NCISAA Showcase – Top Performing Bigs
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This past weekend was the second weekend of live period action, and many college coaches, fans and I descended upon Forsyth Country Day for the NCISAA Showcase, Week 2. Check out a few of the top big men that I saw this past weekend, with some mainstays as well as some younger names to get eyes on soon.
Birmingham is a jumbo wing, but was playing as a big for Carmel Christian this weekend at the 4. His outside shot was on display once again, knocking down threes over closeouts and making himself a big time floor spacer on the day. He also played better defense than I had seen from him before, becoming a presence on the help side and in the post. He pinned a layup off the backboard and made a couple of big rim-protecting plays when the ball got low on the court, which made me much more of a fan of his two way potential. He’s a name who continues to get better and better and should make a real impact as a Division 1 3 or 4 man.
Highlights
Evans is an undersized big but does all the dirty work down low. He’s got a burly, big frame on him for being 6’5 which makes him already more able to guard the post than others his size. He showed an ability to stretch the floor and pop out of ball screens to knock down jumpers, as well as finish down low. He’s not playing above the rim or making explosive plays but his interior game is simple, effective, and consistent. He boxes out and rebounds well, helping ignite Greenfield’s transition break. Intangibly, he’s a leader and the heart and soul of this Greenfield squad. Look for him to have another big season and end up at the D2/D3 level where he should be highly coveted.
Marcus put his physicality and toughness on full display as a big part of this team down low. He’s built like a 6’8 defensive end, with all kinds of strength and athletic ability. It translates to defense, acting as a brick wall in the post and protecting the paint well. He’s always going to rebound the ball well when boxing out, which he did well for the majority of his time on the floor. On offense, his game is developing from a “dunk everything” kind of guy, as he knocked down a three and was able to act more mobile and run the floor well. His offense will be the key to where he ends up, with a lot of physical, defensive upside still left in him for a program to bring out.
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Aidan Rousseau
Aidan
Rousseau
6'6" | SF
Cary Academy | 2026
State
NC
Aidan Rousseau
Aidan
Rousseau
6'6" | SF
Cary Academy | 2026
State
NC
Rousseau is a new name to get eyes on out of Cary Academy as a 6’6 forward with big time shooting. He got a lot of great looks and shot the ball well accordingly, both off the catch and out of screening actions. He’s got more work to do to develop as a driver and post player, but shooting is not a common skill to find in guys his size. He rebounded well and was active on defense with his hands and length, but still needs to develop foot speed to be able to switch and guard all kinds of positions. There’s a ton of upside in him and he should be a name to monitor going forward on the travel ball and high school scene.
DeGraaf is a really interesting prospect to watch, and I really liked what he brought to the table as an energetic, high impact big. He’s got a lot of length and size which makes him impactful under the rim on both ends of the floor. His knee injury from last year seems to have cleared up and he’s back to running the floor well. He’s still a dunk everything guy on offense, with some offensive IQ still developing and his post game getting better. He rebounds well, walls up in the paint, and does everything you need him to on defense. He’s definitely not someone who will impact a squad his first day on campus, but with the right coaching and development, he will be a dangerous player with impact potential on offense and defense for a lot of schools.