Wisconsin State Tournament: The Post Standouts

Seven of the post prospects who stood out in the games I watched at the Prep Hoops Wisconsin State Tournament!    Giovanni is a big body inside for Bradley Elite, and his combination of size and touch around the basket makes him tough to stop down low. If he catches on the block he has the strength to back his man down into deep position, or he can quickly spin baseline to pin his man on his hip before finishing at the rim. Isn't the fastest getting up and down the floor, but is light on his feet on the block, allowing him to create good looks with his footwork. Strength allows him to finish through contact, and his effort on the offensive glass leads to some easy second chance buckets.      Rashad put in some well-rounded performances for [program_tooltip program_id='2139004' first='Team' last='Haliburton'] as they went on to win the 17u title. At 6'7 he has an already solid frame that suggests he can continue to add muscle, and he has some explosiveness at his size. Threw down a few dunks just stepping in from the dunker spot, and also fought for offensive boards leading to put-back buckets. Is at his best as a grinder on the block battling for rebounds, stepping up to block shots/cut off drives, and fighting for low-post position.     Blake had some really nice moments on Saturday for [program_tooltip program_id='2139004' first='Team' last='Haliburton']. Looked the part of a nice stretch-four with some size and strength at 6'5, combined with shooting touch out beyond the arc. Playing alongside a creative point guard he did a great job of floating in pockets of space, giving his teammate angles to kick it out to him for threes. Thought he saw the floor well, and used his 6'5 frame to zip in passes to his cutters from the perimeter. [program_tooltip program_id='2139004' first='Team' last='Haliburton'] didn't have a ton of size, so Blake was playing with scrappiness to help provide a rebounding presence inside for his team.     Ethan helped lead his [program_tooltip program_id='2347629' first='Wisconsin' last='PHD'] team to a 3-1 record and a semi-finals appearance in the 16u bracket. He was arguably the best shot blocker at the event, as his long wingspan and defensive instincts allowed him to not only block multiple shots per game, but alter countless more. You could tell guys weren't going up to finish with the same confidence when Ethan was in the area, and were trying to adjust their shots just to avoid getting blocked. Ethan does a great job of moving his feet to get into position, and excels at walling up to pick up blocks without picking up fouls.     Brandon helped lead his Diamond Hoops team to the 16u title, and was one of the standouts in that championship game. At 6'6 he has the size and strength to provide a presence inside as a defender and rebounder, but he really stood out with his ability to knock down outside shots on the offensive end. It seemed like any time his team needed a bucket, Brandon was stepping up with a big make from three. Even when his team went down early, Brandon didn't look rattled and played with composure for the full 32 minutes.     Bryson has the size and strength to play bigger than his 6'3 frame would suggest, but mixes that size with a guard-like skillset that makes him a difficult matchup. When defended with size he was taking his man out to the perimeter, and showcasing an impressive handle to work his way to the basket. Also had range extending a few feet behind the three point line. When defended with a wing Bryson was able to use his size to bully his way in the paint for some easy finishes inside, utilizing his frame to create angles for easy buckets.     James was a dominant low-post presence playing up at the 16u level for Gym Class Heroes. In the half-court there wasn't much defenders could do to slow him down, as his size made him difficult to push off the block, and he had the finishing touch to simply turn over his shoulder and score with a hook shot. At 6'7 he can see the entire floor from the block, and used his height to zip in passes to cutting teammates over the top of the defense. Will have to work on his conditioning to get up and down the floor in faster paced games, but was an imposing presence in the half-court offense. Was a 12 and 7 guy as a freshman for Tigerton last winter.

Seven of the post prospects who stood out in the games I watched at the Prep Hoops Wisconsin State Tournament!