Any conversation over the best big men from the Rumble in the Rapids, starts and ends with The Academy ‘s Becker Samaha Becker Samaha 6'8" | C/PF Saline | 2028 MI .

On defense, Becker’s 6’8″ size makes him an absolute weapon. He’s constantly disrupting shots, and for a man of his age and size-he has really great footwork down low. He doesn’t just rely on his height to allow rebounds to come to him; he’s fighting around defenders to get to the glass.

And offensively, there just seems to be no stopping Becker. If he has fewer than two dunks in a game, it’s an off night. He rarely mishandles the ball, and plays well with his back to the basket. Yes he can play the traditional center role, but he’s also comfortable knocking down a turnaround jumper.

Becker is one of Michigan’s stars in the class os 2028, and he’ll be a lot of fun to watch develop over the next few years.

Becker was another crucial cog in The Academy ‘s 4-0 performance at Rumble in the Rapids this weekend. Standing an imposing 6’8″, he was one of the taller players in the entire event. And he’s already using his size to dominate opponents.

In watching Becker play twice, I lost track of how many dunks I saw him throw down. He’s so quick in transition that when his team forces a turnover, they can quickly find Becker all alone down the floor for a one-handed jam, or a two-hunded flush.

He’s a cheat code on defense, always disrupting shots; and any shots that do fall against him almost feel like they drop by luck.

Outside of just his size, he’s got great presence in the paint; not just letting rebounds come to his massive wingspan, but really fighting hard against other players to get work for a rebound.

He’s also great with his hands, which is sometimes rare for big men at this age. He plays well with his back to the basket and seems comfortable hitting turnaround jumpers.

You wouldn’t know it by the size, but Becker is actually the youngest player on his team. But he prides himself on always coming with energy.

His coach is confident that Division I programs will be busting down his door in the near future; not just because of his size and talent right now. But there’s still a good chance that he could grow another 2-3 inches by the time he finishes his prep career.

As soon as you walk in the gym, Becker is hard to miss. Standing 6’8″, he already boasts a notable advantage with his size. But more than just size, he knows how to handle himself well.

In a blowout win during The Academy ‘s first game, Becker threw down a couple of vicious dunks, and was an obvious problem for opposing offenses every minute he was on the floor.

He’s the youngest player on his team. And at his age, some kids are still figuring out how to manage their size… not Becker. He looks so confident on the floor, scoring 22 points in The Academy ‘s 26-point win.

Wearing size 17 shoes, Becker’s coach says that he believes that Samaha could grow at least another two inches before his prep career is through.

He’s a must-watch player for anybody coming to see Rumble in the Rapids this weekend.

Samaha made a statement last year at the Freshman Showcase and would again at the Sophomore ID Camp. He has the chance to make a huge leap this year in high school ball. Samaha has all the physical tools – height, strength and mobility. I’m willing to assure that he would catch eyes in Grand Rapids.

Samaha is a very high upside forward at Saline. He was raw, yet very powerful last fall and winter. His game has come a long ways since then. Samaha has learned how to use his feet and how to create space in the lane. He’s shown vastly improved touch on the ball as well. Trust me, Samaha will look like a vastly improved player next high school season.

Was the team’s primary post that finished 2^nd in a very challenging weekend battle consisting of quite a few high-profile big men. Mobility wise remained active all weekend without skipping a beat. Ran the court at a good rate as a true 6’7. Plays with a tough and strong-willed physicality in the paint. In the semi-final made his presence known with a couple clean blocks, an And1 finish from a post feed, and finishing in transition on the break. Wisely got the job done on both sides of the ball and helped team have a successful weekend playing disciplined basketball.

– Back to basket – back down defender and draws foul (too big, too strong)

Samaha is one of the most exciting freshman post players in the state. He has the strength, frame and game that doesn’t come around every day. Samaha was willing and able to run the floor as a post and then set solid screens up top in a half court situation. He was an efficient scorer around the basket, catching feeds with strong hands and showing comfort and skill finishing over his right shoulder. Samaha was a constant threat on the offensive glass and routinely went over top of his opponents to snag boards. He also found lanes and converted on a cut-catch-score.