Rivers Holiday Tournament: High Potential Bigs

On Thursday and Friday, I attended the Rivers Holiday Tournament at their facility in Weston, MA. Though I didn't see any of the bracket play, I watched every team's first game.   There were a good number of college-level players present, so I'll be covering some over the next couple days.   To begin, here are some high potential big men.    Wane mans the paint for Austin Prep as the only guy who's remotely big-man sized, but he does a really good job defending bigger guys than himself even though he could probably be considered a wing. He has super long arms and is very tough physically, so he makes up for his lack of vertical size (only 6-foot-6). He's also active on that end and is always around the ball. Offensively, he shows some flashes of really nice extended finishes at the hoop and can even make an outside shot here and there. Wane is only a junior and should see his D3 interest rise as the year goes on. Perhaps some big improvements to his offensive handle can earn him a few scholarship looks.     Misukanis is 6-foot-10 and has a cerebral nature to his offensive game. He can pass the ball a little bit when he gets post touches, and the lefty is able to finish around the rim with some touch as well. He also does a good job catching the ball for a guy his size, even in small spaces. Defensively, the senior slides his feet better than you'd expect on the perimeter, and some added strength would probably better allow him to get a large number of offensive rebounds. Misukanis is going to find a D3 fit by the end of the year if only because of his combination of size and finishing ability.     Udutayo is 6-foot-8 and has ridiculously long arms, so the potential is through the roof. Right now, he's raw and is still learning his body and his limbs when it comes to handling the rock and making plays in small spaces, but the flashes of athleticism he shows as a driver are quite impressive. He extends out for finishes and dunks and also has a decent looking perimeter shot, so I could see him developing a lot between now and his freshman year of college. Schools of all levels should keep an eye on Odutayo, who has some physical tools you just can't teach and could be a late bloomer.     Rogers is an imposing, 6-foot-9 big man who really grew on me as I watched him settle into the game against Proctor on Friday. He is a really solid rebounder and finisher on the offensive end, and he makes his free throws consistently while showing some potential to knock down the three ball. I was especially impressed with some spin move finishes he had during the second half of Friday's win; he has better touch that you'd think and should only continue to get more comfortable and under control near the rim as he gets older and grows into his body. Definite scholarship potential for Rogers, but he has to work for it these next couple years.     Rabie is a true 6-foot-11 and has some very intriguing skills for the D3 level. He moves decently well for his size and is actually able to catch and finish around the rim with both hands, even on some low bounce passes. He had a couple post finishes, too, where he made nice drop steps and was able to finish with both hands. He can be a DHO hub and set screens as well, though he needs to be a bit stronger with the ball at times. Defensively, he walls up with his size and length and simply dissuades drives into the lane because of his size. Rabie is going to find a D3 fit by the end of the year if I had to guess.

On Thursday and Friday, I attended the Rivers Holiday Tournament at their facility in Weston, MA. Though I didn't see any of the bracket play, I watched every team's first game.