Daytona State's Adong Makuoi took one commanding dribble, found an opening and crunched home a thunderous, two-handed sledgehammer of a dunk.
This boisterous play, which occurred during the JUCO All-American Jamboree last month in Apopka, Fla., was demonstrative of the behemoth five-man's sheer power.
This old school center caliber of ferocity is about as common as snow in Orlando, given today's game.
This old school center caliber of ferocity is about as common as snow in Orlando, given today's game.
The 6-foot-9 Makuoi, he of the MMA fighter build, followed this up with a sound defensive performance during the HoopMIA JUCO Cookout at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens during this past pre-season.
"He's a big time athlete who can really finish above the rim and he's shown an improved jump shot," said then-Palm Beach State head coach Martin McCann of Makuoi, one of nine freshmen in the 2018-19 youth movement at the Lake Worth, Fla program.
"He's been able to pop out and hit the jumper with consistency as an added element of his game. He's come a long way there. He's got a lot of potential. Massive hands."
While Makuoi's presence has been cloaked in secrecy on the Division-I recruiting market, his recent eye-widening play is noteworthy.
You can't ignore the enticing qualities with his work ethic, steadily evolving skill set and that aforementioned man-child frame of his. McCann ultimately envisions an emergence into a top-shelf frontcourt JUCO prospects in the 2020 class.
You can't ignore the enticing qualities with his work ethic, steadily evolving skill set and that aforementioned man-child frame of his. McCann ultimately envisions an emergence into a top-shelf frontcourt JUCO prospects in the 2020 class.
"In terms of day to day stuff, he's a very detailed kid," explained McCann, now the head coach at Daytona State (FL).
"He has a commitment to his skill development. He's really putting in the hours on the gun, to get those reps in. He's comfortable. He's definitely an everyday guy. I think he's a high major guy. He's a kid who took his time and made a quality decision in the JUCO recruiting process in terms of ending up here. He's going to definitely to take his time and make an educated decision as to where he winds up next."
During a 92-81 victory over Pensacola State College last year, Makuoi (then at Palm Beach State) submitted 12 points, six boards, and five blocks.
Prior to that, during a 102-84 trouncing at the hands of No.1 Northwest Florida, Makuoi scored 12 points (6-for-8 FG) and yanked in five boards.
With his 7-foot-4 wingspan and day to day improvement with sufficient rim protection, the upside is certainly visible. Makuoi, who played at The Rise Centre Academy, registered in the Top-5 in the EYBL in blocked shots.
He'll have a vastly improved brother in arms in the paint in 6-foot-11 Marcus Hopkins.
Hopkins, he of the 7-foot-5 wingspan, is a physically imposing big. With his ability to block and manipulate shots, form walls in the paint, and also finish above the rim with consistency, expect the California native to emerge as a hotly pursued big in the high major market.
With his 7-foot-4 wingspan and day to day improvement with sufficient rim protection, the upside is certainly visible. Makuoi, who played at The Rise Centre Academy, registered in the Top-5 in the EYBL in blocked shots.
He'll have a vastly improved brother in arms in the paint in 6-foot-11 Marcus Hopkins.
Hopkins, he of the 7-foot-5 wingspan, is a physically imposing big. With his ability to block and manipulate shots, form walls in the paint, and also finish above the rim with consistency, expect the California native to emerge as a hotly pursued big in the high major market.
Makuoi registered his presence quickly last season, averaging 10 points and shooting it at a scalding 71 percent clip five games into the season.
McCann stumbled upon the Canada Elite product nearly by luck of the draw. There were also some heads up signals from those in the then Palm Beach State coach's inner circle.
A barrage of Division-I head coaches suddenly tipped off McCann to the overlooked talent. They informed him, however, that he would compete against numerous programs who had been persuading him to become an academic redshirt.
Some Division-I programs wanted to accelerate the process and get him qualified and in the door instantly.
After initially being pigeonholed as raw, Montverde Academy (FL) product Alex Kotov, at 6-foot-10 has improved incrementally. The big Russian and face-up four man has gained significant muscle to a once twig like frame.
He's proven to be an adept passer capable of kicking in that hockey assist and facilitating the breakneck attack. With his consistency in knocking back deep jumpers and three-pointers, he's suddenly starting to shed the "soft" label once attached to him. One of his notable performances last year was at Miami Dade, when he had a thunderous dunk early and hit two step-back 3-pointers in the second half.