High Upside Bigs in VA (Part 2)
Big men prospects are always highly coveted, and while some are very talented now they often take a little bit of time to develop compared to their guard and wing counterparts. Today, we take a look at part two at…
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Continue ReadingBig men prospects are always highly coveted, and while some are very talented now they often take a little bit of time to develop compared to their guard and wing counterparts. Today, we take a look at part two at just a few of the big men I believe have high upside and are going to be better moving forward than they are now.
David Solomon III David Solomon III 6'6" | C VA Academy | 2023 State VA | 6’7” | Lake Braddock 2022
Solomon has quietly been one of the top bigs in the state in the 2022 class and could easily be playing at a WCAC or IAC school but chose to stay at his local high school in Lake Braddock. An athletic freak that is extremely strong for his size, he’s a guy who can play in transition and make plays way above the rim but he’s also a force in the paint on the defensive end as a rim protector as well. He’s a fluid athlete with quick twitch ability and is a walking highlight reel with his ability to go catch lobs, finish above the rim in traffic and go get buckets off of offensive rebounds as well.
Greg Melvin Greg Melvin 6'7" | PF Cape Henry | 2022 State VA | 6’7” | Cape Henry 2022
Melvin is a guy who isn’t really a true big as he’s more of a mismatch four man who can use his blend of length, athleticism and skill set to be a tough matchup on both ends of the floor. He’s a guy who can play in transition, he can face up and blow by slower bigs and he’s a monster on the glass on both ends making him an impact even when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands very often. He’s a versatile defender who can switch onto wings and guard as well and he plays with a great motor and still has room to get better, especially on the offensive end.
Judah Egbo Judah Egbo 6'7" | C Life Christian Academy | 2023 State VA | 6’8” | Jamestown 2022
Egba is a guy I’m very high on moving forward because he showed great potential as a freshman even though he was raw, and he continues to show improvement every time you see him play. The 6’8” big is a guy who is very active and plays with great energy, he can get up and down the floor and while he’s mostly a catch and finish guy on the offensive end he has started to show more confidence and demand the basketball more. He’s a blue collar kid who has a ton of room to improve moving forward and he’s just scratching the surface with how good he can really be.
Brock Vice | 6’8” | Blacksburg 2023
Vice is probably one of the best prospects you’ve never heard of, and at this point in time he could be considered the best prospect in the Roanoke and New River Valley area already. He’s a massive kid who plays both football and basketball and his father is a line coach at Virginia Tech, but if he continues to grow his best bet may be on the basketball court. When I watched him this year he played with a great motor and hit the glass on both ends, he showed he can play in transition and stretch the floor and he looks like it’s all natural to him which means with continued work and growth he could be a big time prospect moving forward.
Ty Mason Ty Mason 6'6" | C Bishop O'Connell | 2022 VA | 6’7” | Bishop O’Connell 2023
Mason had an impressive freshman year at O’Connell for a young but talented group that should be pretty good if they can stay together over the next few years. He’s a guy who looks like he’s still growing and while he’s a fluid athlete now he should become more dynamic moving forward as he grows into his body. He’s an inside-out threat that can shoot it from deep, has soft touch around the rim and is a guy who can protect the paint and rebound well. He’s got a ton of stuff to work with moving forward and should be one to keep an eye on for sure.
Luke Smith | 6’8” | Collegiate 2023
Smith announced that he’ll transfer to Collegiate and reclassify to the 2023 class after playing in a reserve role the past few years at Trinity Episcopal. The 6’8” big is the younger brother of Boise State commit Burke Smith Burke Smith 6'10" | PF Trinity Episcopal | 2020 State #240 Nation VA , and while they have some similarities in their abilities to stretch the floor and play inside-out he also has shown the ability to handle it in transition and create his own shot. He’s a highly skilled guy that you can run the offense through and he’s exactly what they need at Collegiate where he should be able to showcase his skill set in a more formidable role this year.
Josh Sime | 6’7” | Western Albemarle 2023
Western Albemarle has had intriguing big men ever since I have been in this business, and Sime has a chance to be one of the best they’ve had there as he continues to improve. He’s somewhat of a throwback style big man as he excels going block-to-block, he’s patient in the post and has great back to the basket moves and he’s great at attacking the offensive glass as well. Defensively he has great fundamentals and is a good rim protector, and as he grows into his body it wouldn’t be surprising if he got more athletic as well.