Hustle In The Sun Recap: GameChanging Bigs
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Spring is here and that can only mean one thing. It’s Circuit Season! The Prephoops Circuit is upon us. I will be covering and providing exposure for the Hustle Region Circuit. The Hustle Region Circuit consists of AAU Programs from California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and New Mexico. The circuit features 10 stops including the Hustle Region Final in Irvine July 15th – 17th. Stop number 5 sends us to Irvine California, for the Hustle In The Sun, where we will have everyone playing under one roof inside the Momentous Sports Arena. The event was home to some really good big men. In this article, we take a look at some of the game-changing Bigs from the event.
Ryan Dixon Ryan Dixon 6'5" | PF Valor Christian | 2024 State CO 6’6 PF Team Revenge 2024 (featured image) – Dixon is a skilled big that was better when playing out on the perimeter. He has the ability to put the ball on the ground and get to the rim from 18 feet out. The face-up 4 showed some good athleticism running the floor fluidly and playing above the rim on more than a couple occasions.
Cooper Creamer 6’5 PF IE Fire 2024 – Creamer caught my eye as I was watching a completely different game. He was listed at 6’3 in the program, however, he played a lot bigger and actually is a little taller than that. His skill was impressive as well, as the skilled four-man knocked down a couple threes stretching the floor from the corners.
Kingston McLaughlin 6’6 PF IE Fire 2024 – McLaughlin is a long fluid big that showed the ability to change the floor well. He showed soft hands and decent touch around the rim. The intriguing big man is a potential stock-rising prospect to keep an eye on throughout the circuit.
Kaden Hamilton 6’8 C BTI 2023 – Hamilton has a big body and he utilized it effectively. A flat-footed rebounded, he gobbled up boards in volume. The big man’s go-to move was a traditional left shoulder right-hand jump hook. He’s a willing defender that used his size effectively to clog the lane.
Dontaye Hardy 6’7 PF LA Elite 2024 – Hardy was also one of my top rebounders, but he was more than that singular skill. The agile big man showed the ability to sprint the floor and protected the rim for his team, using good timing and a quick first jump to block shots. He is a work in progress on the offensive end, but he did manage to put up 8 points finishing running the floor and finishing around the rim.