Summer Stock Boosters: 2018 Bigs (Part 2)
With the final live periods coming to a close a couple weeks ago, it’s now time to take an in depth look at some of the biggest stock boosters in Virginia throughout the entire AAU season. The lists compiled will…
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Continue ReadingWith the final live periods coming to a close a couple weeks ago, it’s now time to take an in depth look at some of the biggest stock boosters in Virginia throughout the entire AAU season. The lists compiled will be organized based on year and position, and will only include players that have open recruitments and have yet to make a verbal commitment. It’s impossible for us to mention every kid that boosted their stock throughout the summer, but we’ve narrowed down some of the players that took the biggest jumps in improvement and interest from colleges. Here’s part two of the 2018 big men.
Dimitri Georgiadis | 6’8” | Benedictine/River City Reign
Vantage Hoops Ranking: #32
He had a busy summer as Georgiadis split time playing with the Romanian U18 team and traveling with River City Reign. He’s been on the radar for a while, and he showed that he can be a productive rebounder and finisher, which caught the eye of a number of midmajor programs across the country. He has improved offensively on the block, where he can score it out to 15 feet, and if he can play with energy and stay engaged on every play he has a chance to have a breakout season for Benedictine this year.
Nate Spurlock | 6’7” | WT Woodson/District Basketball Club
Vantage Hoops Ranking: #35
Talk about improvement, Spurlock seems to get better every time that we see him play. He still needs to fill out, but he showed with a talented DBC team that he’s a versatile and skilled big that can space the floor, finish in transition and quietly be a productive four man that can work inside-out. Moving forward he’ll have to work on getting stronger and more athletic, but his work ethic over the summer shows a bright future for him.
Dominique Johnson | 6’5” | Kecoughtan/BWSL WAWG
Vantage Hoops Ranking: #60
Johnson may be a tad on the short side, but he’s an absolute bull in the middle and will bully post players taller than him in the paint. He has good hands and feet in the post, is able to shoot the midrange out to 15 feet and is skilled enough to run the offense through at the high post. He has to work on getting his body right before a true evaluation can be made, but when he’s feeling it he can be a high motor big man that will provide toughness and scoring in the paint.
Daniel Ouderkirk | 6’8” | Spotswood/Spectrum
Vantage Hoops Ranking: #67
He’s still a project, but as far as they go Ouderkirk isn’t a bad one to take a chance on. He has great size and seems to get taller every time he steps on the court. His hands have gotten better as he started squeezing rebounds in traffic and using his size to keep it high or clear out space. He isn’t a bad athlete, has a soft touch in the paint and has a lot of room to grow as a player moving forward. He’ll be one to keep an eye on with his size and improving skill set.
Bassirou Diop | 6’8” | Bayside/Team Loaded 757 Claiborn
Vantage Hoops Ranking: #70
Another project, Diop is the complete opposite of Ouderkirk, but has tremendous upside of his own. He’s a freak athlete for his size, and he has broad shoulders allowing him to box out and bully his way in the paint for rebounds. Defensively is where he shines, as he’s able to alter shots, pin shots on the glass and take up a lot of space in the paint. He’s still very raw offensively, but his pure athleticism, size and dedication to the defensive end made him a big impact for his Loaded 757 team all summer.