Summer Archetype Series: Glue Guys

There are several different archetypes in basketball—glue guys, defensive anchors, defensive stoppers, table setters—the list goes on. For the rest of July, I'll be highlighting some of the players in New England who fit into those molds quite well.   Read: Summer Archetype Series: Sharpshooters   To continue on, let's look at some glue guys. These are unselfish guys who plug the holes for their teams and do whatever it takes to help the team win.    Lolonga just makes winning plays. The 6-foot-3 guard plays extremely hard on both ends and does lots of different things. Defensively, he can guard multiple positions and provides point-of-attack defense as well as help-side rim protection and size on the perimeter. Offensively, he can get to his spots and is willing to make the simple play, and he's a phenomenal cutter off the ball. He's probably best, though (in my opinion), as a little things guy who wins loose balls and out-rebounds his opponents with his grit, athleticism, and physicality, but he has an improving skillset. Llonga will be a pivotal piece for Mount Saint Charles this season and will be difficult to take off the floor. He fits within any system and will be purely additive on both ends of the floor.     Wilson does literally everything. The 6-foot-1 guard can play center if you need him to because he's a phenomenal screener and roller, a great offensive rebounder, and a rugged player in the paint. He can guard your opponent's point guard or their center because of his rare combination of lateral quickness and strength, and he can act as a point guard or center on the offensive end. Wilson has an extremely unique skillset and is purely additive in every way because of all of the little things he does on both ends of the floor. Don't sleep on his ability to create offense and make the three ball, though. He'll be a key player for Choate this season and will probably earn himself a scholarship     I really like watching Lowman hoop, because he makes the right play on both ends of the floor as consistently as you'll find. On offense, he makes the simple extra pass, will cut and screen hard off the ball, and will aggressively crash the glass. Defensively, he guards multiple positions and plays extremely hard. The 6-foot-4 guard will play an important role for Hotchkiss this season and looks like a super fun player to play with because of how quickly he plays and how willing he is to do things to help out his teammates that don't show up in the stats. I haven't seen Lowman enough to predict his college level, but he should be a key player for Hotchkiss this season and will play quite well off of Alonzo Archibald.     I'm always impressed by Pacheco's motor and toughness. The 6-foot guard won't wow you with his physicality or athleticism, but he plays extremely hard and always seems to be around the ball making plays. He scoops up tons of offensive rebounds, he makes plays in the passing lanes and with his hands on the ball defensively, and he's always looking to run in transition and create space for his teammates. Pacheco might not be the first name you think of after watching Pomfret play this season, but he'll always have been a guy who's impact goes beyond the stat sheet and who his teammates love playing with. D3 player who will make his coaches very happy.     Stewart is getting better, quickly. The 6-foot-7 big man holds his own a lot better against opposing bigs than he used to (as well as being a solid rim protector), and he's a super versatile player on the offensive end. He passes the ball very well out of the post and in short roll scenarios, but he also does a good job crashing the glass and being a garbage man in the paint—he has good, strong hands and a motor for the ball. Stewart is probably going to end up playing at the D3 level, but he could still continue to improve and has big time potential. Stewart is awesome.      Keane's box score stats are probably not going to wow you for Wilbraham and Monson this season, but his impact will shine through. The 6-foot-7 big man looks like an offensive tackle but is light on his feet and super strong in his core. He's virtually immovable in the post and is better at sliding his feet on the perimeter than you'd think given his frame. Offensively, the rising senior doesn't ever try to do too much and is content to make simple extra passes and set hard, crushing screens to keep the offense flowing. Keane seems like the type of player who will do anything a coach asks him to do and doesn't have any sort of ego. He'll wind up at the D3 level or perhaps a football coach will scoop him up.     Wood does everything on the basketball floor. He rebounds the ball well for his size, he creates offense out of pick and roll and dribble hand off situations, he cuts hard off the ball, he crashes the offensive glass, and he runs the floor—it might be hard to pick out his best skill, but he's good at lots of things. He seems to always be the missing piece to whatever Brimmer and May needs at the moment? More ball handling? Wood. Extra passing and cutting? Wood. Guarding the PG, the wing, or a forward? Wood. He's going to be a key player this season for Brimmer and May and will surprise people with his recent improvements on both ends of the floor. Bright future ahead for him.

There are several different archetypes in basketball—glue guys, defensive anchors, defensive stoppers, table setters—the list goes on. For the rest of July, I'll be highlighting some of the players in New England who fit into those molds quite well.