2018 NBPA Top 100 Camp Primer: Virginia Basketball Targets

Campers arrived in Charlottesville on Tuesday (June 12) for the 2018 NBPA Top 100 Camp. Action gets underway Wednesday (June 13) and TheSabre.com will be on hand for coverage of the event, which brings top talents from across the country together inside John Paul Jones Arena.

The Top 100 Camp sent out a roster of players on Tuesday. While Casey Morsell, who is Virginia’s lone class of 2019 commitment, is not on the list, there are many other players on the Cavaliers’ radar who are.

Class of 2019

Drake London, SG, Moorpark (CA)

This is a player head coach Tony Bennett has been in hot pursuit of since extending a scholarship offer last fall. London, who is leaning towards playing football and basketball in college, is supposed to visit UVA while in Charlottesville this week. He cannot visit with the coaches until the camp is over, so if he did not visit before the camp presumably he would stay around after the camp. We hope to catch up with the talented 6’5” rising senior for the latest.

Patrick Williams, SF, West Charlotte (Charlotte, N.C.)

UVA offered Williams earlier this spring. When I spoke with the 6’7” wing while in Hampton for the Nike EYBL, he only had had a brief conversation or two with Coach Bennett but said Virginia was a school he’d probably visit this spring or summer. We’ll see if the Cavaliers have ratcheted up their pursuit of the skilled wing and see if any visits have been scheduled.

A quartet of talented post players including Will Baker, Aidan Igiehon, Drew Timme and Oscar Tshiebwe are at the Top 100. Virginia had offered all four prospects at one time. However, with the commitment of class of 2018 center Francisco Caffaro, adding a post in the class of 2019 become secondary. With one scholarship remaining in 2019, Virginia’s focus appears to be on the wing.

We know Virginia is no longer pursuing Timme. If we hear the Hoos are still trying to stay in the mix with those other prospects, we’ll let you know.

In terms of other class of 2019 prospects we will keep an eye on, Isaiah Wong, a 6’3” guard out of Monsignor Bonner (PA), is high on the list. Virginia has not offered but reportedly is showing strong interest in the 4-star sharpshooter.

Class of 2020

Hunter Dickinson, C, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD)

Dickinson, a more traditional center with a good back-to-the-basket offensive game, claims an offer from Virginia. However, if we can catch up with him it’ll be interesting to see just how heavily the Cavs have been in pursuit.

Anthony Edwards, SG, Holy Spirit Prep (Atlanta, GA)

UVA may not be a strong player at this point, but an offer has been extended to the impressive 5-star guard.

DayRon Sharpe, PF, South Central (N.C.)

Coach Bennett jumped in with a scholarship offer for Sharpe during the first Live Evaluation period this spring. Sharpe may be a tough pull out of North Carolina (UNC has now offered), but Virginia’s head man seems to like him a lot.

Mark Williams, PF/C, Norfolk Academy (Norfolk VA)

Williams has been offered by UVA and appears to be a top target of Bennett’s. How much traction the Cavaliers have right now with the 6’10” prospect is a question I’m hoping to find out this week.

Ziaire Williams, SF, Notre Dame (CA)

Just like his BTI Prospects teammate Drake London, Ziaire Williams is expected to take an unofficial visit to Virginia while in Charlottesville. He is on our priority list in terms of players we want to cover this week. Virginia offered this spring and he fits the bill as a De’Andre Hunter-type. Plus, he has spoken very highly of Bennett’s system.

As for other rising junior prospects, neither Bowie (MD) wing Cade Cunningham nor Trinity Episcopal (Richmond, VA) wing Henry Coleman III have been offered by Virginia at this point, but both are getting serious looks. We’ll be eyeing both rising juniors and more this week.