top of page

Previewing the 2021-22 boys high school basketball season

Tim Pearrell

Dec 2, 2021

Players to watch:

Dennis Parker, John Marshall: The 6-foot-6 junior wing guard is the latest in a line of top recruits for the Justices. He’s a top 100 prospect with a Power Five offer list that includes LSU, N.C. State, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and VCU. Teammate Damon “Redd” Thompson, a sophomore and the son the son of the former Highland Springs and VSU football star of the same name, has D-I offers.

Alphonzo Billups, Varina: The 6-7 junior guard, who is headed to VCU, is a top 100 recruit because of size, shooting and playmaking abilities. Billups averaged 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.7 steals in 2019-20. Varina has another outstanding wing in 6-5 Christian Carden, who averaged 15.1 points in 2019-20.

Curtis Blair III, Steward: The 6-5 junior guard is a shooter with bloodlines – his father was a star at UR – and offers (Liberty, UR, VCU, Virginia Tech, Florida). He’s considered a top 150 recruit. Blair averaged 17 points while being named All-Metro last season. Cam Gregory, a 6-5 guard, is going to Division I Saint Francis (Pa.).

Jaden Daughtry, Benedictine: Daughtry played at Benedictine previously before transferring last year to L.C. Bird, where he was All-Metro. The senior left-hander, a Division I target, is a big wing (6-6) who can drive, post up or shoot 3-pointers.

A.J. Wills, Yuri Manns, L.C. Bird: Wills, a 6-1 junior guard, is the younger brother of Taja Cole, a Bird grad who was on the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list for the nation’s top collegiate point guard in 2018-19 at Georgia. He has an offer from Wichita State. Manns, a 6-3 junior guard, has offers from North Carolina A&T and Radford. Keyontae Lewis, a 6-8 senior center, has an offer from Norfolk State.

Luke Smith, Collegiate: The 6-8 junior forward, the brother of Boise State’s Burke Smith, can score inside and out and already has some lower Division I offers. Collegiate coach Del Smith says Smith is “one of the most skilled forwards in the state.”

Rasheed Daniels, Monacan: The 6-4 junior guard can put up big numbers. He had 32 points against Manchester last season and averaged 18.

Keishawn Pulley, St. Christopher’s: The 6-2 senior guard can beat you from the perimeter or on a drive to the basket. St. Christopher’s coach Hamill Jones expects Pulley to break out.

Christopher Fields Jr., Petersburg: The 6-5 junior’s game is built on power. He’s plenty quick around the basket and getting college interest. He had 22 points against Hopewell in the Class 3, Region A championship game last season.

bottom of page