Chico Summer Shootout High School Playoffs: Impressive Bigs

On Monday, August 11th, I attended the Chico Summer Shootout summer league at O'Connell South Common Park in Lawrence, MA. The high school division had their playoffs, and I watched four teams full of talented hoopers. Though there were many seniors who just graduated, I'll only be focusing on the players who still have more HS basketball to play.   Below are some big men who impressed.    Camara's combination of size, length and athleticism is at a scholarship level. He's 6-foot-6 with a massive wingspan, and he jumps out of the gym off of both one and two feet. Because of these physical tools, combined with his timing, he's able to dominate the boards and provide rim protection against bigger forwards. Offensively, he has some wiggle to his game and can take opposing big men off the dribble quite consistently. Camara needs to improve his shot and get a little more under control on drives to the hoop, but he could certainly be a scholarship guy when the time comes.     The streetball environment isn't necessarily catered towards a low post big man, but Carty still found some ways to be effective on Monday. The 6-foot-10 center is an absolute load underneath the rim and does a good job carving out space for offensive rebounds and put backs. He's also extremely physical and is more than willing to throw his body around. He's tough and can get angry if he needs to. The ball skills and footwork are still coming along, but Carty's time at Darrow will certainly aid in his development as a potential scholarship big man.     Shi has a fascinating skillset. The 6-foot-11 big man is strong and long, but he looks like a 6-foot-5 wing when he runs the break. The OTE bound senior had a few coast-to-coast finishes where he dribbled through multiple guards and then showcased the body control and pace to be able to slow himself down for finishes on the break. He was also a monster all day on the glass. Oh, and he made a couple three pointers, though this isn't a consistent part of his game yet. Sky's the limit for Shi, who has an awesome motor and the toughness necessary to be a scholarship big.     Denton was one of the most impressive players of the entire night because of his combination of size and perimeter skills. The 6-foot-5 wing/forward uses his physicality and length to guard bigs and get rebounds, but the way he pulls out his defender on offense is what makes him most special. The Masconomet junior is an amazing shooter; he gets it off quickly, he has great range, and it goes in quite often. His size and shooting ability alone will earn him tons of college looks, but he also has an off the dribble game that is growing as we speak. I could see him blooming late and getting scholarship offers.     Vella has an intriguing skillset for a 6-foot-6 forward who looks like he still has physical development to undergo. The rising senior at Masconomet has guard skills and is able to be a post or top-of-the-key hub on offense because of his agility and passing instincts. He also does a good job attacking closeouts and taking bigger forwards off the dribble — I like his finishing bag at the rim and think some added strength would do him wonders. Vella will definitely find a D3 fit when the time comes, but this will be a HUGE year for him.

On Monday, August 11th, I attended the Chico Summer Shootout summer league at O'Connell South Common Park in Lawrence, MA. The high school division had their playoffs, and I watched four teams full of talented hoopers. Though there were many seniors who just graduated, I'll only be focusing on the players who still have more HS basketball to play.