2024 IYBL Back to School League- Forwards

I was back at it again!! The Back to School League has been in progress since August and it will end right around the middle of October. So I continue to witness endless amounts of talent at every position. These were some of the top forwards I saw over the weekend.    This young man performed great over the weekend!! He's an excellent rebounding forward who plays his position with power. A really good post player who showed no issues scoring in the painted area. He's a good passer from the post, often finding open teammates for shots as he drew in double teams. Timothy is a very strong player who can play through contact and score regardless of being fouled by opposing players. He showed his athleticism by running the floor and converting baskets during fast breaks. There were numerous occasions where he was isolated against his opposition on the wing. He was able to beat the defender off the dribble and attack the basket for the score. If he needed to step outside the paint and knock down mid-range shots.. he showed that wouldn't be an issue either. Timothy is the kind of player who does all the necessary intangibles needed to help his squad win. Whether its scoring, rebounding, blocking shots or running the floor.. he demonstrated how valuable of a player he could be for any team he plays with in the future.     Jordan played awesome over the weekend!! This kid showed the true meaning of what it means to be an all around player. He's a player who thrives on attacking the basket and making plays for his teammates. Excellent rebounding forward who constantly crashed the boards on offense an defense. A tenacious player who did everything what maximum effort. Jordan's a great mid-range shooter who knocked down most of the shots he took during the games on Saturday. I saw this young guy score in a variety of ways... From knocking down jump shots, scoring on floaters and using great ball handling to get to the basket. He's a really good passer who found open teammates on multiple occasions with flashy passes. A very athletic player who can jump and run the floor without seeming to be tired. In other words, this guy has a high motor! Defensively, Jordan was great at staying attached to his opposition. He made it really tough with his on ball pressure and quick hands that forced numerous turnovers. Jordan also sprinkled in a couple of block shots on that side of the floor. I believe this young man has a bright future as he continues to progress in the game of basketball.     Brody is an excellent mid-range shooter who showed the ability to step out behind the arc and knock down threes (3) if given the opportunity. I remember watching him take a smaller defender in the post and converting on a nice fade away jump shot over the defense. So, shooting the ball over smaller defenders was a situation he took full advantage of. He was great at using screens to free himself for open looks. This tactic was really effective for him on numerous occasions. Brody seemed to know precisely where to be on the court when his teammates penetrated the lane and found him for open looks at the basket. If he needed to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket.. he was able to do so. A really good ball handler who used his dribbling ability to get around the defense and get to the rim. Defensively, he was a solid player who didn't give any ground to his opposition. Brody plays with a calm demeanor and allows the game to come to him. Meaning he doesn't force the issue. Don't be fooled!! When he needs to be aggressive, there won't be a problem doing so.     In my opinion, Ashton was the best player I watched over the weekend. This young guy has the height (6'6) of a center at this age, (13) but plays like a point forward. He's an excellent ball handler who basically played every position on the floor. There were circumstances where he brought the ball up court and operated as the point guard. He's a great scorer both inside and outside the paint. I watched him dominate in the post against smaller defenders and step outside the arc and knock down threes at a high level. Ashton can also run the floor and finish in transition. In most cases, he would lead the fast break and dish off nice assists to open teammates or drive it coast to coast and finish himself. His mid-range game was also very effective. I saw him convert on a number of shots regardless of the opposing player guarding him. The most surprising skill I saw of Ashton, was his ability to beat defenders off the dribble and attack the basket for easy scores. (even through contact.) On defense, he was able to clog the lane and make scoring difficult for the opposing team. Shot blocking was an elite skill he showcased during the weekend. I saw him block at least four shots due to his quickness and great lateral movement. All and all, This young man has a very bright future in the game of basketball. He's already so skilled at this age and he still has growing to do both mentally and physically. The thought of this should be very scary for opposing coaches and players.     Adrean is an excellent rebounding forward with good ball handling skills he used to blow by defenders and make plays. He loves attacking the basket and scoring no matter who's standing in front of him. A high energy player who plays with fire and always looks to succeed at whatever he does on the court. He's also an excellent mid-range shooter who knocked down most of the shots he took in the games over the weekend. If he needs to step out and make shots from behind the arc.. he can do so, especially if he's given a free look at the basket. Adrean has an assortment of moves he used to be successful on offense. Step-back jump shots, floaters and one-legged shots were on display for all to see over the weekend. Defensively, this young guy was special! He constantly forced turnovers with great man to man defense along with shooting passing lanes for easy steals. These turnovers often lead to fast break opportunities and scores for himself or his teammates. Adrean's a really good player who has the skills to be an elite player with continued growth in the coming years.       Ramone showed the ability to score in a variety ways inside the paint. Most of the points he scored were on hustle plays such as put backs and layups. Many of those layups came from his tenaciousness on the offensive glass. I counted at least five offensive rebounds for this young man in the game I watched over the weekend. He occasionally knocked down mid-range jump shots when he found himself in isolated situations with opposing defenders. Ramone was great at running the floor and finishing at the basket during transition opportunities. On defense, he was excellent! A great on ball defender who forced a number of turnovers and made the success of his opposition seem very difficult. In my opinion, his biggest strength was the sheer hustle he demonstrated to be a part of every play on the court. Ramone is a really good player who knows the importance of performing all the intangibles needed to help his squad succeed no matter the circumstance.

I was back at it again!! The Back to School League has been in progress since August and it will end right around the middle of October. So I continue to witness endless amounts of talent at every position. These were some of the top forwards I saw over the weekend.