Most Dominant Bigs from the Southwest Slam

The Southwest Slam presented by Prep Hoops brought out some outstanding talent from Oklahoma, Kansas, and all over Texas. The tournament consisted of every type of basketball prospect from floor generals to dominating big men. Here we take a look at the most dominant bigs that really stood out and made a huge impact on the game. Shakiru Odunewu - Power Forward/Center - Team F.O.E. Elite 17U - Universal Academy - C/o 2021<img class="size-medium wp-image-1029582 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/EeXri0JXoAAUS3v-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" />This 6’9 big man was the top-performing post player of the tournament. In each game, Shakiru dominated the glass and paint offensively and also did a good job of protecting the rim and contesting shots without fouling defensively. When posting up, if he didn’t score, he went to the foul line where he’s a pretty good free-throw shooter for his size. Completely outsized everyone on the court, teams had no choice but to foul him whenever he touched the ball down low. Shakiru Odunewu uses his next level size with more finesse than power, he has good footwork, solid post moves, can run the court, and has hands so big that the basketball looks more like a tennis ball in his hands. As his size continues to develop and continues to strengthen his body he’s really going to become a problem for any matchup he faces. [player_tooltip player_id="884593" first="Deng" last="Alier"] - Power Foward/Center - TBC 17U - L.D. Bell High School - C/o 2020<img class="size-medium wp-image-1029549 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/35-Deng-Alier-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Strong frame, 6’6 [player_tooltip player_id="884593" first="Deng" last="Alier"] came into the tournament full of energy and ready to play. This big man has a unique style of play. Deng is a highly skilled postman, he has good handles, displays a high basketball IQ and sees the court well, a very solid passer for his position, TBC even ran the offense through him at times. [player_tooltip player_id="884593" first="Deng" last="Alier"] can also score, he showed the ability to post-up from any spot down low, spread the floor, step out, and hit jumpshots. I haven’t seen many big men this summer quite like Deng, he’s a special prospect that can really contribute across the board. [player_tooltip player_id="933801" first="Kamryn" last="Waites"] - Center - Team F.O.E. Elite 17U - Universal Academy - C/o 2021 <img class="size-medium wp-image-1009083 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/DSC_0030-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> The biggest player in the building was 6’11, Kamryn Waites. A completely disruptive center down low with a combination of power and size, his long-standing reach, huge hands, and wide frame made him incredibly difficult to score on or over. Waites was an active rebounder on the defensive end, he did a great job of controlling the boards by grabbing rebounds right off the rim before anyone else had a chance. He showed a good ability to score in the paint, extremely light on his feet for such a big guy, Kamryn looked like he has been mastering that quick turnaround hook shot. Kamryn Waites is a true back to the basket center, who uses his physical gifts to get the job done. Daniel Zachariah - Center/Power Forward - TBC 17U - L.D. Bell High School - C/o 2021<img class="size-medium wp-image-1029587 aligncenter" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/17U-PBNationMcCartyvsTBC-4292-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Daniel Zachariah is another one of TBC’s talented big men. Great size standing at 6’6, strong hands and body with good athleticism. Runs the court well, he had no problem getting up and down the court, never seemed to get tired much. Sound offensive post skills, he routinely scored on and over 2 or 3 guys with his floaters and turn around hook shots in the paint; nice soft touch on his shots down low. When it came to establishing position, he did a great job, Daniel put his entire body in front of the man when posting up and snagged the ball at its peak when rebounding on both ends. Daniel Zachariah was very impressive this past weekend, showing good abilities on both ends of the floor and looking like one of the best centers in the gym.