Vantage Hoops 2018 Rankings: Bigs (Part 2)
The Vantage Hoops Virginia 2018 Top 100 Rankings were updated earlier this week, and now it’s time to take a closer look. Below is part two of our breakdown of the best big men in the class. Stay tuned for more content, including…
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Continue ReadingThe Vantage Hoops Virginia 2018 Top 100 Rankings were updated earlier this week, and now it’s time to take a closer look. Below is part two of our breakdown of the best big men in the class. Stay tuned for more content, including additional position-by-position break-downs, biggest stock boosters, and more.
Zach Pfaffenberger | 6’8” | Episcopal (#28 Overall)
If you like your bigs to be physical, scrappy and own the glass, then Pfaffenberger is the type of player for you. He’s sort of a hybrid between new school perimeter oriented big men and the old-school back to the basket posts. He has a good frame at 6’8”, and while he isn’t the most explosive or athletic he’s a strong finisher through contact with either hand, and he’s great at creating second opportunities on the offensive glass. However, he’s still comfortable enough to catch at the high post, face up and work his man off the bounce or deliver a pass to a cutter. He’s slimmed down some, but he needs to continue to get into shape and display a high motor if he wants his recruitment to grow.
Nyzaiah Chambers | 6’6” | Oscar Smith (#29 Overall)
He’s a bit undersized since he typically plays the five, but Chambers is a warrior and impact player whether he’s touching the basketball or not. He’s explosive off his feet, allowing him to rebound over players bigger than him, and he has great timing as a shot blocker on the defensive end. He finishes plays inside at the basket, is unselfish in the post and is a great teammate that will do whatever it takes to win. Would like to see him be more assertive on the offensive end, however his willingness to compete and play hard without putting up big numbers is one of the reasons that he already holds four division one scholarship offers.
EJ Williams | 6’10” | Hargrave Academy (#31 Overall)
When you talk about a load in the post, Williams fits that description perfectly. At 6’10” and upwards of 300 lbs., it’s hard to find anyone with the size that can stop him in a one-on-one situation on the block. He’s not just big, but he’s crafty, using an array of angles and shots to easily get buckets in the paint over smaller posts. He obviously needs to work on his conditioning and slimming up his body (he looks more like an offensive lineman now), however he showed a soft touch from multiple places on the floor, and the shear size of the transfer from Kentucky will make him intriguing to coaches and a nightmare for oppositions.
Nate Spurlock | 6’7” | WT Woodson (#35 Overall)
Spurlock burst onto the scene last year as a sophomore, and the best part is that he’s only improved over the summer. He had great showings throughout the summer, whether it was with his AAU team District Basketball Club, or his All-Star showings at exposure camps including Hoop Group Elite and the Prep Hoops Top 250 Expo.The lefty is slight of frame, but he’s a stretch four that causes mismatches and opens driving lanes for his guards by making shots. However, he’s more than just a shooter as he can attack the basket off the bounce, battles for rebounds and has a soft touch from all three levels. He’s one of the big reasons that Woodson will be a favorite in 6A North.
Chester Makoi | 6’9” | Williamsburg Christian (#41 Overall)
There’s a good chance that his ranking will shoot up rapidly once we see him more or if he decides to reclassify, but for now Makoi has some questions transferring from Anchorage Christian in Alaska. His biggest question is how he’ll deal with the physicality of play in the VHSL, where he’ll likely be the tallest player but he’s severely slight of frame and shorter bigs will try to beat on him. However, Makoi’s a very talented prospect with a lot of upside. At 6’9”, he can handle the basketball in transition, shoot the midrange off the catch, score in isolation situations on the block or on the perimeter and he has great length defensively. He’s one that we will watch very closely, because he has a chance to be a good division one prospect with some work.