Prep Hoops Top 250: Richard’s Best Bigs

Richard Stockton

October 15, 2020 @ 01:52 PM

[caption id="attachment_1066369" align="alignright" width="159"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/134-Cole-Hrubes.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1066369 " src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/134-Cole-Hrubes-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="159" height="239" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="964941" first="Cole" last="Hrubes"][/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="964941" first="Cole" last="Hrubes"] - Cedar Rapids Kennedy (21’) Cole’s versatility proved valuable for his team last Saturday. He is an excellent floor spacer. He pulls the big out of the lane, which allowed his guards to penetrate pretty well for most of the day. He consistently hit down the catch and shoot three-pointer, and even if he or another teammate missed, the offensive rebound was there for the taking thanks to his floor spacing. He struggles to defend matchups bigger than him in the post, but he moves his feet well and can switch on defense which becomes crucial in today’s game. Next step is developing a back to the basket game. [player_tooltip player_id="1067656" first="Kirby" last="Schmitz"] - Urbandale (23’) Kirby set excellent ball screens, and would often receive the ball off the short roll, where he would then run the offense through the high post. He showed some great playmaking at 6’5", and although not the quickest of foot, he has an ability to get to the spot and keep it with his size and craftiness. He has very nice touch around the rim even while taking contact. That touch extends to the free throw line where I thought he has a very smooth stroke, and he steps up to the line and takes them with confidence. It’s promising for his development moving forward as he will try and extend his offensive range a bit. A lot of skill to work with for the sophomore. Tyvin Garrison - Springfield (21’) As an undersized forward, Tyvin was a difficult matchup for more traditional big men. He is a wonderful athlete who puts in high-level effort. A lot of players at all levels will gingerly move into their screen or set it without much intent. Tyvin sets his screens with intent and physicality. He has a strong base, and that’s mostly true whether he’s stationary, on the run, or jumping. I also saw some good instincts as a roll man, as he slipped the screen when the lane was open. Wyatt Helming - Lake Mills (22’) Wyatt did a little bit of everything at the Top 250 Expo, and he attacked everything with great effort. His rim protection abilities were among the best I watched, and many were a result of that great effort. He ran the floor hard all day and it led to some chase down blocks, or at the very least well-contested shots. He showed sufficient touch around the basket and outmuscled most of his matchups on the day. Garang Deng - West Des Moines Valley (21’) The WDM Valley senior was one of the most aggressive rebounders in attendance. He has strong, agile hands and he’ll jump higher than most people he’ll face. He is really quite the ball-handler and can take it up the floor himself, even when facing pressure. He forces the opposing 5 to guard all the way out to the three-point line which proved disastrous for defenses all day. Many bigs just chose to not chase him out that far and give up the shot, which Garang made them pay for. If they ran out there to guard, he was able to blow by the defender with all the space. Bentor Neyail - Ankeny (21') [caption id="attachment_1066391" align="alignright" width="150"]<img class="wp-image-1066391" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/159-Masin-Shearer-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="225" /> Bentor Neyail[/caption] As one of the more imposing forces on the court on Saturday, Bentor left a great impression.He is an impressive athlete who can and will run the floor with conviction. When he gets the ball on the perimeter he’s able to get the rim in just a few dribbles and steps. He can hang outside of the paint a little too much, but it’s good that he’s comfortable out there, and it will be a huge advantage later in his career. I’ve only seen him play limited minutes, but but he seems to have the rebounding instincts to go with the natural athleticism.