ZG Stars and Stripes Classic: impressive wings and bigs

This weekend, I attended Zero Gravity's Stars and Stripes Classic at Dana Barros Basketball Club in Stoughton, MA. I watched some of all three high school divisions (freshman, sophomore, and varsity), but of course didn't get to watch the majority of teams/players. I'll have coverage coming throughout the week from this tournament.   <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/05/zg-stars-and-stripes-classic-expressions-elite-standouts-part-1/">Here is part one of my Expressions standouts</a> if you missed it. <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/05/zg-stars-and-stripes-classic-expressions-elite-standouts-part-2/">Here is part two of my Expressions standouts</a>. <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/05/zg-stars-and-stripes-classic-sub-6-foot-guards-who-stood-out/">Here are some undersized guards who impressed.</a> <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/05/zg-stars-and-stripes-classic-varsity-division-all-stars/">Here are the five most impressive players I saw in the varsity division.</a>   Below are some impressive wings and bigs.    Forster is a 6-foot southpaw combo guard who does lots of little things on the court. He can defend multiple positions as a result of his strength and competitiveness, and he doesn't take any possessions off. Offensively, he has a knack for finishing downhill in transition with his left hand and can use his body to carve out space in the paint. The Sharon junior competes every possession and will be captain of Sharon High School's squad next season. Really tough kid who I would imagine is good at some other sports too.     Rhee was Chunky Elite's most consistent scorer this weekend. The 6-foot-2 wing used his strong body to push around opposing wings (and bigs) in the paint for easy offensive rebounding opportunities and was able to finish with both hands after he got the board. Offensively, he likes to get to the midrange for jumpers and has enough strength to back his way down there against smaller defenders. Rhee should be a solid piece for Milton High School next season, and an improved outside shooting stroke would certainly be good for his development and chances of playing in college.     For only a freshman, Spaner is super strong and understands how to use his body to overpower smaller defenders. He was bullying opposing wings and bigs with strength in the paint, consistently putting them underneath the hoop and getting himself excellent rebounding position for easy put backs and and-ones. He also showcased some really solid touch around the rim, especially off the backboard, and a decent looking outside shot. Will be curious to see whether he continues to grow and if he can make varsity at Attleboro High School next season, but he'll certainly need to get more comfortable with the ball in his hands in order to do so.     Gara has good size for his age, and you can tell he has a solid understanding of how to play the game. He has a super nice-looking shot — though he didn't make too many when I watched him play — and he can handle it well enough to attack closeouts and get to the rim when the defense overplays his shot. He's also a willing and able passer who seems to understand off-ball player movement pretty well. He'll need to get quicker and stronger if he wants to play at the college level, but he has time to figure it out. Gara should be a solid high school player next season.     Ford is incredibly raw and certainly still learning his body, but the 6-foot-7 big man has some really interesting physical tools for his age. In addition to his size, he has some ridiculously long arms that place him pretty close to the rim when he raises them; he uses this length to get tons of rebounds on both ends. Defensively, he has really solid discipline and when combined with his physical tools and vertical athleticism, he can protect the rim pretty well. He'll need to improve his offensive game a lot if he wants to play at the next level, but he has tons of time to do so — I would guess he gets a lot better in the coming years.

This weekend, I attended Zero Gravity's Stars and Stripes Classic at Dana Barros Basketball Club in Stoughton, MA. I watched some of all three high school divisions (freshman, sophomore, and varsity), but of course didn't get to watch the majority of teams/players. I'll have coverage coming throughout the week from this tournament.