Standout Bigs – Houston Methodist Cy-Hoops Invitational Day 3
The 12th annual Houston Methodist Cy-Hoops Invitational showcased 22 boys’ varsity basketball teams in a 40-game tournament bracket over 3 days from Thursday, December 9 to Saturday, December 11. Games took place at the Berry Center of Northwest Houston along…
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Continue ReadingThe 12th annual Houston Methodist Cy-Hoops Invitational showcased 22 boys’ varsity basketball teams in a 40-game tournament bracket over 3 days from Thursday, December 9 to Saturday, December 11. Games took place at the Berry Center of Northwest Houston along with 3 other Cy-Fair ISD high schools, including Cypress Falls, Cypress Park, and Cy-Fair high school. I had the pleasure of attending Day 3 of the tournament to catch the final 6 games played at the Berry Center, watching several impressive players and teams put on fantastic performances. Here are my top standout bigs in all 6 of the games I attended.
Also check out: Standout Guards | Standout Wings | Standout Bigs
#21 – Joseph Tugler – 6’8″ – PF/C – Junior – Cy Falls vs. Mansfield Summit & vs. McKinney
Tugler put on a dominating performance in both games for Cy Falls on Day 3 of the Cy-Hoops Invitational. He was the driving force that brought Cy Falls to the championship game, and he would have been right there in the running for MVP if his team had won the championship. In their first game against Mansfield Summit, Tugler simply could not be stopped. He did whatever he wanted to do on the offensive end, enforcing his will in the post and attacking the basket from the elbows and even the perimeter, finishing through and over defenders. He controlled the boards on both ends of the court, giving his team multiple second chances and securing strong defensive stances. He was just as dominant, if not more, on the defensive end. If Mansfield Summit managed to get in the paint, Tugler would be there to stop them. He came away with at least 6 blocks that I counted throughout the game, and he even showed some impressive perimeter defense and quick hands, getting a couple steals and staying in front of several guards. In the championship game against McKinney, things started off a bit slow for Tugler. McKinney has imposing and dominant bigs themselves in Alex Anamekwe Alex Anamekwe 6'6" | PF McKinney | 2022 State TX , Thatcher McClure Thatcher McClure 6'7" | PF McKinney | 2022 State TX and could even include Ja’Kobe Walter Ja’Kobe Walter 6'5" | SG Mckinney | 2023 #15 Nation MO , so Tugler had his hands full in this one. The first half seemed to be an adjustment period for him, but he quickly regathered himself and found ways to make his presence felt, especially in the second half. He stayed active off the ball, making McKinney’s bigs work to keep up with him, and he took advantage of any opening he could find to finish strong at the rim. He attacked the boards with ferocity and finished off several putbacks, especially in the 4th as they were fighting for the lead. He was even more impressive on the defensive end in this game, with his primary matchup being Alex Anamekwe Alex Anamekwe 6'6" | PF McKinney | 2022 State TX for most of the game. He didn’t get nearly as many blocks as he did in their game against Summit, but Tugler still showed incredible grit, composure and determination to do whatever he could to slow down the star big man on McKinney.
#10 – Thatcher McClure Thatcher McClure 6'7" | PF McKinney | 2022 State TX – 6’7″ – PF/SF – Senior – McKinney vs. Dickinson & vs. Cy Falls
McClure put his versatility on full display in McKinney’s games against Dickinson and Cy Falls. In their first game against Dickinson, he did a little of everything. He provided constant and purposeful off-ball movement, making sure to make smart and timely cuts to get himself and others enough space to operate and make a positive impact. He moved the ball beautifully, making several nice passes and showing his elite vision and IQ on the offensive end. He used his size to gather several offensive boards and he attacked the basket with force and determination, coming away with a strong and-1 finish in the 3rd quarter. His versatility was really apparent on the defensive end, taking on matchups on the perimeter and in the post, doing whatever he could to contribute to the dominant team defense of McKinney. He was extremely active and sacrificing his body, diving on the floor for a loose ball in the 2nd quarter and coming away with several blocks in the 3rd and 4th quarters. In the championship game against Cy Falls, McClure took a little more of a backseat to Ja’Kobe Walter Ja’Kobe Walter 6'5" | SG Mckinney | 2023 #15 Nation MO and Alex Anamekwe Alex Anamekwe 6'6" | PF McKinney | 2022 State TX , but he still made an impressive impact on the game with his constant movement and as a threat from the perimeter, stretching the defense even with misses. He stayed active on the offensive boards too and earned some nice putbacks and he again showed his versatility on the defensive end, taking on all kinds of matchups throughout the game.
