Posts to Watch at State

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Having a dominant big man gives you a huge advantage at the state tournament. Here are some posts worth watching this week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1588339' first='Amalachi' last='Wilkins'], 6-foot-6 center, 2025, Wichita Heights – 6A:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are some good big men in the 6A bracket, and Wilkins leads the list. He has developed a lot from his freshman season and is ready to be a headliner of this year's tournament. To his impressive length and spring, he's added more physicality and a lot more skill. When Heights takes the court, regardless of the opponent, Wilkins will be the one who catches your eye.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1080174' first='Jack' last='Wilson'], 6-foot-6 center, 2023, Manhattan - 6A (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Manhattan can go big with at least a couple of guys over 6-foot-4 on the floor at a time. Wilson is the foundation for what they can do. He's a big, powerful guy with good hands and coordination. He isn't just locked in the post. He can move to open shots. The Doane College commit is a beast on the glass and he runs the floor well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1461338' first='Joey' last='Matteoni'], 6-foot-6 forward, 2024, Blue Valley Northwest – 6A;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This guy blew up on the radar as a rebounder as a sophomore, putting up some pretty impressive numbers on the boards. He took a big step over the summer to emerge as the Huskies number one big at both ends of the floor. He has great ability to run the floor and chase down plays. He defends the rim and helps off on defense to intimidate drivers. He has coordination to catch and shoot at the offensive end. He averaged 18 points to go with his 11 rebounds as a junior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1378442' first='Tory' last='Homan'], 6-foot-7 center, 2024, Maize South – 5A:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are a lot of good teams in the 5A bracket. But most of them lack one thing: a dominant center. Maize South has a big, powerful man in Homan who might just provide a difference maker in the tournament. He plays with a lot of strength around the goal and dominates on the glass. He doesn't always have to shoot a lot, but if the Mavericks decide to work the ball into the post, Homan could be very impactful.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1080164' first='Tyler' last='Little'], 6-foot-5 center, 2023, Galena – 3A:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ever since his freshman season, Little has been in this spot. Galena has been to state every season, and Little has played a big part in it. This season, as the veteran leader, he has averaged 19 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest. He's got the build of a college football tight end (which he will be in just a few months) and he plays with both power and finesse.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1270299' first='Eli' last='Lawson'], 6-foot-7 center, 2024, Bennington – 2A:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lawson is the consummate center. He knows how to play around the goal, with smooth fundamentals and nice coordination in his hands and feet. He's just too much for most small schools, putting up 19 points and 12 rebounds to go with a couple of blocks per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->