The Hub's Top 5: Inside Players
Big men need love too.
With a lot of focus on the sharpshooters and flashy player — and for good reason — you still need an inside presence to succeed at the high school level. They are the players that you can rely on when you need a bucket late, and their ability to control the glass can give their teams a huge advantage. Check out the top five inside players as voted on by the BC Sports Hub staff.
#5 — Dhivaan Bhogal, W.J. Mouat Hawks
A beast down low, Dhivaan Bhogal was one of the main reasons W.J. Mouat was able to finish second in the Fraser Valley this past season and was "a stud" according to one respondent. His ability not only to score consistently but also on the defensive side makes him a truly dominant inside player.
#4 — Ripley Martin, South Kamloops Titans
Ripley Martin was a key cog in South Kamloops run to the provincial title this season. While Nick Sarai and Reid Jansen were making it rain from three, Martin was grabbing rebounds like they were going out of style and using his height to defend down low. He also had a great game against Byrne Creek in the 3A final. At least one person "heard some good stuff about him", which was good enough for us to put him in the top 5.
#3 — Giovanni Manu, Pitt Meadows Marauders
Called "unguardable" and "a legit beast" by some of his opponents who responded, Giovanni Manu was by far the most dominant and complete big at the 3A level this season. He proved to be a handful for every team he faced, using his size and strength to bully his way to the rim at will and with ease. He also was a beast on the glass, seemingly getting every defensive rebound in sight. Next year he will be playing football at UBC.
#2 — Jusuf Sehic, Burnaby South Rebels
Of course the 4A provincial MVP had to be included in here, and a lot of people said that's why he was one of the best inside players in the province. Jusuf Sehic came up big in the most important moments, hitting big shots to lead his team to glory. What separates him from the rest is his terrific mid-range game, adding a dimension to him that not too many bigs in the province can claim. Next year he will be attending SFU, and hopefully bringing his big game moments to Burnaby Mountain in the near future.
#1 — Adam Paige, Semiahmoo Totems
The future University of Alberta player was of course great inside, but he was so much more than that for Semiahmoo this past season — and that was backed up by a lot of the voters. He was a go to scorer, inside defender, dead-eye perimeter shooter, and leader. He was fearless at attacking the rim no matter who was defending him, and a big reason why along with Vlad Mihaila that the Totems had the season they did.
Fans choice: Adam Paige, Semiahmoo Totems
Paige was far and away the fans choice for top inside man, agreeing with our number one selection. After that, Pitt Meadows big man Giovanni Manu was the clear second choice in the fans eyes. After that, it was evenly split between the other selections and write-in candidates.
Check out our video evidence if you don't believe these guys are the best in BC.
Written by: Nick Bondi