2016 Rankings: Post Player Breakdown
The post group may be the strongest in the 2016 class. In total there are 36 power forwards and 11 centers in this crop. Here’s a look at the strengths and weaknesses of this position. -Strengths- Division-I Depth There are…
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Continue ReadingThe post group may be the strongest in the 2016 class. In total there are 36 power forwards and 11 centers in this crop. Here’s a look at the strengths and weaknesses of this position.
-Strengths-
Division-I Depth
There are eight post players in this class that will have the opportunity to play Division-I basketball immediately. Seven of them have already committed, headed by Kansas-bound Mitch Lightfoot.
Small College Depth
What makes this position the strongest of all of them in the 2016 class is the fact that they have depth for, both, the Division-I and small college ranks. There is more than a handful of guys who will have the ability to immediately impact at the Division-II, Division-III, and NAIA levels.
True Size
Within the top 20, all eight post players stand 6’8” or taller. In total, 13 of the 47 prospects in this class stand 6’8” or taller while another 10 stand 6’7”. Not only do these players stand tall but a good amount of them have length. The same stands true when evaluating of the undersized forwards who stand 6’5” – 6’6” as guys like Elijah Ifejeh, Lawrence Combs, Davion Green, and Matt Morgan have the length and athleticism to make up for what the lack in inches.
Shooting Ability
There is a high contingency of players on this list that can stretch the floor. This is seen best in Wyatt Lowell and Nik Mains, who make their living handling and shooting the ball as ‘stretch 4’s’. In addition, players like Lightfoot, Malik Ondigo, Devin Kirby, and Brett Morrow—among others—have shown the ability to step out and consistently hit 15 footers.
-Weaknesses-
Back to the Basket Play
The skill level with this group around the basket is majority catch and finishes. Looking in the top 25 players, Lightfoot and Tim Fuller are the only two that have shown the footwork, aggressiveness, and touch to be effective scorers on the interior. For the small college ranks, players like John Trendler, Isaiah Jones, AJ Elliot, and Will Hannen have shown similar abilities.