State Tournament Recap: Impact Bigs
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What an event! The NIAA State Tournament never disapoints. Place two opponents in opposite jerserys line them up and play for glory. It’s a simple formula that always produces lifelong moments, and lasting results. The event featured a surprising number…
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Continue ReadingWhat an event! The NIAA State Tournament never disapoints. Place two opponents in opposite jerserys line them up and play for glory. It’s a simple formula that always produces lifelong moments, and lasting results. The event featured a surprising number of big men with promising results. Here’s a look at some of the top impact Big Men from the event.
Felt like I was watching Patrick Ewing play in high school whenever Staton took the floor. The 7 footer is a legit vertical threat, that showed athleticism, catching, cocking back and slamming home high lobs. He intimidated opponents with his rim protection, deciding to simply snatch the ball out of the air on several possessions. He capped a dominating week with a 4A state championship.
Highlights
Bass was perhaps the best back to the basket scorer in the tournament. The physical post showed good feet, using drop steps, and jump hooks to finish around the basket. He played with a tenacious effort on the backboard, grabbing a bunch of in traffic boards for his team.
Highlights
Mater East possessed an imposing 1-2 interior punch, as Jones brought size, and skill. The big man is surprisingly nimble, bulling his way into the lane, before finishing around the rim with a soft touch. He showed terrific IQ and passing ability as well, diming up several teammates when the double team came.
The freshman never looked out of place in the big games. Parker did his role and then some. He sprinted the floor like a deer, opening up lanes for his wings. He showed really good hands, catching passes on the move before finishing. His willingness to be an interior defender, was huge to the Knights capturing the 3A championship.
The big lefty was terrific in his final State tournament appearance. He was able to operate around the basket, scoring down low. To keep defenders off balance, you could find him facing up and slashing. He brough a true low post threat to the Mustangs who made it to the 4A Championship game.
Highlights
Walema only had 8 points in the Championship game, but it seemed as if everyone was a big one. He stopped several Incline runs with buckets around the rim. The post showed some grit and skill, banging down low, while using ballerina feet to nimbly avoid defenders. When it was all said and done, he and his Mustang teammates took home the 2A state title.