Recap: Day 1 All-West Camp – Best Big Men
WESTMINSTER, Ca — The annual Full-Court Press All-West Camp run by Dinos Trigonis is a stage for both certified prospects and sleeper-types to get their names on the map.
Normally exposure camps aren’t the place where big men get their due, but Thursday’s camp allowed for a lot of paint touches for these standout interior players.
5. Benjamin Todd (Heritage Christian)
The sophomore-to-be is the youngest of the big men on this list and he earned it with his lefty skill set. When engaged, Todd is tough to defend around the basket with his ability to turn over his left shoulder and knock down a baby hook shot.
4. Sean Larimore (Paraclete)
The 6-7 plus forward from the high desert brought his 3-point shooting touch to Westminster high school. The rising senior hit from in a variety of ways – trailing on the fast break, off the pick-and-pop, and the catch-and-shoot. Larimore also displayed an effective shot-fake and one-dribble pull-up.
3. Liu Yanyu (Sierra Canyon)
Yanyu is all of 6-10 and rangy in length. He has good hands and feet, makes tough catches around the basket and can finish with either hand. One of the more impressive aspects of Yanyu’s skill set is his ability to change ends with pace and purpose.
Class of 2019 F Darren Jones displayed versatility at 6-8.2. Brandon Unaka (L.A. Washington)
Unaka is easily the most physically imposing forward in the camp. At 6-6 and 210 pounds, the rising senior bullied his way to the basket at-will and closed the drives with power finishes. Unaka also showed a bit of touch from the perimeter, hitting a few set shots from the baseline.
1. Darren Jones (Cajon)
Jones was, by far, the most impressive athlete on Thursday. At 6-8, Jones has legitimate inside-out ability with range out beyond the 3-point line. He had a handful of offensive rebound put-back dunks, easy layups off of high energy rim-runs and some face-up 3-pointers.