Minnesota Future Stars Classic: Top Centers
This weekend’s Future Stars Classic was dominated by imposing centers. Their ability to affect the game on both ends was on full display. Here is a list of some of the top centers from this weekend’s tournament. Patrick Barth- The most…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThis weekend’s Future Stars Classic was dominated by imposing centers. Their ability to affect the game on both ends was on full display. Here is a list of some of the top centers from this weekend’s tournament.
Patrick Barth- The most dominant center on Saturday was Patrick Barth. At 6’6″, Barth was the tallest player on the floor in every game he played, and he used it to his advantage. He was a willing screen setter and did a great job of battling on the boards. Barth was also one of the better passing big men. When he wasn’t going up strong with the ball after tracking down rebounds, he found cutters and teammates on the permitter for open shots. The video below shows Barth grabbing an offensive rebound and going up strong with the ball to draw a foul.
Here’s Patrick Barth going up and getting the offensive rebound and drawing a foul! #PHFutureStars #aaubasketball pic.twitter.com/NqRWV8u1Qm
— Jordan Kneen (@JordanKneen) April 27, 2019
Trey Tompkins- Tompkins may have been one of the smallest centers on the court this weekend, but he was also one of the most effective. Standing at 5’8″, Tomkins played as a stretch big and was extremely effective at pulling opposing centers out of the paint for others to drive into the lane. He was a willing passer and utilized the skill to shift the ball from side-to-side. His greatest skill was using his lack of size as an advantage. His ability to shift his weight quickly allowed him to get defenders out of position and exploit their lack of speed to get to the basket.
Luciano Glades- Glades had one of the most refined post games on display this weekend. Throughout the weekend, Glades was extremely patient when receiving the ball on the block. He had a variety of go-to moves to score the basketball, as well as nice touch around the rim. In the video below, Glades receives the ball on the block, uses one dribble to his right to get position and puts up a soft shot to score.
Luciano Glades with the nice post move to get 2! #PHFutureStars #aaubasketball pic.twitter.com/AEB3OkStAY
— Jordan Kneen (@JordanKneen) April 27, 2019
Adam Jenkins- It’s tough to stand out as a back-up center, especially on a team with Patrick Barth, but Adam Jenkins found a way to. Jenkins’s passing ability was on full display when Barth went to the bench. He was most effective when he floated out to the top of the key to swing the ball around the perimeter. ECI 14U Barta also played Jenkins and Barth together, with Jenkins sliding to the power forward slot. His work in a two-man game with Barth was second to none this weekend.
Colton Benson- Benson was a problem for opposing teams this weekend. The most impressive part of Benson’s game was his ability to stay patient throughout Minnesota Rise’s games. While many young centers rush shots, Benson was able to remain calm under defensive pressure and score. Here is a short clip of Benson showing patience in transition and banking the ball in off the glass.
Benson is also showing patience in transition. #PHFutureStars pic.twitter.com/BXATYwyzNb
— Jordan Kneen (@JordanKneen) April 27, 2019
Alex Playvoda- Another impressive backup center was Alex Playvoda. He was extremely effective at cutting across defenders to create more favorable shot angles and score the ball. His recognition of space and ability to use it to his advantage helped him rebound and get his team out in transition.
Christopher Fulford- One of the best pick-and-roll bigs this weekend was Christopher Fulford. His ability to set screens and roll hard to the hoop was impressive. He also showed a unique ability to score over multiple defenders. These skills were put on full display in the video below. Fulford sets a screen, rolls to the hoop and finishes over his man and the help defender.
Back-to-back assists for Colby Brueggemeier, including this beautiful bounce pass off of the pick and roll. #PHFutureStars #aaubasketball #MinnesotaSwish pic.twitter.com/lRmUPBd6B2
— Jordan Kneen (@JordanKneen) April 27, 2019