Fall League Whip-Around (9/11-12): Interior Forces

I was across the valley September 11 and 12 for games at the ACU, Central, and Best in the West fall leagues. Here are the players who stood out operating in the post and around the rim.    Attacks the offensive glass relentlessly, snagging boards and going right back up through contact, either finishing the and-one or getting fouled and heading to the line for two. That is where the majority of his points came from this weekend. Has strong takes on his drives, with the footwork to catch on the post, drive, and jump stop into better position before finishing. Can attack in transition as well with a solid handle and euro finishes at the rim. Spaces the floor too, hitting corner catch-and-shoot threes and step-backs.     Impacts the game in far more ways than he scores. Handles it with real strength, driving in through contact with his eyes up the whole way and kicking it out the moment the ball gets stopped. The beauty in his game is he doesn't need to be the one who finishes. When he does look for his own he can get it from all three levels, working spin turnarounds into the midrange, a floater, a jab into a three, and repeated step-throughs and spins out of the post to get downhill and draw contact. His game as a facilitator is remarkable, he's an excellent passer especially out of the post, scanning the floor every time he catches it and firing cross court to an open man. Vocal presence on the court directing his teammates, and he checks the other boxes too: boards at both ends, multiple steals, a couple of blocks.     Terrific post defender who positions himself well to cut off entry passes and does not let his opponent work through him for an advantage on a post layup attempt. Made it difficult for players inside to get a good shot off, and converted on block attempts as well. When guards drove into the paint he did well to play it straight up, using his full frame and wingspan to make layup attempts as difficult as possible. Menace on the offensive glass, bodying up defenders and ripping boards before going straight back up for the put-back. A guy who does not score a lot, but does a lot of the dirty work and impacts the game in ways the average fan may not realize.     Good rebounder, using his bigger body to position well for rebounds on both sides of the court, showing a strong fight for put-back opportunities. Operates well from the post as a passer as well, with multiple instances of dribbling with his back to the rim and scanning before making a cross court pass for better shot opportunities. Moved well in transition, and could score off the break by catching and finishing at the rim.     Excellent finisher at the rim, converting most of the attempts he got there and showing a good feel for cutting into space, which is where he did a lot of his damage. Fluid mover with good height that lets him operate comfortably in the paint. He finishes on the catch in transition, turns into the paint for layups, catches the occasional lob, and when he grabs it near the perimeter he uses long strides along the baseline to get to the rim. Active on the glass and flew in on defense, consistently contesting shots. Gets his teammates involved with the right reads as well.     Finished well at the rim, converting on reverse layups and catch and finish opportunities cutting to the rim, with consistent touch around the glass. Could attack downhill with quick crossover moves and big steps into the paint, getting to his spots and mixing in post ups where he was making the right reads and finding cutters with good bounce passes. Facilitated a lot this weekend, proving he's not just a big body that can beat you going downhill.

I was across the valley September 11 and 12 for games at the ACU, Central, and Best in the West fall leagues. Here are the players who stood out operating in the post and around the rim.