The Grassroots 365 Dance in the Desert event took place in Avondale, Arizona June 3rd and 4th. The event featured boys’ teams ranging from 9U to 14U. Several big players made an impression on me. Here’s a look at some…

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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inThe Grassroots 365 Dance in the Desert event took place in Avondale, Arizona June 3rd and 4th. The event featured boys’ teams ranging from 9U to 14U. Several big players made an impression on me. Here’s a look at some of the best Bigs we saw during the event.

The big guy from El Paso flashed potential. He had some nice finishes around the basket for his squad and he displayed decent hands. He moves well proving to be a fluid and capable rim runner.

O’neil looks like the new breed of hybrid forwards. Although the biggest player on the floor, he prefered to do his damage when facing up. He rebounded well and his combination of size and skill made him one of the better grab and go players I saw during the event.

I didn’t get an exact height on Yard, however when I glimpsed at his game, all I could see is hair and rebounds. He was one of the most physical young players I saw on the day, using his body to carve out space, grabbing seemingly every offensive board in the game I saw.

Williams was the tallest player on the floor when I watched, however he showed that he can do damage from all over the floor. He was one of the fastest rim runners I saw, and his defensive instincts made him on of the best at jumping passing lanes. While he looks like a player that will transition down to more of a wing, his size made him one of the top big guys I saw.

Campaign was one of the higher IQ players I saw regardless of position. There was quite a bit of zone played during the game I watched, however he did a masterful job of disecting it. The big guy executed brilliantly from the high post, hitting cutters and making mid range shots when his team needed it.

Kaue is a big body banger type that just stayed with it. A volume rebounder, he competed on every possession showing strong hands and the ability to rebound. His value was the highest on the interior where he showed the ability to defend as well as clean the glass.

This was the second time I saw Clark in a span of 6 days. What was impressive was how easily he transitioned into playing a different role. He didn’t play a ton with the ball in his hands, so he did the next best thing, he went and got it himself. The big guy was one of the top rebounders I saw at the event, as he has a suprisingly quick second jump which allowed him to compete for and win 50/50 offensive rebounds.

I didn’t get an exact size on Hacket but he was one of the bigger guys on the floor. Rebounding is so valuable at this level, and he did a great job providing second and third chance opportunities for his team. He used strong hands and determination to wedge himself between two and three defenders to gather offensive boards. He scored the ball off putbacks or free throws, and was one of the more impactful bigs I saw during the game.