Battle in Seattle 2018: Most Impressive Inside Players
With the way the basketball landscape is shaped today, you’re just as likely to see a 6’8 player shooting 23 foot 3 pointers as you would any 6-foot guard. That’s why it’s refreshing when you see players who are willing to all so go inside the paint and mix it up. With that said, here is a list of players who seemed to enjoy the challenge and at times excelled. There were some older, more established big men at the tournament but today we’re going to focus on the lesser-known players.
Jaylahn Tuimoloau-(2021 Eastside Catholic, Seattle Rotary) This young man is a load in the post and plays bigger than he actually is if that’s possible. The 6’4 sophomore to be is also a highly ranked football recruit and is already getting offers from major football conferences such as the SEC and the Pac-12. His footwork and strength allowed him to move wherever he wanted throughout the weekend.
Maar Rambang-(2019 West Seattle) The 6’7 senior to be showed a toughness throughout the tournament while often battling against larger opponents. Maar showed an ability to get his shot off consistently and displayed some post moves with good footwork in some of his games. Although he’ll need to get stronger in order to be a factor at the next level, he has a chance to boost his stock during his senior year at West Seattle High School if he continues to play as he did at this tournament.
Ajou Ajou-(2019 Harry Ainlay Senior High School) Here we have another multi-sport athlete who excels at both sports. This 6’4 forward from Canada put his athleticism on display during the tournament with athletic drives to the rim and providing some defensive help with some timely blocks while helping out his teammates. Although he admits he’s probably a better wide receiver than a forward, you would never know it by the way he performs on the basketball court.
Ryken Wuttke-(2019 Kamiak High School) This 6’11 kid out of Kamiak High School showed good timing when rebounding and on the defensive end. He blocked about 3+ shots a game during the tournament and altered countless others. Offensively, he was able to be a factor with some post moves and some strong finishes but defensively is where he shined the most. He has gone on visits to a couple of programs but has not received an official offer. He played well this tournament and should begin to gather interest from schools.