Prep Hoops Top 250: Tony’s Top Big Men
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The annual Prep Hoops Top 250 took place in Des Moines on Saturday evening. Throughout the week, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best players in the gym, in a series of articles breaking down the top…
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Continue ReadingThe annual Prep Hoops Top 250 took place in Des Moines on Saturday evening. Throughout the week, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best players in the gym, in a series of articles breaking down the top scorers, defenders, passers, etc. In this article, we take a look at the top big men that Tony Roe saw at the event. He was responsible for covering teams 1, 2, 7, 9, 10 and 16, so all players that he writes about this week will come from those teams. The other teams will be covered by Josh Block and Richard Stockton.
Angel Jose Angel Jose 6'4" | PF Central Springs | 2022 State IA (Central Springs – 2022)
Jose is a player that I’ve seen quite a bit since he was a freshman, as he came down to Iowa City for the Dynasty Fall League the last few years. He has steadily improved throughout his high school career. The 6-4 big man is active on both ends of the floor, has good hands and makes great contact on his box outs. He’s a good rebounder on both ends of the floor, and showed a little bit of range as well, knocking down some mid-range jumpers. His footwork on the block is a bit robotic, but it’s becoming more and more fluid each time I see him play. He wants to get better, and he’s putting in the work.
Toby Berggren (Bondurant-Farrar – 2022)
The 6-5 combo forward from Bondurant-Farrar crashes the glass on both ends of the floor at a high level, and showed good activity on both ends as well. He’s constantly moving on the offensive end, looking to find spaces in the defense, and he has the ability to stretch the floor with his jumper. He’s a mobile defender who can switch onto smaller players without getting lost.
Duke Faley (Wahlert Catholic – 2023)
Faley is a true big man, standing 6-7 as just a sophomore. He’s got a great frame to continue to add on to, and he runs the floor well. He battles on the glass on both ends of the floor, and has decent touch around the rim. He needs to become a more fluid athlete and become more comfortable on his post touches, but he has a decent looking stroke that he can stretch out to 15 feet, and he has great size and length.
Jackson Bowman (Kennedy – 2022)
Bowman was the big man that I came away the most impressed with. He’s got good size at 6-7 and is a fluid athlete who runs the floor well. He’s got good footwork on the block, and showed the ability to stretch the floor out to the arc with a good looking stroke. He’s a switchable defender who doesn’t get lost when switched onto smaller guards, and he can protect the rim a bit. He’ll be a key contributor for the Cougars this year.
George Williams (Roosevelt – 2023)
Williams may have had the best footwork of any of the big men on the teams that I saw. The 6-4 big man does a good job establishing good, early position, and he has great hands. He makes quick moves, and has a few go-to moves that he can use to score against the defender. He’s got good touch around the bucket with his right, and is improving with his left. As he continues to add more range to his arsenal, he could become a dynamic offensive player for the Rough Riders.