5-star combo guard Warley lists Virginia on his final list of 10

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Virginia basketball has made the cut for one of the nation’s top prospects in the Class of 2021.

Jalen Warley, a 6-foot-5, 180-pound, 5-star combination guard from Westtown School in Norristown, Pa. (near Philadelphia) narrowed his list to 10 schools on Friday, after receiving more than 25 offers.

Warley’s list included UVA, Florida State, Miami, Louisville, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Maryland, LSU and Memphis. He eliminated the following schools: Virginia Tech, Pitt, NC State, Cal, Xavier, Penn State, Seton Hall and Temple.

Considered the No. 27 overall player in the country for the ‘21 class, 247 Sports rated him the No. 3 combo guard in the nation. Warley has been described as a smaller version of Klay Thompson, who played for Virginia coach Tony Bennett at Washington State.

A big guard with size and skill, Warley is expected to contribute immediately to whatever program he chooses. While he cut his list of schools to 10, he did not announce a timetable for his choice.

He reportedly would like to visit campuses, should the NCAA lift its restrictions on official visits due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Pennsylvania prospect did note that his priorities in choosing a school are the coaching staff, offensive fit and academics.

“Virginia recently won a [national] championship and is consistently developing their players,” Warley told Stockrisers.com.

“I feel my schools are very diverse and present a lot of unique opportunities,” he said to Corey Evans of Rivals.com. “With these [schools] located all across the country, I’m excited to visit the campuses and find my new home.”

According to one report, Virginia’s Bennett and his coaching staff were schedule to conduct a virtual visit with Warley on Friday.