Bigs On The Rise In North Carolina

<p>There are notable big man that have not received attention all year.Before they began to kill this summer, we wanted you guys to know a few names you should keep an eye out for, as these bigs improved daily and have their perspective program excited about their progress. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b><i><u>Luke Brigman Hickory Ridge High(2023) 6’7"</u></i></b></p> <p>Luke is someone I am really excited to see his recruiting take an even bigger leap this summer. Luke is one of my favorite under the radar players in the class of 2023 because of how simple he makes the game. Luke is a load to handle in the inside, he has impressive footwork. He is very comfortable with his back to the basket, he has this filthy unguardable fadeaway he loves to use when his back is against the basket. His patience and poise on the offensive end, with pump fakes and hesiation for his size, is impressive. He is the motor that gets this team going, he displays amazing ball skills and defensive ability above the rim. Luke almost averages two blocks a game and he finished the season with only 23 personal fouls on the season. As a big man an impressive stat you can take with you as your season comes to an end is a ratio of 1:50 in references to his blocks per foul. As he becomes a better defensive player, he will only continue grow into an even more dominant player.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Mikey Wilkins R-S Central High(2025) 6’7"</strong></em></span></p> <p>Wilkins should be a four year starter and is an amazing rim runner. Wilkins has been contributing a team high 10 rebounds a game, while also totaling 15 points a game. His stifling defense, makes his upside intriguing almost averaging two blocks and also a steal. A double-double machine that has a physical style to his game. An adamant scorer that looks to help lead the Hilltoppers to a state championship riding a 14 game win streak. Excited to see his progress as he becomes an even stronger player and a more creative offensive player. </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id="1059716" first="McCaskill" last="Rivers"] East Gaston 6’7"(2023)</em></strong></span></p> <p>A growing crafty player that has has the potential to become a reliable two-way player. A double double machine and maybe one of the better rebounders in the state in the 2023 class of North Carolina. Averaging 18 points and 12 rebounds, Rivers has helped the Warriors to stay competitive and have found their way into the playoffs. I think he may be the deciding factor in their potential upset win of West Caldwell in the first round of the 2A playoffs. Their lack of size will provide countless opportunities for Rivers to score and/or distribute through double teams. </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="854914" first="Callum" last="Richard"] Gaston Day High (2023)</strong></em></span></p> <p>Richard is one of the more fundamentally sound bigs in the state. He has a good defensive presence because of his exceptional length and size, he also is really comfortable under the basket on either side of the court. He displays good ball skills and a high IQ. He makes the right reads when passing the ball and he has really good hands and catches the ball well. A high flier above the rim, will not wow you with his athleticism but is a willing dunker when given the ball in the dunkers spot or in position to finish. He has a certain toughness to him that makes him distinctive, he has very good pace and a hook shot that he uses often, as he continues to improve on his jump shot I believe where he can be potentially offensively, he has not touched the surface. </p>