The five bigs to watch in Northeast Ohio this winter
There are plenty of big men in the high school ranks who can claim to be elite. Here are the fab five of the bigs in Northeast Ohio as I see them.
Alonzo Gaffney (2019) at 6’9” with the ability to score inside or outside and a long lean body, every major college program in America is in on this guy. He can shoot it from outside, too and can finish with authority. He’ll be playing for Garfield Heights this winter, after winning a state championship at Villa-Angela St. Joe’s a year ago.
He’s not the only great big man who will be suiting up for Garfield Heights. Gaffney has a sidekick in 6’8” Brison Waller (2019), a rebounding and shot-blocking machine who is also getting looks from big-time Division I programs, such as Kansas State, and has already received offers from mid-majors.
This guy is a sleeper, but Lakewood’s Jacob Sala (2018) looked good during his summer league experience at The Word Church.
At 6’9” he can clog up the middle on defense, gets his hands rebounds runs the floor well and has good hands. Many coaches in the Southwestern Conference say that Lakewood is the best team and Sala is a big reason.
John Hugley IV (2020). The big guy from Brush has seen his stock shoot up in value over the summer. So much so that Big Ten schools like Ohio State and Michigan State have hosted him for unofficial visits. At 6’9” he’s a big with girth who can run the floor making him the ideal Big Ten recruit. He’s coached by Chet Mason, a former Mr. Basketball, who also played professionally overseas, so he’ll get excellent coaching.
Pete Nance (2018). This guy does it all for Revere. He averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds a year ago to go along with three assists and three steals. At 6’9” he can put the ball on the floor and stick a pull up jumper from the foul line, or slam home a missed jump shot. He’s already committed to Northwestern. His father, Larry Nance, was an all-star in the NBA and his big brother plays for the Lakers.