All Academic Showcase: 5 intriguing big men

On Tuesday and Wednesday (7/1-7/2), I attended the All Academic Showcase at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. There were 400+ players there and 5 courts going on at once, so it was impossible for me to see/scout every team and player. I'll be having coverage of the event throughout the next few days, highlighting some players who played well and probably helped their college recruitment.   With that being said, here are 5 intriguing big men who stood out.    At first glance, Birch is a rim-running center who sets screens for his teammates and protects the hoop on the other end of the floor. But the more you watch him, the more intriguing his game gets. The 6-foot-9 rising senior can shoot it a little bit from the outside and has some nice footwork and handle around the rim. He also understands how to pass in the short roll and will make simple extra passes for his teammates when they're there. He should be able to find a D3 fit somewhere as a result of his size and touch, and I could see him continuing to improve his hands and strength as he gets older. Real project.     Santana was a monster on the boards at Babson. He has an awesome motor and fantastic athleticism for his size, so he's able to out-jump wings and bigs for rebounds consistently. His timing and length on defense also help on blocks, which he got a ton of in the one game I saw him play. He looks like he never gets tired and should absolutely find a D3 fit even though he's still learning how to be effective offensively with the ball in his hands. He can set screens and even shoot it from the outside a bit, but he needs to improve his handle and feel. Regardless, the physical tools are there.     Delmonico is 6-foot-6 with long arms and can really stroke it from three. He has a quick release, a high release point, and the ball goes in. He needs to improve his feel in the paint and his general ability to handle the ball once the defense starts overplaying his shot, but those are skills that might be coming along as we speak. He'll probably find a D3 fit just because of his shooting ability and height, and maybe the other skills will come along once he continues to develop physically and get older. He's another project that could really improve after a year or two in college.     Alexander came all the way from California and SHOWED OUT. He has recently grown (according to some coaches I talked to) and it's paying dividends for him. He has the skills of a guard; he can handle it a bit, he shoots it really well from three, and he has nice vision in transition and as a hub. But he's also 6-foot-7 and super long, which allows him to be effective on the boards and as a rim protector defensively. Once he continues to learn his body, he'll likely be a very high level D3 player. I could even see him late-blooming into some scholarship offers if everything goes perfectly. Bright future ahead and one of the better players at the showcase.     Marie is a really fun-to-watch, cerebral, undersized big who can be a hub offensively and also score a bit on his own. He has nice footwork and touch in the lane but can also spray out to shooters effectively and shoot the three ball when the defense plays off of him. He's just a really good decision maker and ball mover/connector who any teammate would love to play with. Marie is only a rising junior, so we'll see if he continues to grow and/or get quicker on the perimeter. Even if he doesn't, I bet he'll be able to find a D3 fit somewhere when the time comes.

On Tuesday and Wednesday (7/1-7/2), I attended the All Academic Showcase at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. There were 400+ players there and 5 courts going on at once, so it was impossible for me to see/scout every team and player. I'll be having coverage of the event throughout the next few days, highlighting some players who played well and probably helped their college recruitment.