Ohio Nike Summer Championship: Standout Centers/Post Players
Today I look at the top post player, including what I feel was the best player, at the Nike Summer Championships July 19-21. There were a lot of bigs for different levels and different classes. Below here are some of…
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Continue ReadingToday I look at the top post player, including what I feel was the best player, at the Nike Summer Championships July 19-21. There were a lot of bigs for different levels and different classes. Below here are some of the tops ones.
Obinna Anochili-Killen (2020) | 6-8 C/F | Chapmanville (WV) | All Ohio Red
Obinna was the best player I saw all weekend. He is long, has a very good frame and is very athletic and runs like a deer. Right now he is almost a pure 5 unless there is a Power 5 team that likes to play a lot of Hi/Lo game, which is not as popular as it was about 3-5 years ago. He is better on the defensive end then on the offensive end right now, but has a skill set that he can expand. On the defensive end, not only does he have great timing on block shots coming over to help, but has good enough feet to defend on the perimeter. Offensively he has good post moves and loves to face up and drive. He is a good passer out of double teams and finds cutters well. The one thing I did not see was him shooting the ball outside of 12′. He has a chance to be a very good 5 at a non-power 5 conference with the ability to get better over the next 4-5 years.
AJ Clayton (2022) | 6-7 C | Philo | All Ohio Red 2021 & 2022
Love AJ’s potential. He is big and long with good feet. He wears a size 18 shoe so he may have a couple more inches (or more) of growing left to go. With that in mind, he still doesn’t have a great quickness and athleticism, but I think that will come when he fills out and gets even stronger. Right now he is more of a 5 than a 4-5 in my opinion, but he is only going to be a sophomore so he has time to continue to develop and add to his skill set. The only concern I have right now is his ability to consistently guard on the perimeter, so that my hinder him so, but again he is only a sophomore and grow and add quickness to his game. With all that, this is some that everyone must continue to monitor and it will be interesting to see what he looks likes both 3 yrs and 7 yrs down the road.
Addison Singletary (2020) | 6-7 F/CF | Buchtel | TNBA East 2020
Addison is one of the top sleeping big man that I saw this weekend. He is long and athletic and I feel that he is only scratching the surface of his potential. Offensively he is very raw and does most of his work around the basket. In addition, he struggles to finish again players who are stronger and his size or bigger. Right now, his game is built on rebouding, running the floor and defending. The key to his development is continue to add more skills to his offensive game and get stronger. Even if he learns to finish inside 15′, with his length and athleticism, he has a chance to be a solid contributor at the next level.
Jonathan Manning (2020) | 6-7 C | Midview | TNBA OH
Jonathan is a big that is a little mechanical, yet is productive. He has good hands and can catch in traffic. In addition, when he gets the ball in his spot in the post, he has a couple moves and counters that allow him to score in the post. Defensively right now his is limited a little and does not have the quickness to defend quicker players on the perimeter. However, if you are looking for a big to develop that can score, Jonathan is someone that you need to go see. He has a chance to be a very nice player for someone.
Vernon Smith (2021) | 6-7 C | Buchtel | All Ohio Red 2021
Vernon is a long decent athlete with a good frame. Right now he is ok offensively. Has a few decent post moves and can shoot to about 15′. He is an ok rebounder, but needs to be more active. He is someone that needs to play more and I would love to see him later this year with his high school team where his role can be a little bit more expanded to see his total skill set. However, he is 6-7 and has a chance to play somewhere, but his ability to continue to add to his skill set is key to end up where he plays.
Charles Abston (2020) | 6-6 F/C | Cleveland Benedictine | TNBA East 2020
Another sleeping big man. In the couple games I saw Charles, he uses his big body and frame to get good position and has the ability to score around the basket. Charles is not a high riser, but has good feet and uses his body to finish through people. Because he is not a great athlete, right now he only rebounds in his area. But if you are looking for a big that you can throw it in and has the skills to get you a basket, Charles is someone that you need to evaluate.
Brody Gowen (2022) | 6-7 C | Akron Hoban | TNBA Elite
Did not see a lot, but what I saw of Brody caught my eye. Brody is big with a good frame and is a decent athlete. The major skill he possess right now is that he is a very active rebound that can go get rebounds both in his area and outside of it. Did not see him get much touches on the offensive side, but he is a young big that needs to be monitored. I am looking forward to seeing him develop as the season goes on and into next year.
Troy Scowden (2022) | 6-7 C | Buckeye Valley | JH1 2022
Troy has a great future ahead of him. He has good size, a solid frame that he can put on weight and has a solid skill set for a 5 man. In addition is runs well and is a good rebound. He has a wide array of post moves and can score against players his size and more. The key for him going forward is how much taller is he going to get and can he continue to add skills to be able to expand his offensive game outside 10-15′. Finally, how much work is he going to put in to try to get quicker and be able to defend more athletic players on the perimeter.