This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled up to the iconic Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, Virginia, for our annual Virginia Tip Off. The event featured a lot of new, intriguing talent from the DMV area and Virginia as a whole. Although we’ve watched several pieces from the Virginia Havoc 434 Carter squad, this current iteration was arguably their most intriguing, entertaining group yet. Not only do they have multiple unsigned guys who should appeal to college coaches right now, but this roster also has a variety of rising seniors worthy of monitoring over the coming months. Let’s take a closer look at some of their main guys…
We’ll start with the available duo of 6’5 Tristan Smith and 6’2 Quis Timberlake. Both guys were listed as standouts and clearly made an impression as two of the key pieces for this team going undefeated over the weekend. Smith is a long, versatile wing/forward whose blend of size, skill, and fluidity makes him a matchup problem for opponents. He excels at getting downhill, slicing through the lane, and applying pressure as a finisher. Smith gets to the line at a healthy rate and knocks down jumpers at a nice percentage along the perimeter. He’s also capable of securing rebounds, pushing in transition, and utilizing his length to be disruptive defensively. Meanwhile, Timberlake is a steady, well-rounded guard who can expand his production as needed. He does a little bit of everything, but stood out through his ability to consistently find scoring opportunities within the flow of the action. Timberlake was able to heat up quickly and put together strong scoring runs on multiple occasions. He’s also a scrappy defender and willing passer. Both guys should appeal to college coaches.
Meanwhile, Isaac Radde and Khyhiem Johnson also operated as main pieces for this group. Radde is skilled with a sturdy frame and the ability to apply pressure with or without the ball in his hands. He’s a reliable perimeter shooter and spot-up threat who knows how to find open space and knock down jumpers at a strong rate. However, he’s also capable of initiating the offense, setting up others, and attacking off the bounce. Radde competes well on the glass and displays nice involvement on the defensive side of the ball. Their other main creator, Johnson, is a tough, strong-bodied guard with a useful blend of vision, ball-handling, and scoring prowess. He utilizes his pace and strength to reliably break down opponents, touch the paint, or pull up off the bounce. Johnson absorbs contact well on drives and finishes around the basket, but is looking to set up others and make the right read whenever possible. He can also knock down three-pointers at a quality rate. Add in his scrappy on-ball defense, and it’s easy to see all the things he did for this group.
Although those four carried a sizeable load, guys like Drayden Wood, Jasiah Warner, and various others found ways to make plays within the flow of the action for this squad. Given everything they showcased, this team will certainly be worthy of attention throughout the travel ball season.