Jayhawk Invitational Recap (2018 Bigs)
Here is a look at some of the top Class of 2018 bigs from last weekend’s Jayhawk Invitational in Overland Park, KS
Daniel Oturu 6’10” Howard Pulley: The University of Minnesota commit was a force inside in helping lead his team to the 17U championship. He had some nice power moves around the basket and mixed it in with a little finesse as he finished around the rim very well. He posted up strong in the lane and held his position easily. He was a pretty active rebounder who ran the floor well. Oturu also did an excellent job as a rim protector throughout the weekend.
Yor Anei 6’10” Team Rush: The long lefty is more of a classic low post center. He doesn’t roam to far away from the basket as he does much of his damage in the paint as a scorer, rebounder and shot blocker. I like how he sat down in the lane and established his post position. When he got the ball in the right spots, he was an excellent finisher, especially over the right shoulder. His rim protection was very good as he did a nice job of leaving his area and getting blocks without fouling.
Keenan Fitzmorris 6’11” KC Run GMC: A long, lanky big who plays the Stretch 5 role very well with his size and ability to step out and knock down 3-pointers off the catch. He was very accurate from long distance, plus he has a good overall skill set with is shooting, ball handling and passing. Fitzmorris moves well and can get up and down the court. He can cause problems on the defensive end with his length as he blocked his share of shots over the weekend.
Grayson Carter 6’8″ Dallas Showtyme Elite: A very skilled big who was comfortable in the low post or on the perimeter as a ball handler and facilitator. He is strong and athletic around the basket, but not afraid to take the rebound and start the break himself with his handles.
Mason Fair 6’5″ MO Team Carroll: Fair is the smallest post on this list, but he is the beefiest at about 250 pounds. He really knows how to operate around the basket with his heft and shooting touch. He was able to consistently pin opposing defenders on his backside and muscle his way for two points with his nice southpaw touch around the basket. He also displayed some excellent passing skills out of double teams, which set up teammates for wide open perimeter shots. Fair is also a good position rebounder.