5 Senior bigs to watch after the grassroots postponement
With the grassroots season all but wiped out for at least the first part of the spring, prospects and college coaches are waiting for the moment that they can get back in the gym. Here’s a look at five seniors…
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Continue ReadingWith the grassroots season all but wiped out for at least the first part of the spring, prospects and college coaches are waiting for the moment that they can get back in the gym. Here’s a look at five seniors who will be impacted by the shutdown and players who programs should flock to when it’s time to resume action…
Ryker Cisarik – Highlands Ranch
Cisarik is a player that came into his own as a monster scorer and wrapped up a big senior season. Cisarik is a 6-foot-9 wing who can terrorize opponents on the block with his excellent footwork but also possesses the ability to shoot the rock from all over the floor and create mismatch problems. This was a big year for Cisarik, as he was able to show off a plethora of abilities. He pulled off 17.8 points and 8.3 rebounds a game while patrolling the paint and blocking 2.2 shots a contest as well. In iso situations on the block Ryker displayed a face-up game as he is a solid back to the basket player, he also runs the floor well and has a fluid motion for a player with his size. Cisarik is one of the first players I would take a look at as a school looking to build around an undervalued gem that can do every single thing on the court.
Darnell Kindred – Pueblo East
Pueblo East went 18-8 this year and surprised some very good teams along the way. Although it was team ball and solid coaching that helped them get to the Great 8, their workhorse was their 6’2 do-it-all forward Darnell Kindred. Kindred scored in double figures in the final 11 games as he found a rhythm and was who the Eagles went through. Their senior captain averaged 17.5 points and 5.8 rebounds a game as he is a wing capable of playing and defending multiple positions. He is best suited on the wing/forward as he as the strength and ability to score inside. He will have to work on dribbling and also his outside shot but makes up for it with the hustle and the natural ability to score around the paint. He is not easily moved defensively and moves his feet well. This was a summer that many would be able to see more of his athletic abilities as he is a player that you can surround with other big-time scorers, and he fits a need down low.
Jovaughn Wright – Rangeview
Wright is an emerging big man that schools don’t know about yet, but a school will be happy with the prospect that they are getting. Wright is a versatile forward with a lot of dawg in him. He can play strong with his back to the basket and control the paint on the defensive end. Wright was a big man and role player whose impact went overlooked, but it led to wins or Rangeview. On an undefeated team that was looking to repeat, he put up 6.5 points, and 4.9 rebounds a game. He is a bit undersized for a forward, but he makes up for it with hustle and heart. This is a significant next couple of months for him.
Timothy Huston — DSST: Green Valley
One of the top sleepers in the entire state that put everyone on notice in the summer at our showcase and brought that momentum into the season was DSST: Green Valley big man Timothy Huston. Huston is a 6’6 player that rebounded as if he was 6’8 and dribbled as if he was a guard. Being versatile is what opened up his game and is why he was one of the better players in all of 3A. This season he put up 18.4 points and was a walking double-double with 10.2 rebounds to go along it. He will have to work on shooting the ball to extend the defense and open up a new part of his game, but he is above-average in almost every other aspect. He runs the floor exceptionally well, has a soft touch around the rim, and has an endless motor. Defensively he is quick enough to stay in front of guards and has long arms and the size to make it difficult for them and is strong enough down low for big men that steps out. Huston is a player that I think will excel at a juco for a year or two and be able to progress from there but is undoubtedly a player to have on your radar as I feel he has been criminally underrated.
Bally Diakite — Northfield
A player that I quickly gravitated towards this season was Bally Diakite from Northfield. Not only because Northfield was the surprise team of the year, but because they were winning games by capitalizing offensively and playing extremely hard on the defensive end of the floor. The player that brought it every game was Diakite. Diakite is a 6’5 forward that feasted inside. He was excellent on the offensive rebounds, showed off elite athleticism by out jumping defenders for loose balls, and also helped protect the rim. Diakite wasn’t a big-time scorer as he put up 10.8 points a game, but what he showcased was the ability to read where rebounds were coming and crashed the boards and went straight up for easy baskets. Diakite averaged 6.9 boards a game, which I think can be higher, he is a defender that can step out on guards with his athleticism and fought with the bigs. Diakite is a player that I project can play at a D2 school if a school took a chance on him. He is a player we have not seen for grassroots before but should be on a team when we start back up.