2024 IBYL- Back to School League- Top Players

These young men showed up and showed out on Saturday!! The skills displayed by these players made them worthy of the title of "Top Player."    Carter was an unstoppable force on the basketball court over the weekend!! I watched this guy score in every capacity on the floor. He's a good ball handler who had no problem getting around his defender and scoring with either strong drives to the rim or pull-up jump shots. He also showed the ability of being a good passer with a number of flashy assists that helped setup teammates for easy baskets. If he needed to knockdown shots from beyond the arc, he demonstrated how that wouldn't be an issue. (converting twice on four attempts) Carter's a really good athlete who never seemed to get tired. He constantly ran the floor and kept moving on the offensive side of the court. On a number of occasions, he was able to score or assist on fast-breaking opportunities. A very aggressive player who always looked to score and make plays for his team. This young man is an excellent rebounding guard who didn't mind battling inside with larger players. On defense, he was able to force his opponent into multiple turnovers with quick hands and great ball- pressure. Carter's a really good all around player who happens to be a fearless scorer. This mentality will take him very far in his basketball career.     Nolan's a really good all around player who does everything to help his team succeed. Excellent shooter who I watched knock down multiple threes. (3) He also used his superior ball handling skills to attack the defense and make plays for himself or teammates. There were situations where he lead the team as the primary facilitator on offense. As I said, this young man did it all!! Nolan's a really good passer who lead his team in assists. He has a very aggressive playing style on both sides of the court. Constantly attacked his opponents on offense by getting to the basket for easy scores. In isolated situations he was able to create space to either get his shot off or find open teammates. Nolan showed the ability to knock down free-throws and complete three point plays after being fouled. A really good rebounding guard who stayed in constant battle with opposing players inside the paint. He grabbed a number of tough rebounds despite contact from the opposition. Defensively, Nolan showed a knack for shooting passing lanes with a high level of anticipation. I saw him force three turnovers by anticipating passes from opposing players. This young guy has the talent to be a very special player as he continues to grow and age. Keep grinding Nolan!!     I loved watching Josiah play the game of basketball! This young guy plays with energy and emotion. Showing emotion is an excellent trait to have when you need to get your teammates fired up. Josiah's an excellent ball handler who had no problem blowing by defenders and getting to the basket. He often scored the ball with a host of shots that proved to be effective. Josiah can make floaters, which he often shot over taller defenders. He can also shoot the long ball or score from mid-range with pull-up jump shots. The strongest aspect to his game offensively is attacking the basket. (which he did often) In transition situations he was able to score the ball himself or dish off to teammates for easy finishes at the rim. Defensively, Josiah played with extreme energy and confidence. He forced turnovers with steals, and generated charges with sheer hustle and excellent footwork. Every time he made a play on defense he'd get fired up which always seemed to energize his teammates. Josiah has the skills to be effective at both guard positions. I look forward to keeping track of his growth as a basketball player.     I watched excellent play at the point guard position over the weekend!! Taevin is the prototypical pass first guard who always look to get his teammates in the best situations to be effective. Great ball handler who has the ability to get around defenders and make plays. He often scored at the basket or dished off nice assists to open teammates at the rim or around the perimeter. I loved watching this young man's leadership on the court. He was very vocal in making sure his teammates were running the offense and being where they needed to be on the defensive side of the floor. Taevin was like a conductor of the offense on the basketball court. He was definitely a floor general who lead his squad to victory in the game I watched. Excellent passer who lead his team in assists. (8) Good shooter from mid-range who had no problem making shots form the perimeter. He was really good at creating space off the dribble, which allowed him to easily get his jump shot going. Taevin's a great on ball defender who applied constant pressure to opposing guards. His pressure made ball handling very difficult for the opposition, often forcing turnovers. I can definitely see Taevin continuing to grow at the point guard position, both physically and mentally. He's a really good player who has a chance to be great in the near future.     Bryson's a very aggressive player who showed a variety of ways to score the basketball on Saturday. He displayed good ball handling skills to get around defenders and score the ball with drives to the basket. Bryson was deadly from behind the arc, regularly knocking down threes (4) when the opportunity presented itself. This young man also has a nice mid-range game to fall back on if the three ball isn't gong for him. Bryson's a really good offensive player who knew how to free himself up on the offensive end of the court. He's an excellent finisher in transition who often used his athleticism to get where he needed on the court to be effective. This young man completely understands the concepts of how to function within an offense as a scorer. Setting picks and running around screens to free himself seemed to be a staple of the offense. Bryson's a really good on ball defender who knows the importance of good footwork while staying with opposing defenders. He also showed the ability of shooting passing lanes and generating steals. Because he's a big guard, his length can be seen as a strength against opposing guards. With his size, he proved to be very disruptive against smaller guards. Bryson plays the game with a clam demeanor and allows the game to come to him instead of forcing the issue. I expect a very successful middle school season from this young man.       Joe showed the ability to be effective both in and outside the paint over the weekend. He has great post moves along with the ability of knocking down jump-shots all around the perimeter. He can bring the ball up court under control and facilitate the offense. He's an excellent rebounding big man who grabbed a ton of rebounds that lead to easy put backs. Joe seamlessly worked great on offense by getting to his spots for open looks, often in the post or out on the wing. He has a great face up game that allowed him to beat defenders off the dribble and get to the basket. Joe also excelled at setting good picks and screens that allowed his teammates to be efficient during offensive sets. A really good interior post defender who had no issues boxing out and grabbing defensive rebounds. He's also a really good shot blocker who turned away multiple players as they attempted to attack the paint. Joe didn't go for many pump fakes against opposing post players. He's very knowledgeable in regards to defending the painted area. The big guy showed the ability of defending the opposition without generating many fouls. Joe plays the game with a calm demeanor and maintains the same emotions win or lose. He communicated and displayed positive energy with all his teammates. Keep working Joe!!

These young men showed up and showed out on Saturday!! The skills displayed by these players made them worthy of the title of "Top Player."