Interior Nightmares
Many athletes in the region have made their presence felt in the interior on both offense and defense. These bigs are tough as nails and tone setters for their teams with their relentless play in the paint. Rayne Durant…
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Continue ReadingMany athletes in the region have made their presence felt in the interior on both offense and defense. These bigs are tough as nails and tone setters for their teams with their relentless play in the paint.
Rayne Durant – Hamden Hall Country Day/Bria Holmes Elite – 6’2” – PF/C – 2023 (pictured above)
The anchor of Hamden Hall’s defense, Durant is one of the most intimidating players patrolling the paint. Making it nearly impossible to score around the rim, the sophomore big viciously blocks shots sparking the fastbreak for Hamden Hall. An elite weak side help defender, Durant shows excellent awareness and makes the conscious effort to slide over and put herself in prime position to alter layups. She is under control as a defender who goes straight up when contesting shots and can defend without fouling. On offense, Durant is so strong and seals her defender on the block, where she scores easily upon receiving the ball. An absolute beast in the post, the 6’2” forward rips offensive rebounds off the rim, powers up, and elevates right over the defense showing a soft touch on the putback. Her rebounding prowess makes her a lock for a double-double every game. The footwork in the post by Durant combined with an array of aggressive scoring moves makes Durant one of the best two-way underclassmen bigs in the region.
Madi Forman – Natick High/Bay State Jaguars – 6’2” – PF/C – 2023
Forman is one of the purest shooters from the forward/center position. A big whose range extends out to the three-point line is automatic when receiving the ball inside 15 feet. She is very comfortable facing up and shooting over the top of the defense, and at 6’2”, defenders struggle to disrupt her jump shot. Forman is an intelligent post player who recognizes where the double team is coming from and reacts quickly, making a move to the basket or passing to the open teammate on the perimeter. So much variety to her post package, Forman can confidently rely on hook shots with either hand and a fadeaway jumper. Forman is so strong and physical inside that teams resort to fouling to slow her down, and she absorbs and finishes through the contact resulting in multiple three-point plays. Her strength also plays a significant factor on the defensive end. An excellent post defender, Forman makes the offense work for position. Giving maximum effort to push the offensive player off the block, Forman can force turnovers, and bad entry passes with her activity down low.
Cameron Watkins – Dracut High/Evolution Basketball – 5’7” – PF – 2022
Watkins is so much fun to watch play defense because of her endless motor and ability to cover so much ground when coming over from the weak side. Whenever an opposing player gets by the first line of defense on the perimeter and is en route to the basket, Watkins’ reaction time combined with elite athleticism allow her to get in the right position to reject the shot attempt. A defender who can successfully guard three positions has quick hands to deflect passes inside, and she does an excellent job stripping the ball handler when they enter the lane. Watkins is a stretch 4 who runs the floor well, always getting ahead of the defense on her rim runs. In the half-court, she has a good mid-range shooting touch and can also create offense off the dribble. For Watkins’ position, she has a tight crafty handle and has found success facing up, taking her defender off the dribble, and scoring with ease. Her finishing ability is automatic, and Watkins uses her agility and quickness to elude defenders when getting the ball inside. Watkins’ activity on the glass won’t go unnoticed as she is constantly battling for rebounds on both ends, and it puts her athleticism and upper body strength on full display when pulling down boards.
Cate Aggouras – Lexington High/ Mass Huskies – 6’1” – PF/C – 2022
No athlete can limit teams to one-and-done possessions quite like Aggouras. A magnet to the ball, Aggouras uses her 6’1” frame and long wingspan to dominate the glass night in and night out. The Middlesex League All-Star finished her junior season, averaging 12 rebounds to go along with 16 points, proving that she is as reliable on the glass as anyone. A tremendous defender, Aggouras uses her size and length to wreak havoc in the interior altering every shot around the basket. She uses her strength to outmuscle players trying to seal her on the block and displays quickness to front the post and steal entry passes. Aggouras shoots the ball well from the perimeter but doesn’t settle for only three-point shots. She shows excellent touch from the mid-range area and can routinely bury 15-foot jumpers. Her aggressiveness on offense stands out as Aggouras will flash hard across the paint looking for the ball to show off her fundamentally sound hook shots. She is an impactful player on both sides of the ball who can single-handedly dominate a game with her play.
Skylar Gonsalves – St. John Paul II – 6’2” – PF/C – 2021
Many players in the region are double-double threats, but not many, if any at all, can put up the jaw-dropping numbers Gonsalves has this year. A player who elevates her game as the stakes increase put an exclamation point to a dominant senior season by posting 18 points and 21 rebounds in a victory vs. Cape Cod Academy in the Cape & Islands League Tournament championship game. Averaging close to 17 points and north of 14 rebounds on the season, it should not be surprising when Gonsalves puts up these video-game numbers, and she is an athlete who can beat you in numerous ways. A big that runs the floor beautifully, getting ahead of the defense to score in transition, or she can get a deep position in the post and be a force inside, repeatedly scoring on unmatched defenders. Active on the offensive glass, Gonsalves is a difficult player to put a body on to box out. She uses her size and athleticism to get inside position on the defense when the shot goes up and makes a living getting points off second-chance opportunities. Gonsalves makes an imprint on the game from the tip, asserts herself, and was the driving force to the success of St. John Paul II this season.
Syanne Mohamed – St Andrews School – 6’3” – PF/C – 2021
Mohamed has some of the best hands you’ll see. Point guards and wings should love to play with Mohamed because any pass thrown in her vicinity, she catches it and makes a strong move to the hoop. The senior is a big target, and an underrated part of her game is how high she keeps the ball off the catch. A player with a high offensive IQ, Mohamed does not bring the ball down, making her vulnerable to turning it over. She makes an effort to go up quickly and strong after receiving the ball and is such a terror underneath; teams have no choice but to hack her. Mohamed’s size advantage combined with her soft touch on her hook shots over either shoulder makes her unstoppable on the block. So strong and powerful, the 6’3” center can find ways to finish even when multiple defenders collapse on her. Rebounding comes easy to Mohamed, and she is a double-double threat every night. She also is an intimidating presence in the middle of St Andrews 2-3 zone, bothering shot attempts frequently before finishing the possession with a strong rebound.