7/10/2017 basketball Edit

Five Virginians Make Rivals150 for 2018

Keldon Johnson, now of Oak Hill, is the highest rated Virginia-based prospect in the Rivals150 (Matthew Hatfield (VirginiaPreps.com))

Matthew Hatfield • VirginiaPreps

Publisher

Matthew Hatfield has been with VirginiaPreps.com since 2004, officially taking over as Publisher in 2016. Hatfield hosts 757 Saturday Sports Talk every Saturday, 10 AM to Noon, on ESPN Radio 94.1.

Rivals.com released its new national rankings for the Class of 2018, rating the Top 150 prospects in the country.

Five Virginia players made the cut. See the Full Rivals150 here.

Keldon Johnson - who recently announced that he'll be playing his senior season back in the state at Oak Hill Academy after spending last year at Huntington Prep (WV) - is listed #24 overall. Johnson, one of just 26 prospects rated a five-star by Rivals, played his first two seasons at Park View in South Hill and has been a standout for the Boo Williams travel team that will be participating in the Nike Peach Jam later this week.

David McCormack has impressed scouts and analysts everywhere, checking in at 35th overall (Matthew Hatfield (VirginiaPreps.com))

Johnson's new teammate, David McCormack of Oak Hill, is 35th overall nationally and a four-star prospect according to Rivals. The 6-foot-10 McCormack has been a reliable presence in the post for Team Loaded on the travel scene and analysts have raved about how he's re-shaped his body from his first two years at the High School level when he was at Norfolk Academy.

Villanova commit Brandon Slater checks in at #52 in the Class of 2018 rankings (Matthew Hatfield (VirginiaPreps.com))

The lone Commonwealth product on the list who has committed is Brandon Slater. A smooth shooting, 6-foot-5 wing from Paul VI, Slater has excelled with the Team Takeover AAU squad on the Nike circuit. His slashing and versatility stood out to several college programs. He has given a pledge to play for the Villanova Wildcats, National Champs as recent as 2016.

Jaelin Llewellyn of VES is rated #142 overall nationally by Rivals in the Class of 2018 (Clint Jackson/Rivals.com)

Relatively unknown this time a year ago, 6-foot-2 point guard Jaelin Llewellyn from Virginia Episcopal has turned heads since arrival to the state. The Canadian playmaker has shown a penchant for changing speeds effectively while getting in the paint or connect from long distance. Last month, he took unofficial visits Georgetown, Maryland and Virginia, plus picked up offers from Clemson and Northwestern during June.

Jason Wade has seen his stock soar this off-season on the travel scene with Boo Williams (Matthew Hatfield (VirginiaPreps.com))

Coming in at #146 overall is Trinity Episcopal guard Jason Wade, who has seen his stock rise this off-season while playing on the grassroots scene for Boo Williams. Wade holds offers from a wide range of schools that include College of Charleston, Delaware, Hofstra, James Madison, Old Dominion, Towson, VCU and Wichita State, among others. His defensive prowess has made him a priority target for many mid-major-plus schools.

Matthew Hatfield serves as Publisher for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a regular contributor to the ACC Sports Journal. Check out Hatfield’s Twitter page for more sports related updates, and you can also read his work in the Suffolk News Herald. To contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com, and don’t forget to listen to him every Saturday at 10AM on ESPN Radio 94.1.