#14 – Alex Anamekwe Alex Anamekwe 6'6" | PF McKinney | 2022 State TX – 6’5″ – PF/C – Senior – McKinney vs. Dickinson & vs. Cy Falls
Anamekwe had a strong case for the best big man in the Cy-Hoops Invitational along with Cy Falls’ Joseph Tugler. It was only right that these two dominant interior forces matched up in the finals with Anamekwe and McKinney coming out on top with the win. In their first game against Dickinson, he was doing it all on both ends of the court. On offense, Anamekwe seemed to be the focal point of everything. He was attacking the paint from the perimeter over and over again with no regard for anyone that was in his way, finishing and-1’s, alley-oops, and executing beautiful give-and-go’s with his star big man teammate, Thatcher McClure Thatcher McClure 6'7" | PF McKinney | 2022 State TX . It wasn’t just the scoring, he seemed to be the point center for most of the game, dishing out amazing passes all over the court and putting his teammates in position to get easy baskets while he did most of the work. He was dominating the boards on both ends, and he completely shut down anyone he was matched up with on the defensive side of the ball. In the championship game against Cy Falls and Joseph Tugler, Anamekwe came in with extreme confidence. Tugler made him work for everything and was definitely a worthy opponent for this star big man, but Anamekwe used his versatile skillset and elite athleticism and strength to still have a very impressive game. He made Tugler work on the perimeter, hitting multiple 3-pointers in the 2nd half, and he imposed his will on the offensive boards, getting several putbacks to fall. In what seemed like a back and forth between him and Tugler at times, Anamekwe got his own on several opportunities on the defensive end, blocking several shots, getting a couple steals, and making every man work for his shot that dared to attempt one near him.
#12 – Donovan Green – 6’5″ – PF/SF – Senior – Dickinson vs. McKinney & vs. Mansfield Summit
Green didn’t garner much attention until Dickinson’s second game of the day against Mansfield Summit where he absolutely dominated the paint. He seemed to slightly struggle in their first game against the eventual champions, McKinney, where the opposing bigs took control from the start. He did make some nice plays in the 3rd quarter, coming away with a huge block and getting some buckets in the post, but all-in-all, he wasn’t able to do much with McKinney’s Alex Anamekwe Alex Anamekwe 6'6" | PF McKinney | 2022 State TX , Thatcher McClure Thatcher McClure 6'7" | PF McKinney | 2022 State TX and Ja’Kobe Walter Ja’Kobe Walter 6'5" | SG Mckinney | 2023 #15 Nation MO dominating the game. Against Mansfield Summit, though, it was a different story for Green. He controlled the post early and often, muscling through defenders, using his finesse to finish around opponents, and doing whatever he wanted to get the 2 points near the basket. He controlled the boards and got his team several second opportunities, and he was a force in the paint on the defensive end. He had at least 3 blocks throughout the game and shut down opposing bigs in the post, maintaining verticality and making life difficult for anyone that dared to challenge him.
#23 – Patrick Williams – 6’5″ – C – Senior – Dickinson vs. McKinney & vs. Mansfield Summit
Williams had a fairly similar storyline as his teammate, Donovan Green, where he seemed a step behind against the opposing big men of McKinney, but then absolutely dominated against the smaller Mansfield Summit. He was aggressive and energetic all game and came away with several blocks against McKinney, while also managing some offensive rebounds and finishing a couple plays in the post, but he was caught with several fouls throughout the game and got a little too heated in the 3rd quarter when he earned a technical foul for arguing with the referee. Against Mansfield Summit, Williams maintained his aggressive style of play, where this time it paid off in big ways. He scored early and often from the post, controlling everything down there alongside Donovan Green. He gathered numerous offensive and defensive boards and he was fighting for the ball on every single 50/50 play, diving on the floor, boxing out, and being the aggressor out on the court. It was a clear night and day for the paint presence of Dickinson in their two games against McKinney and Mansfield Summit, and Williams was the focal point of that change.
#34 – Brady Smith – 6’9″ – PF/C – Senior – Cy Fair vs. Cy Creek
Smith was a force to be reckoned with in the consolation bracket championship game for Cy-Fair against Cy Creek. He was the focus of the opposing defense on every play, and he still did whatever he wanted to do out there. Not only did he completely dominate the post, hitting fadeaways, up-and-unders, towering over some defenders and simply powering through others, and not only did he consistently hit his shots from beyond the arc, but he did all the little things you want out of your star player too. He stayed active off the ball, made timely cuts and moved around the perimeter, demanding attention from the defense at all times with and without the ball and giving his teammates space to operate. He willingly moved the ball around the court too, looking for the open man and getting everyone involved on the offense, and he held his own on the boards, as well. He boxed out and used his towering height to snatch rebounds over others on both ends of the court.