Shane’s Top Wings/Forwards This Week
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This past week in Columbus I saw some of the top team plays in some big-time conference games. Tuesday night I watched Delaware Hayes take sole control over the OCC – Capital division as they beat Westerville North, 72-66. Then…
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Continue ReadingThis past week in Columbus I saw some of the top team plays in some big-time conference games. Tuesday night I watched Delaware Hayes take sole control over the OCC – Capital division as they beat Westerville North, 72-66. Then on Friday night, I was in a packed gym for Bishop Hartley’s win over Central Catholic League opponent Columbus DeSales, 55-48. This article is talking about the Top Wings/Forwards I’ve seen from these games.
Nicholas was the most impressive player I saw this week. This kid has made leaps and bounds in his game which has taken his game to the next level. He is an undersized forward but plays much larger. He has a great frame and body on him which makes him a really strong player. He is not only strong but he plays strong. Everything he does is strong. He rebounds strong, makes strong moves, and defenders strong. It is very impressive to watch. He is a really good athlete with great leaping ability. This helps him rebound the ball at the highest point and block almost any shot. He finishes the ball well. He has great post-defense discipline. He is never out of position and does not go for blocks he can not get. He is a player you would love to have on your team.
Highlights
Vanderwalker has taken this Delaware Hayes team to the next level. He and Burris are a mismatch problem for other teams because I can think of many teams that have two players who can check him and Burris all game. The duo was the difference in the game late. Westerville North fought back into the game but when the game got close Vanderwalker and Burris traded buckets back and forth and put the game out of reach. He is just a physical and strong kid that is dominant in the paint. He makes great strong moves in the paint with strong finishing. He is a monster on the boards. He has a great 2nd jump that allows him to get a ton of rebounds and second-chance points. Vanderwalker was a mismatch issue all night.
Highlights
Burris is the other side of the mismatch nightmare Delaware Hayes presents to opposing teams. He is just a big guard who has next-level size and athleticism. There is no real stopping Burris from scoring and getting his. With Vanderwalker taking some big wings off of him it creates a mismatch against most teams. He is the senior leader of this team. The team leans on him when they need him and he leads by example. He has been here and done that in every game. He is vital for this great Hayes team.
Noles is the senior leader for DeSales and he does a lot of it all. DeSales made quite a comeback effort in the second half of their game against Hartley and Noles was leading those comeback efforts. He was doing all the same things and dirty work for DeSales to get them back into the game. The most impressive part of this was he was trusting his teammates to make baskets and plays. He was not trying to do it all himself. He was very vocal all game and showed a great competitive spirit. He was hitting big-time momentum threes. He is a big strong physical kid who got a lot of rebounds and is a tough player to stop when he is attacking the basket.
Reynolds is a freshman with an unbelievably high ceiling and great potential. He is listed at 6’6 and is freakishly long. He is also a good athlete who has bounce, great running coordination, and strides, with some quickness to his movements. I mean this is a great foundation for a freshman that can developed by Andreas James. He is a very raw player right now but he shows flashes of being special. He makes some good moves in the post that many people his age can’t make. Reynolds is going to be a name to know in the Columbus area.