MoKan Fall League: Week 1 Stand Out Forwards/Posts

<p>Something that really stood out this weekend at the first session of the MoKan Fall League was the athleticism, versatility, and strength from the forward and center positions. Here were the guys who really stood out and put together strong performances in their games this past weekend.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Kayden Fish, 6’6 Forward, Staley High School</p> <p>Overall, Fish was one of my favorite bigs to play this weekend. He is an absolute force in the paint with a mix of size and speed that was pretty hard to match by his opponents he faced this weekend. His motor was put on full display and a play that really showed what he is about was when he dove after a loose ball heading out of bounds with his team up double digits with about a minute left. Fish showed he has great touch around the rim, a reliable jump shot, a mix of desire and ability to rebound the ball, and an ability to be a rim protector through walling up and blocking shots. It is scary to think that he is in the class of 2023 and playing up with the Sunday group, his ceiling is through the roof.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="962473" first="Andrew" last="Orr"], 6’8 Forward/Center, Blue Valley North </p> <p>Orr along with Fish, would be members of the "All Motor Team" if there ever was one. In game 1 of the day, Orr had multiple possessions early on in the game where he was either rebounding the ball, finding a guard, then out running everyone to the rim to get a layup, or realizing his team was gaining possession, sprinting the floor to the rim, and finishing in transition. In game 1 he had a game high 23 points, with most of those coming from plays coming from his deadly combination of his athleticism and willingness to run the floor. Orr did a great job of playing with angles and getting the ball off the glass, and finished with great efficiency in the paint.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Andrew Brewer, 6’5 Forward, Shawnee Mission </p> <p>Brewer was one of the top rebounders on the day especially on the offensive end. He had point totals of 19 and 14 in his two games, with a solid percentage of those coming on second chance opportunities. He is someone who will win his team some games no matter the league or team with his effort on the glass, especially by getting his team extra possessions. Brewer does have some offensive skill, he did a great job of catching and finishing while being on the move with both hands and also hit a couple of jump shots from the 15 ft area to compliment his tremendous rebounding day.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Jamaal Davis, 6’6 Forward, Staley High School</p> <p>One of the most versatile forwards from the weekend, Davis put together a solid two game performance in multiple aspects of the game. On the day, he hit jump shots from multiple spots and distances, finished opportunities running the floor in transition, led the transition break with the ball in his hands, and used his quick bounce ability to finish about the rim on dump down passes. His ability to operate from the top of the key whether it was attacking his defender or finding teammates coming off of screens is a great asset to his game. The Davis and Fish pairing at Staley will be something to really keep an eye on this high school season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="747099" first="Nikko" last="Taylor"], 6’6 Forward, Blue Valley North</p> <p>Another versatile forward who showed all of the pieces to his game from the weekend. Taylor showed off the capability to hit outside shots to pull defenders out and then attacked once he was able to do so. He was very solid off the bounce in the half court and got to his spots with a purpose. Nikko was able to show off some of his post move set and showcased his athleticism and catching ability by making up for some shaky entry passes with catching and finishing inside. A couple stand out plays from Taylor were from a couple of instances where he was able to lift defenders from the low side and catch and finish over the top passes, something that was not seen from many others on the day.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Isaiah Koppang, 6'4 Forward/Center, KC East Christian</p> <p>Koppang was the stand out forward from Saturday's games featuring the 2023 and 2024 classes. He was one of the more athletic and strongest players out on the court and he used it well. He lived on the glass both on the offensive and defensive sides and finished well inside the paint. I really liked his ability to run the floor and either get out ahead to get layups or clean up teammates misses. Koppang will be someone to watch as the fall league progresses to see how his game grows and when he gets matched up with some other guys to watch him display other aspects of his game.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>