2024 IYBL-Back to School League- Guards

These young guards exemplified what it meant to be scorers and play-makers.    A tough minded guard who loves attacking the basket. He's a very strong player who scored through contact on a number of occasions. This lead to multiple three point play opportunities, which he often converted by making free throws. D'Arren's a really good mid-range shooter who was able to create off the dribble and give himself space to get his shot off. As I said, this young man loves getting into the paint and scoring regardless of who's in front of him. He's a great rebounding guard who didn't mind battling taller players for boards on either side of the court. D'Arren can really pass the ball. He pulled off a couple of nice dimes that lead to easy baskets for his teammates. Defensively, this young man was a monster!! He was literally guarding multiple positions on defense and played with effectiveness. There were occasions when he defended both guards and wreaked havoc by forcing numerous turnovers with good ball pressure. He was also able to guard wing players and keep their scoring to minimum. I loved watching him play the game of basketball. Tough, fearless and that not going to lose attitude.     Excellent point guard who can both pass and shoot. Andrew's a really good play-maker who looks to get all his teammates involved on offense. He's a great assist man who found numerous players for easy shots at the basket or around the perimeter. Good ball handling ability, which he often used to go around and through the defense. This little guy constantly made plays on offense. Whether it was driving to the basket, knocking down threes, attacking the paint and dishing off passes.. Andrew delivered!! He was clearly the floor leader on the court for his squad on Saturday. I saw him make multiple threes and lead his team in assists during the game. On defense, he gave opposing guards fits by playing a pesky style that caused numerous steals. Constantly stayed attached to his opposition, making the option of scoring very difficult. Andrew's a really good point guard who can excel in any system he plays in.     Tate's a good all around player who can make things happen on both sides of the court. He showed the ability to score from anywhere on the basketball court. A smooth playing guard who has a really good jump-shot that often went through the bottom of the net on its release. Tate never seemed tired on the court as he constantly moved around on offense to free himself for open shots. There were numerous occasions where he used a teammates screen to knock down jump-shots. He's good at running the floor and finishing on the break when the situation arises. As I said, Tate can really shoot the ball from the floor, often scoring on floaters, mid-range shots and three pointers if given the opportunity. On the defensive side of the court, he's an aggressive ball-hawking guard who's constantly looking to turnover the opponent. He had a number of steals in the game I watched on Saturday. If Tate continues to enhance his all around game.. he could become a really great player in the future.     I watched an excellent jump-shooter over the weekend! Cole shoots the basketball with great form and ball rotation. Most of the baskets he scored were by jump-shot. He really knows how to move around within the offense. A true shooter who displayed the capability of knocking down three point shots with fluidity and skill. Has a really good basketball IQ to know his strengths within the team. Cole knows his role as the team shooter and performs it with the highest confidence. I watched him knock down multiple threes by running around screens and freeing himself for good looks at the basket. He's a decent on ball defender but an even better team defender. Cole held his ground against the bigger opponents he occasionally guarded. The little guy has a valuable skill-set (shooting) that puts him ahead of most boys his age. If he continues to work on his ball handling, passing and aggression getting to the basket.. this young man could be very special in the coming years.     Karson's a really good combo guard who has excellent passing skills. He's very capable of playing both guard positions at a high level. I loved watching this kid play ball!! Karson's a high energy player who has the skills to create for himself and others. A great passer who setup teammates with pin-point assists on numerous occasions. These assists often lead to easy scores going to the basket. Offensively, he's a good shooter from the floor, often knocking down floaters, mid-range jumpers and three point shots when the opportunity presented itself. He has great offensive skills both scoring and assisting. Karson was in constant attack mode whenever he was on the floor. I learned this young guy had no issues running a team as the lead or two guard with success. On defense, he's a tough minded guard who really applied the pressure to opposing guards, which forced them into mistakes. Karson has a very bright future in the game of basketball. He's already talented for his age now. Just imagine the improvement of his skills as he ages!!

These young guards exemplified what it meant to be scorers and play-makers.