The private school down in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia has found it’s next great transfer player. Actually, Oak Hill Academy has found yet another great team that will compete at the national level once again. They have claimed nine high school national championships and have finished second five times. Oak Hill came in the top five in every year from the 1998-99 to the 2008-09, including six national championships, three runner-up years, and finished third and fourth once. The won the national championship again in the 2011-12 season.
Oak Hill Academy is Going to Be Stacked Next Season
After going 41-4 last season, good for third in the country, the Warriors should be in good shape for the upcoming season. They did graduate five seniors, though. That includes Florida State-bound Dwayne Bacon and Ohio State Buckeye Daniel Giddens, two players that will be especially hard to replace.
Luckily for Oak Hill, the Warriors have three top 40 players in the class of 2016 and the 25th ranked junior (ESPN) transferring to the “The Turning Point” for their senior season. The latest transfer could put the Warriors over the top, though.
Every recruiting nut knows who Harry Giles is, and for those who do not, it’s about time you find out. Giles is a 6-10 power forward and the No. 1 player in his class according to ESPN. He dominated the EYBL circuit, the U18 FIBA games, and just about every other game he played in this season. A tremendous rebounder, Giles is the icing on the cake transfer for Oak Hill’s upcoming season, but he will not be chasing a national championship alone.
Mario Kegler is the 36th overall player in the class of 2016, and is a good counterpart for Giles. A strong athlete, Kegler has five-star talent and athleticism. It’s the transferring of that potential into results that Oak Hill will help Kegler with, and what Kegler will help the Warriors with. It’s a “help me help you” situation for both sides.
The Academy is also adding Braxton Blackwell, a 6-8 guard that can really handle the ball well. He can be a secondary ball handler for the Warriors, while also helping in just about every other area. He’s a utilityman, sure, but he’s extremely good at it. He is going to impact every game.
The final transfer is 2017 point guard Matt Coleman, and he may be the most important. He’ll be in charge of feeding the rest of the group, basically keeping everyone happy. As a junior, he will learn a ton from the senior-heavy squad.
Coming up with a lineup will be the tough job for Coach Steve Smith — his 30th year as head coach. He could play a bigger lineup with Coleman, Blackwell, Kegler, Joe Hampton, and Giles as the starters.
Joe Hampton is a senior that is kind of flying under the radar, but is a quality player nonetheless. He is a 6-7 power forward, but he is 260+ lbs., so he isn’t going to stretch the floor. Giles can spread the floor a bit, though, so the lineup should not have too many issues.
Another route is to go traditional, but younger. Tyshon Alexander is a 6-4, junior shooting guard that would allow Kegler more freedom to stay around the basket. Alexander played for the Warriors last year, so he has experience. The Coleman/Alexander backcourt is young, as both are juniors.
The lineup decision will be a big one for Coach Smith, but he will undoubtedly come to the right conclusion.
It would be interesting to see if this has an effect on recruiting. Giles is believed to be going to Duke, and if he does early, does he talk to Kegler and Blackwell?
Well there’s almost a zero percent chance either go. Neither are considering the Blue Devils, and there is just no room. Small forward Jayson Tatum is already on board, and Giles would be another forward. Kegler and Blackwell both play the same basic position.. Maybe next time Dukies!
This all comes down to the Giles transfer for Oak Hill of course. After coming close to winning the national title for a couple years now, the Warriors put together a nice squad before Giles. He is a special player, though, one that can sway the talent level enough in Oak Hill’s favor. The other three transfers will be important as well. Pair that with legendary coach Steve Smith, and we could see Oak Hill hoisting the trophy at the end of the season once again.
