Tuesday “Transition”: Frontcourt Superlatives Nov 30-Dec 5

Keith Agran December 10, 2020 @ 09:31 PM

We take a closer look at some of the frontcourt excellence from the week of Nov 30-Dec 5. [player_tooltip player_id="1020690" first="Brigham" last="Rogers"] (pictured above), 6-7, Sophomore, PF, Blessed Trinity Coming off a terrific summer for the ATL All-Stars, I was curious to see how Rogers would be utilized in a guard-heavy rotation for the Titans, well he made his mark as the catalyst in a 2nd half comeback win for BT against Trinity Christian, he’s among a rare group of sophomores who can truly affect the game without scoring a ton, and he does it in old school ways that have won games for decades - exceptionally well-schooled defense, instinctive shot-blocking skill, astute rebounding based as much on positioning as size, and passing, a lost staple of solid big men and his reminded me of the Bill Walton-UCLA days when the pass was out to the fast-breaking guard almost before his feet hit the ground, tons of offensive upside means that as he features more on that end he’ll be fascinating to watch. Zach Marinko, 6-5, Senior, PF, Pope [caption id="attachment_1097856" align="alignleft" width="225"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/20201204_202548-rotated.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1097856 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/20201204_202548-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a> Zach Marinko[/caption] The word on Marinko coming into the year was that he needed to toughen up a bit, well he got that message from somewhere because he showed it in spades against a physical South Cobb bunch, threw his weight around plenty and attacked the ball be it off the glass or on loose balls and took and dealt out contact all night long, finished with 17 pts and knocked down three treys as well in a performance that caught the eye of the handful of college coaches in the stands not far from me. Basit and Baqi Lecky, both 6-4, both seniors, South Cobb Finally in a position to feature for the always deep Eagles, the brothers Lecky showed off their intriguing and versatile offensive and defensive strengths in a road win over Pope, both are uber athletes who can get out on the break and attack with might from the wing, Basit looks a little more comfortable out past the arc than Baqi, but great leaping ability and soft touch make both dangerous from 15 feet in, they play bigger on the offensive and defensive glass for a club that’s not overly huge, making them keys to this club’s playoff success as more ballyhooed studs PG [player_tooltip player_id="869590" first="Travis" last="Burrus"], SG [player_tooltip player_id="1043311" first="DaQuan" last="Riggins"] and SF [player_tooltip player_id="870183" first="Robert" last="Dix"] can’t be counted on to do it all every night and SF [player_tooltip player_id="869601" first="Jens" last="Rueckert"] is more of a terror on the break and right at the cup. [player_tooltip player_id="873089" first="Aidan" last="Temple"] (6-5, So.) and [player_tooltip player_id="870196" first="McRae" last="Ball"] (6-4, Jr.), Forwards, Johns Creek [caption id="attachment_1097857" align="alignright" width="225"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/20201205_152620-rotated.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1097857 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/20201205_152620-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="870196" first="McRae" last="Ball"][/caption] The two Gladiator forwards make for an interesting match-up problem for opponents, Temple a little more comfortable closer to the rim where Ball gravitates to the arc but doesn’t shy away from driving it hard at the painted area, Temple is another rare young player who has been well-schooled in the post game and uses quick feet and excellent hands to create space and get off soft finishes, he can easily step out to long range too though and stroke it and has a great overall feel for the game as a passer and decision-maker, Ball is always ready to pull the trigger be it off the break or catching off a screen, he’ll make you pay if you slack from the line but has enough foot speed to take 2-3 dribbles past you and finish through contact, he was a complementary piece for T-Wolves Green this summer but is showing he can be an alpha at the offensive end. [player_tooltip player_id="806777" first="Nate" last="Gordon"], 6-7, Senior, PF, Mt Pisgah Gordon’s defensive presence is what separates him from many of the other forwards in the ATL-metro, he has terrific instincts and quick lift off the floor, he can rapidly affect a game with a handful of blocks early in the contest as teams get wary and change tactics, he was definitely in the heads of the King’s Christian guards trying to force the action into the lane or attack off the break, a smart and vocal leader for a Patriots team with talent across the lineup and big postseason aspirations.