SI All-American Candidates: 2 Key Virginia Targets Named

SI99 revealed on Dec. 2; position rankings begin on Dec. 4

Tony Bennett didn't lead Virginia back to the NCAA mountaintop for the first time since 1985 by relying on blue-chip recruits. But if he hopes to keep the Cavaliers competing at college basketball's peak, Bennett will need to capitalize on his team's recent championship by turning Virginia into a force on the recruiting trail.

The Cavaliers' current crop of freshmen was universally considered a top-20 class nationwide. Will Bennett's next class of first-year players rank even higher? Only time will tell.

Two key Virginia targets from the high school class of 2021 have been named Sports Illustrated All-American candidates.

Listed below is the full breakdown of Cavaliers prime recruiting targets who rank among SI's top-99 high school seniors in the country. No players from the class of 2021 currently committed to Virginia made the cut.

TOP TARGETS

C Efton Reid/7-0, 225/Bradenton, Fla.

SG Trevor Keels/6-5, 210/Fairfax, Va.

Hundreds and hundreds of student-athletes were evaluated for the SI99—Sports Illustrated’s ranking of the top-99 senior high school basketball players in the country—before the list of All-American candidates was finalized. Video highlights, scouting analyses and a breakdown of each player’s college verbal commitment and/or top college contenders can be found on their bio pages at SIAllAmerican.com.

The SI99 was unveiled on Dec. 2, accompanied by lists of prospects ordered by state and college choice/contenders. Position rankings, in-depth videos on top-rated players and more will be released throughout the remainder of December. Sports Illustrated’s final All-American teams for the 2020-21 prep hoops season will be announced in coming months.