17U Postseason Series: Active Big Men
Over the next several days NHR is going to tackle several different items from the 17u season in relation to players, teams, and events. Today we hit on some of the guys who impacted the game without needing the ball.
The open, uptempo style of play isn’t suited for every type of big man but the quickest way for posts to stand out in an AAU setting is by showing high activity level. Footwork, defensive versatility, offensive skills and other various tools are obviously going to be important but at the core, the best way for a big to get noticed is to play with high energy and display activity.
Here are some guys who did exactly that:
Brad Winter – MN Select
Winter was a primary beneficiary of the attention opposing defenses paid to Malik Willingham, as he produced consistently for MN Select. Winter plays a low-maintenance game, hanging out from short corner to short corner, timing his cuts well to make himself available for drop off passes around the rim. Winter’s not real thick, but he’s always working to gain leverage and his quickness and length allow him to be effective against bigger, stronger posts.
Dalton Albrecht – ND Attack
Want to add an extra 4-6 points per game to your statistical resume? Run the floor. Dalton Albrecht did that as well as any big I saw this summer. The Bemidji State recruit was a double-figure scorer all summer for ND Attack and while his skills inside aren’t lacking, his energy and effort level allow him to produce big numbers. Running the floor, crashing the offensive glass and understanding angles and body positioning are skills for a big — Albrecht possesses those.
Tate Staloch – WOTN
Staloch wasn’t a heavily featured offensive player when I saw WOTN play but his ability to create extra possessions with energy on the offensive glass was a big part of why his team was good offensively. Staloch is a big, strong kid who excels as a screen setter and he’s got good hands, so he’s solid in a role where he’s asked to clean up the trash around the rim.
Mason Walters – ECI Prospects
Walters impressed with his defense and interior passing playing with ECI this summer. But what seemed to get him noticed from the start was his ability to rebound on both ends of the floor and manufacture points organically without getting a lot of featured actions.
DeVonne Harris – Comets Kirchner
Harris was one of my favorite guys to watch this summer. His energy on the defensive end of the floor set the tone for an aggressive Comets team. His athleticism allowed him to defend from the 3-point line to the rim and his activity level on the boards and at the rim led to a lot of transition opportunity for his teammates. With a bevy of talented offensive players on the perimeter, Harris wasn’t a feature offensive player but he produced because of his hustle and ability to be in the right place at the right time.
Jon Stimmler – Comets DLR
Stimmler isn’t a prototypical AAU center in that he’s not the quickest or most athletic guy, but he is a space eater in the paint and that not only allows him to score, but also allows his teammates to excel thanks to his screen-setting. He’s a crafty finisher who can punish thinner counterparts in the paint and doesn’t try to do too much in terms of venturing beyond the interior. Stimmler does a good job maintaining availability for his guards on drives and impacts the game on both the offensive and defensive glass.