Top Bama Jam Bigs
HOOVER, AL—One of the trends of the weekend was the amount of high-quality big men in the Finley Center. There was no shortage of skilled, talented size in the building.
Here are some of the big men that stood out above the rest, literally and figuratively:
Faulkner has been one of the best defensive players I’ve seen this spring, full stop. There are no easy points when going up against Faulkner. He’s going to block or alter shots whether he’s guarding around the basket or on the perimeter. Faulkner uses a nice combination of length, athleticism and brainpower to be able to guard multiple positions. He’s also a walking double-double threat any time he steps on the floor. Faulkner was integral to the Allstars success over the weekend by locking opponents up, cleaning house on the glass, and serving as a consistent post scorer when he got the ball down low. - Josh Tec
Hall could be talked about as a big or a wing in my book. He'll probably wind up fitting into more of a wing role at some point, but right now, the 6-foot-9 forward is at his best when he’s operating inside the arc and around the basket. I mean, he’s automatic within about 15 feet of the basket. With Hall and Cyril manning the interior, rebounds are scarce for the other eight guys on the floor. I think his future will look like more of a perimeter-oriented, stretch four. His skill set looks to be trending in that direction. Right now, I think he could be a productive traditional PF at the next level. - Josh Tec.
If there was a physical template for big men, it would be modeled after Cyril. He was the most imposing player in the building. The 6-foot-10 center is a brick wall down low. He’s a physical force that’s tough to go up against in a rebounding war. That’s a battle not many are going to win against Cyril. He’s also a stout rim protector that eliminates anything around the painted area. He reminds me of a player like Oscar Tshiebwe, who was just named the National Player of the Year in college. Not a bad player to be compared to. What's scary and exciting about Cyril is that he's in the class of 2024, so there's more developing to be done during his high school and AAU career. While exciting for people like me, that should put some fear into people playing against him. - Josh Tec
In a game that’s heavily focused on guards, it’s just refreshing to see a true forward/big that knows their way around the post & around the perimeter and has the capability of scoring inside & out. 6-foot-8 big Sam Wright checks all those boxes and his play last weekend with the Alabama Fusion is something worth talking about. First off, this kid plays with a very high motor and refuses to take a play off regardless of being fatigued. He rebounds, makes defensive stops and his movement up & down the floor is solid. Wright can shoot the three and has that soft touch around the basket. What impressed us all was his ability to make plays from the top of the key. Wright is definitely a kid that has my attention. -DC
