Chi-Town Tip Off Recap: 16U Bruce’s Best Bigs

<p>The Chi-Town Tip-Off took place Friday, April 16th through Sunday, April 18th. The event, which featured over 250 teams and some of the top programs in the Midwest, was one of the biggest events of the young grassroots season. My focus this weekend was on the 2023 division, which featured many talented players, including several talented big men. In this article, we take a look at the Best 2023 Bigs I had an opportunity to see. </p> <p><strong>Bennet Briles </strong><em>6’8 PF Rush Academy</em> - There are sleepers and then there are guys people have been taking complete slumbers on. Briles is a homeschool product so perhaps that accounts for his novelty, however, the forward was marvelous this weekend. He showed a nice touch from about 15-18 feet, ran the floor relentlessly, and showed the willingness and ability to protect the rim from the 4 spot. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1049193" first="Isaiah" last="Akinyele"] <em>6’5 PF Indiana Game</em> <em>(featured image)</em> - After about 3 possessions Akinyele had me thinking about former MSU Spartan Andre Hudson. A bruiser with a purpose, the lefty used his body to carve out space masterfully to get to his spot. Once there, he was able to finish around the rim. He displayed nice feet and a dizzying array of post moves.  </p> <p><strong>Mark Nikolich Wilson</strong> <em>6’7 PF Full Package</em> - MNW was another undersized big-bodied bruiser at the event, he gave what he had in short burst. What he had is a high basketball IQ, an ability to find players from the post, and a knack for grabbing tough in traffic rebounds for his team. </p> <p><strong>Brock Marino</strong> <em>6’6 PF All In Williams Black</em> - A lot of Marino’s strength came from his activity. He managed to keep a ton of balls alive, for All - In, using tips to control for himself, and tap outs to allow his team to maintain possession. He also showed a decent outside touch, allowing him to stretch the floor to about 18 feet. </p> <p><strong>Simeon Murchison</strong> <em>6’6 PF Wisconsin Playmakers</em> - Was one of the most unique players I watched this weekend. While it never quite looked completely smooth, Murchison got a ton of buckets. He would catch and finish around the rim, showed good footwork in direct post-up situations, and even stepped out and made his share of 3’s. An intriguing player that easily falls into the sleeper category. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1215315" first="Hampton" last="Dauparas"]</strong> <em>6’6 PF Breakaway</em> - I don’t know how he did it, but Dauparas consistently managed to score down low against bigger more athletic post players. He showed great patience on the block and then used good footwork and skill to create an opening and finish around the rim. Breakaway seemed to consistently go back to a play that allowed for a quick duck in for Dauparas, and he took advantage of it several times throughout the weekend. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/7outzbballclub1">Follow Prep Hoops</a></p>