Standout Big Men in the Month of January

Not every team is so lucky to have a big who can anchor their defense and create parity on the offensive end. These post players have been killing it in the month of January and show just how valuable owning the paint is. Keith Olsen 6’6 (2022) C Napavine Olsen is a matchup nightmare in the Central 2B League. He’s tall, stout, and hard to move. Olsen lives within five feet from the hoop and dominates his area. He’s got a good feel for where defenders are on his back, helping him make quick decisions to find good looks. He keeps the ball high and gets up quick shots. When Olsen gets going, he can be downright unstoppable. Napavine will feed the big man until he’s stopped, which forces defenses to pack in and vacate the perimeter, leaving open looks for shooters. [player_tooltip player_id="1263421" first="Gabe" last="Tinsley"] 6’7 (2022) F Rogers The Rogers forward is a nice hybrid of old and new schools. He’s fundamentally sound, hopping to the ball on receiving entry passes and clinical with hooks from either side of the hoop. He’s got great length around the basket with big steps, taking up a lot of space. Once defenses key in on him inside, he works in the pick and pop, stepping out to bury threes. Once defenses step out on that, Tinsley hits a hard roll after the pick and can easily stuff one down. He’s a three-level scorer that is both technical and bruising. Damian Laffitte II 6’5 (2022) F Mt. Tahoma Every team needs a big like Laffitte II. He hustles down the floor in transition defense, fills the lane on the fast break, and lives on the glass. Laffitte II knows his role and works relentlessly at it. He’s got good speed, great length, and strong hands. He knows what he excels at and how to use those skills to help the team. He almost never drops a pass or loses a rebound once it’s in his clutches. He can block shots at a high rate, notching at least 4 blocks in his last five games, including 7 against Auburn Thursday night. Despite not starting, Laffitte II is second on the T-Birds in rebounding with 9.2 per game. He’s heating up with 10+ boards in eight of his last nine games, and in each of the last five contests. Connor Chalich 6’5 (2022) F Sumner Chalich is a player that is literally going to rip possessions away from opposing teams. He’s got strong hands and an aggressive mindset. Contested rebounds become Chalich’s rebounds, and he constantly rips balls away from opponents when fighting on the boards. He’s strong enough to finish through contact most of the time and plays with a ferocity that stays on the opposition’s mind. It’s not just his strong hands that make him a tough rebounder. Chalich also displays quick feet that help him move around boxouts and keep offensive players from getting second chances. [player_tooltip player_id="923115" first="Seth" last="Horn"] 6’8 (2023) F Northwest It’s almost unfair to call Horn a big, his versatility is what sets him apart. In Northwest’s game against Seattle Academy on the 12th, he spent much of the game matched up with the Cardinals best player, [player_tooltip player_id="929629" first="Logan" last="Britt"]. Britt is going to get his, but Horn showed great lateral quickness and stuck with Britt much of the game. Offensively, Horn is dynamic in the paint, equally skilled at putting the ball in the hole with either hand. It’s almost automatic when he gets position inside, using his length to go over or wrap around defenders, finishing from a variety of angles. He has a good-looking shot, but that element hasn’t hit with the consistency he needs to take his game to the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="1270674" first="Andreas" last="Engholm"] 6’7 (2023) F Olympia What’s the most common thing big men struggle with? You used to say shooting but that’s changed in the last decade. Now it’s defaulted to catching the low pass. Constantly, you see passes bouncing off of post player's knees, balls stripped as they try to reel in the pass. Engholm is an exception. He does a magnificent job of handling low passes. It’s actually a good microcosm of his entire game. He operates well in small spaces. Whether it’s a double or even triple-team on him in the post, Engholm stays poised and strong either finding the outlet pass, ripping through defenders, or stepping through to split double teams and find a wide-open basket. it’s not just the low balls he handles well, Engholm can catch the rocket passes at his head too, exhibiting great hands that make him a standout big man. Wesley Brewer 6’4 (2024) F Olympia Brewer is big and strong enough to muscle up finishes inside, but his biggest contributions come on the other end of the floor. You can tell he takes pride in his defense just by his work rate. Watching Brewer wrestle on the blocks is a thing of beauty. He hardly ever allows offensive players to catch the ball deep inside. He’s pushing guys out to 8-10 feet, and sometimes even more. He’s not the fastest or quickest player, but Brewer works his tail off busting from block to block making sure he doesn’t give up an easy two. He also runs the court hard on the break, coming down as a big trailer who can mop up missed layups. He’s long enough to block shots but he’d rather play straight up and stay solid than risk biting on a pump for the swat. He’s only a sophomore so hopefully he’s learning something from banging against his teammate, [player_tooltip player_id="1270674" first="Andreas" last="Engholm"] in practice, and can further develop his game. Payton Stewart 6’5 (2024) F Kelso This kid is a classic bruiser inside. He’s not always the tallest big man on the court, but he has great strength which can offset the size difference when guarding bigger guys. This was evident in Kelso’s game against WF West last week, when Stewart was tasked with guarding one of the biggest players in the state, [player_tooltip player_id="1270675" first="Soren" last="Dalan"]. Dalan still got his, but Stewart showed great fight guarding the skilled big man, having a great game of his own and helping Kelso secure the win. Stewart is a glass cleaning, screen mashing, hard rolling big that keeps his hands up and ready. He’s a bruiser but excels at running the floor, putting pressure on opposing bigs to keep up. He even has some nice touch on passes setting up teammates from off the block or the free throw line.