3A Frontcourt Names Climbing the Radar

Good centers are still hard to find, especially at the 3A level. Everyone notices the scoring, but the players on this list caught my attention because of everything else. They clean up possessions, own the glass, protect the rim, create second chances, and make life easier for the players around them. Some are traditional interior presences, while others have started expanding their games beyond the paint, but all of them have traits that translate to winning basketball. I haven't seen every one of these bigs as much as some of the higher-profile names around the state, yet each time I walked away with another note in the notebook. Here are some bigs worth looking into.    Use code dev30 for 30% off and secure access as we're going through rankings and got you covered for the grassroots season. You don't want to miss any of our scouting.     Steward is a 6'8 big man who earned some love with his work this last season. He was the bright spot for Frontier Academy as he put up 14.1 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. Steward has a back-to-the-basket game, uses his length and size inside, and keeps plays alive. Steward is an above-average offensive rebounder who got the board and went right up with it. He also had a high-low game, where he got it on the block and made his move. What stood out for me about Owen's game was how he performed in big games. He had solid performances against Jefferson Academy. Denver West and Valley, which lets me know he competes in the big moments against better competition. This year, I believe that he will jump on more radars and lead his team to more wins.     Smith is an athletic big man who continues to turn heads and get on more radars with his play. If he's able to duplicate his past season, he'll be a 1,000-point scorer who's a force on the boards and protects the paint as well. Smith averaged a double-double as a junior, putting up 13 points and 10.9 rebounds a game. All of his work came from inside of the paint as he scored on the block, attacked the glass, and went right up over smaller defenders. He also moves very well and stayed in front of guys, used his length to protect the paint, averaging just under 2 blocks a game, and had moments where he looked unstoppable. We want to see him have more takeover moments where he showcases he's a premier big man in 3A.     Windsor Charter is one of those 3A teams who is always in the playoffs and putting their name on the map. They always have a big-name player who is leading the way, and for them this year it was Anderson. Anderson has overwhelming size at 6'9 and a steady and methodical approach. He has solid footwork, he uses his weight to get down low to his spots, and keeps the ball high on rebounds and goes right up. Anderson is efficient on the block and had some rebounding games that led to wins. He was also one of 3A's best rim protectors, putting up 3.3 blocks a game. He put up 10.8 points and 7.3 rebounds a game as a junior, and we also got the opportunity to see him compete at the elite camp at UNC last week and go up against some of the other top bigs. This will be a year of him being the biggest player in the conference and getting plenty of touches so I am curious to see how he fares. I am expecting a huge year from him where he picks up some college interest.     Dawson is not underrated in the sense that we've seen him play a few times, opposing teams' game plan for him, and when you see him, his physical stature stands out. But he's a player who we certainly feel that he could rise more in the rankings and just on radars with getting out to showcases and camps and such and showing that he belongs. Dawson had another solid season for St. Mary's as he put up 10.5 points and 5.2 rebounds a game. Early in games, when they dump it off to him on the block, there's no answer for him as he has overwhelming size and excellent footwork. We saw him have games where he went on mini runs himself to give St. Mary's the lead and take off on teams. When the motor catches up, he's going to be a problem as he has so much attention on him with a back-to-the-basket game, and he can hit the mid range, catch it on the move, and go or finish through defenders. I'm expecting a big junior year from the big guy.     Donovan is a 6'4 do-it-all forward for Brush who is a hidden gem out there. In only his freshman season, he put up an impressive 16.1 points and 7.6 rebounds a game and showed he's an elite 3-level scorer and name to know moving forward. He was the team's leader on the court despite this being his first year, and he was the team's workhorse who attacked the glass, started breaks for coast-to-coast finishes, and with a player like this, you'd think he'd be a bruiser only, but was able to step out and shoot the 3-ball as well. Donovan has a balanced game, protects the paint, and also finds the open man while certainly having to look for his own. Donovan was very consistent in his lone year and looks to build off of that one heading into a 2nd year where all eyes will be on him. Big expectations this way. We want to see more of him for sure and want him to get out to to an event or two coming up to see him against other players in the state to add to the rankings!

Good centers are still hard to find, especially at the 3A level. Everyone notices the scoring, but the players on this list caught my attention because of everything else. They clean up possessions, own the glass, protect the rim, create second chances, and make life easier for the players around them. Some are traditional interior presences, while others have started expanding their games beyond the paint, but all of them have traits that translate to winning basketball. I haven't seen every one of these bigs as much as some of the higher-profile names around the state, yet each time I walked away with another note in the notebook. Here are some bigs worth looking into.