2024 IYBL Back to School League- Guards 2029-2030

Guard is the essential position needed for any team to be successful on the basketball court. These young ones and twos showed up and showed out this past weekend!!    This is my second write up of Joey and he still knows how to put on a show! Excellent ball handling ability that he often used to break defenders down off the dribble. He's a very flashy passer who's skilled at making things happen for his teammates in regards to assisting. Joey is a really good play-maker who threw a nice behind the back dime to a teammate while in transition. Offensively, he continues to put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways. Whether it's driving to the rim, shooting the step back three or knocking down mid range j's, this young man is an elite scorer. He's a good all around player who I really enjoy watching as he continues to progress. I look forward to seeing how much his game improves over the course of a school hoops season. Joey finished the game with 20 points, 6 assists, 4 steals and most importantly, a team win.     Lucas is a knockdown three point shooter who I personally witnessed make double digit three pointers over the weekend. In the first game I watched, he made six shots from long distance. In the second game he converted four threes that helped his team win in blowout fashion. He also show good ball handling skills to draw in defenders and make the appropriate passes needed for teammates to be successful. Lucas is very knowledgeable of how to move around on offense and find ways to free himself for open looks. ( Uses screens very well ) He's the kind of player who doesn't need much room to get his shot off and be effective. On defense, this kid hustles to get to every loose ball and plays a pesky type of style that makes opposing guards uncomfortable. I can't wait to see how his skills translate to the school ball season.     Offensive minded shooting guard who scores in a variety of ways. Noah is an explosive scorer who loves getting to the basket and shooting mid-range shots that showed his effectiveness within the Wesfield offense. A very strong finisher when he attacks the lane and gets to the rim. Sometimes he was able to finish through contact and convert three point plays by knocking down free throws. He displays a high level of fearlessness by seeking physical contact from opposing defenders in the paint. On defense, he showed a knack for playing the passing lanes and forcing turnovers. This often, lead to fast break opportunities for himself or his teammates. Noah is a really good scorer and defender of opposing guards. As he continues to grow and age, his skills will reach different levels throughout middle and high school. I really enjoyed watching this young man play the game of basketball!!     David showed a great shooting touch by making every three point shot he attempted in the game I watched over the weekend. He also has the ability to drive past defenders and score with floaters inside the painted area. David seemed to function well within the Plainfield offense as he used screens from other teammates to free himself for easy looks at the basket. He's a really good passer who created for others on multiple occasions. I watched him rack up a number of assists that proved to be very beneficial for the team. David has the potential of being a really good on the ball defender with his tenacious play against opposing guards. He runs the floor well in transition and needs a limited amount of space to get his shot off. This young guy is a natural shooter who'll continue to raise his game to a different level as time moves on.     Roman is an very aggressive scoring guard who is most effective driving to the basket. On multiple occasions he was able to penetrate to the basket and score through contact. A very hard-nosed player who plays the game with a tough guy mentality. Great finisher in transition who can score easily at the rim. Roman plays tough defense against opposing guards while forcing multiple turnovers and making scoring very difficult. I also watched him emphatically block multiple shots when opposing players attempted to drive the lane. He constantly looks for his shot regardless of who is in front of him. Roman is a very confident player who seems to be fearless whenever he steps on the court.     Jackson provided steady play at the point guard spot but has the capabilities of playing the two guard also. He had no problems finding the open man for easy scoring opportunities. Jackson has the ability to make a variety of shots on the floor. Mid-range jump shots and lane penetration are a major strength he used effectively. This little guy is a really great three point shooter who I saw knock down at least four threes during the game. He's a very confident player who knows he's good and I love it!! During the game he showed the ability to play passing lanes effectively on defense, which often lead to turnovers for the opposing squad. Jackson has a very bright future with the Plainfield basketball program. I see nothing but great things in this young man's future!!     Dominic is an excellent ball-handler who displayed all the necessary fundamentals needed to be a good floor leader. He can also play the shooting guard position effectively. Shows he's capable of making pin-point passes which, often lead to easy scores for his teammates. Dominic effectively scored during fast-break opportunities when they presented themselves. He's an excellent three point shooter who's extremely accurate from behind the three point line. I saw him knock down at least three shots from well beyond the arc. On defense he plays ball-hawking man to man defense which proved to be very effective against the opposition. As he continues to enhance his style of play, Dominic will continue to progress to the level he needs to be successful.     Andrew is an excellent shooting guard whose capable of knocking down multiple three pointers when he gets in an groove. He showed the skills to be great in one on one isolated situations. Attacking the basket and scoring in a variety of ways are major strengths he has as a basketball player. He constantly looks to get his teammates involved with excellent passing and vocal leadership on the floor. Andrew has a nice mid-range game that proved to be very effective over the weekend. When necessary, he has no problem getting to the basket and finishing. Andrew has the lateral quickness to be a great defender. He stays attached to opposing guards, while not giving up any air space. This makes the effectiveness of the opposition very tough to deal with. I believe this young man has a very bright future as long as he continues to enhance his craft.

Guard is the essential position needed for any team to be successful on the basketball court. These young ones and twos showed up and showed out this past weekend!!