Pro Insight Pop-Up Run: Posts

I made the trek down to Portland this past Saturday to check out some of the top prospects in Oregon and Washington get to work at the Pro Insight Pop-Up Run. I am going to work through plenty of prospects from the event, focusing now on the posts that stood out. These guys operated mainly around the paint and flashed some solid skills to pair with physical play inside.    Aklog was pretty dominant when he got the ball deep on the blocks or offensive boards right by the rim, and he also showed good poise and patience to play through multiple bodies in close. But a big separator for him is his ball skills and the potential they show. For instance, he chased a long rebound down to the corner and seemed stuck but quickly reversed to the baseline and drove it in for two. Another time, he was able to get a rebound and push the ball himself through the open court, maneuver around one defender, and then find the right pass for a shot. And finally, his ability to knock down shots away from the hoop showed up as he hit some contested midrange shots on the face-up. He's a strong kid who can thrive by the rim but also possesses skills that allow him to play in other areas and highlight his potential.     Morningstar was pretty effective operating mostly from the blocks and high post, getting to solid bases inside, and showing he can finish with either hand at the hoop. He's another guy who can eat up space with long steps but stays strong through his moves. From the high post, he showed some good ability to get to the basket with a quick rip from the face-up or turning the edge with his back to the hoop. He also had a couple of strong finishes above the rim that also showcased some athleticism from the Prairie big man.     Carter is a young big man who flashed some good potential affecting the game with his length. He timed up some shots inside for blocks, was active on the glass, and showed some strength to finish through contact in the paint. He was also able to cover some surprising ground to get out on 3-point shooters from the paint and get good contests on shots.     Masini worked really well in the PNR showing he can finish from multiple ranges whether it's getting all the way to the basket, recognizing space to stop and pull short touch shots, or pop out and knock down the midrange shot. He also ran the floor well to get some finishes on the break and worked off the dribble in the midrange at times, but was most effective setting screens and rolling to space.     Couch didn't get a ton of touches but showed some good signs for an under-the-radar 6-foot-10 kid. He chased down one shot on the break to send it off the glass, set some good screens along the perimeter, and had one DHO that opened up acres of space for his guard to attack. He also was competing on the glass and had some good tip outs when he couldn't get two hands on the rebound.

I made the trek down to Portland this past Saturday to check out some of the top prospects in Oregon and Washington get to work at the Pro Insight Pop-Up Run. I am going to work through plenty of prospects from the event, focusing now on the posts that stood out. These guys operated mainly around the paint and flashed some solid skills to pair with physical play inside.