Who Want The Smoke: Best Big Battles

<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">You’ll be hard pressed to find a more talented group of players than the frontcourt players from Who Want The Smoke. From the class of 2021 to 2024 there will be names for you to become familiar with. Those in attendance watched some of the best big man battles of the summer.</p> <p><strong>David Oyona versus [player_tooltip player_id="787336" first="Ron" last="Holland"]</strong></p> <p>This matchup saw Drive Nation at full strength with the return of [player_tooltip player_id="787336" first="Ron" last="Holland"], the #12 player in the class of 2023. On the other side of the tip was David Oyona, a growing name in the class of 2023 that’ll sit somewhere near Holland’s name when rankings update.</p> <p>Oyona has the height advantage at 6-10 and didn’t shy away from using it. He showed solid footwork in the post and quickness that translates to production on both sides of the floor. Speaking of which, he left the game with 4 blocks along with the ton of shots he altered highlighting rim protection.</p> <p>Holland shook off the rust for the first few minutes of the game. In that time his plus athleticism and motor reared its head on the boards. After settling into the game his defensive disruption grew, including sequences that began in a block and lead to his own coast to coast take. He later shot a through a passing lane to finish above the rim.</p> <p><strong>Dok Muordar versus [player_tooltip player_id="889569" first="Zuby" last="Ejiofor"]</strong></p> <p>The most underrated matchup of the event took place with rising stars, Ejiofor and Muordar. The 2022s played a fast, hard nosed brand of basketball that saw both push each other from possession to possession.</p> <p>At 7 foot Muordar displayed ball skills and a smooth stroke nailing a pull up jumper in the midrange. He used his long frame to grab rebounds, clean up plays on offense, and provide rim protection. Made a clutch defensive play down the stretch in a close loss.</p> <p>No one star has burned brighter than Ejiofor’s this summer and with another 21 point performance under his belt that’s still true. The big has athletic post moves, hit a three from the corner, and left the game with a crushing tip dunk. Offers continue to come in for a prospect that will see his name on national rankings.</p> <p><strong>David Oyona versus [player_tooltip player_id="787319" first="Cameron" last="Barnes"]</strong></p> <p>Oyona couldn’t leave the metroplex before seeing Duncanville’s other monster post prospect [player_tooltip player_id="787319" first="Cameron" last="Barnes"]. At 6-10 himself Barnes possesses next level agility to offset his skinny frame. His offensive game is rounding out well as he made shots in the paint and hit a step back three with ease. Watching him morph into a wing in transition inspires me to believe we haven’t seen all the skills he’s working on. His ability to make rotations and close space grade higher than any other 2023 big at the event.</p> <p>Oyona did a lot of what he did against drive nation but this time against a frontcourt with more size and strength. His game hinted at more floor spacing as he hit a deep two with his smooth stroke.</p> <p><strong>Vince Iwuchukwu versus [player_tooltip player_id="594590" first="Daimion" last="Collins"]</strong></p> <p>These two names headlined the most anticipated big matchup of the summer because of their talent level and for many Dallas media members their distance. Iwuchukwu and Collins gave us a show, as two of the highest-rated players at their position would.</p> <p>Vince’s frame pops the minute he hits the floor. His length is a problem to finish over, allowing him to stay on his feet to block and change shots. On the offensive end, there’s a lot of finesse. That didn’t stop him from having the poster of the weekend over Collins. Add in a three from the wing with nice form and it’s obvious to see why he’s ranked so highly in a deep 2022 class.</p> <p>Not to be outdone, Collins, the elder statesmen of the group, left his path of destruction. He showed off jaw dropping athleticism that left folks calling him Stromile Swift-like. He has a second jump that leads to offensive boards, including a possession that saw him grab a rebound and dunk it with force before anyone could move. The pogo stick bounce left a convincing body of work around the rim on defense.</p>