KS 17U Bigs to Know from the Jayhawk Jam
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The Jayhawk Jam in Lawrence brought together fine players from several states. Kansas players more than held their own throughout the weekend. We learned about some new players, and watched some established players get tested by good competition. Here are…
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Continue ReadingThe Jayhawk Jam in Lawrence brought together fine players from several states. Kansas players more than held their own throughout the weekend. We learned about some new players, and watched some established players get tested by good competition.
Here are some bigs to know from the 17U ranks of the Jayhawk Jam (in alphabetical order):
James Allen
James Allen
Allen (pictured) showed off the defensive skills that earned him some awards at the end of the high school season. He’s a really athletic, high-rising big who plays unselfishly and understands the importance of defense. He isn’t the biggest center around, but can guard opposing posts an anchor a defense. He doesn’t just rebound and defend, however. He showed a nice handle and ability to push the ball up the floor and score through traffic.
Hudson Baker
Hudson Baker
Baker is a long post who can really defend the rim. He’s thin, but does a good job bodying up opposing bigs. He can really get up and times his leap to thwart driving guards in the paint. Baker is fundamental around the goal with good footwork and a soft touch. He’s patient with the ball, not hurrying his shot in the post, but allows shooters to get open and cutters to move.
Ethan Dillinger Ethan Dillinger 6'7" | C Erie | 2024 State KS
Ethan Dillinger Ethan Dillinger 6'7" | C Erie | 2024 State KS
Dillinger is a big man with a sweet jump shot. He can catch and shoot from the perimeter or put the ball on the floor to get to a shot. He really causes problems with his ability to draw opposing centers out to the arc. When he drives, he uses a long last step and jump stop to create space. Dillinger has tremendous length to block shots too.
Dominic Nixon
Dominic Nixon
Nixon is a really active big. He brings a ton of energy and blue-collar toughness. He combines power and agility as a versatile front-line player. He showed he can shoot it from the perimeter. He runs the floor and defends bigs in the block and wings on the perimeter effectively.
Like his twin brother, Vincent Nixon Vincent Nixon 6’6″ | PF Shawnee Mission Northwest | 2024 KS works hard on the glass and makes a lot of effort plays, particularly cleaning up misses. He uses his body to shield defenders and can shoot it from angles around the goal. He made a lot of impressive finishes against the big, athletic opponents at the Jayhawk Jam.
Highlights
A really smooth big who moves well, Shinette is a rim protector. Though not overly big, he boxes out and grabs a lot of boards. Shinette showed some versatility at Lawrence, bodying up much bigger posts and also floating out to knock down three-pointers. Shinette doesn’t need to attempt a lot of shots to affect the game.