, he’s incredibly efficient with his dribbling and that’s a hurdle that he won’t have to jump over at the next level. It’s easy to see why schools like Vanderbilt and VCU are expressing the level of interest they are in this kid. He has a chance for another special season at John Marshall.
#116 6’6 2021 Derrick Jones Jr: Blue Ridge School
Jones is a kid that plays a really productive brand of basketball, but also has the kind of potential that makes him a really interesting prospect to watch moving forward. His ability to attack and finish above the rim in transition has to be considered his best asset as a prospect while the flashes of playmaking ability make him that much more intriguing. He was willing to act as both the screener and the ball handler in P&R situations, showing the ability to make plays for other when the defense closes in on him. As he continues to add strength and round out his overall skillset, expect Jones recruitment to head in the right direction. D1’s he should be on your radar right now.
#89 5’11 2021 Maurice Vincent: The Carmel School
Vincent has been one of the best pure shooters in attendance in the games thus far. He does a really nice job of moving without the ball and letting it fly with no hesitation when he gets a good look. His ability to create offense without the ball in his hands will translate level to level no matter how far he goes. It’s an incredibly valuable skillset that he possesses and it should translate to an uptick in his recruitment here in the near future.