Around the World Tournament- Standouts

The Around the World Tourney consisted of four teams. ( Franklin Central, Paul Hadley, Shelbyville and Northside ) These squads were highly represented by players who "stood out" for all to see.    Josh is good at creating his own shot and getting to the basket. He's a smart offensive player who showed a knack for drawing contact from opposing defenders. Josh found himself at the line on numerous occasions. These are the easiest shots a player can take, and Josh took full advantage of them. He's a skilled passer who's good at finding teammates for easy shots at the basket or along the perimeter. Excellent ball handler who used a number of dribble moves to attack his opponent and score. During the game I watched Josh go on a "hot streak!" He literally knocked down four shots in a row from either long or mid-range. This young man has the capability of being an offensive threat whenever he touches the ball. He runs the floor and finishes at the rim during fast-break opportunities. Defensively, he stayed attached to his opponent, while not letting him score. Josh is a good player who has the skills to be great at the high school level. Keep balling Josh!!     Zac is the prototypical floor leader who looks to make his teammates better. An excellent passer who always found open players with pin-point dimes. These passes always found their marks, no matter if the players were open or in congested spaces. Zac was the clear facilitator of the Franklin Central offense. Calling out plays and making sure his teammates ran them with efficiency. This young guy was great at pushing the pace, especially during transition situations. He was able to find teammates streaking to the rim or either finishing the basket himself. On defense, Zac forced multiple turnovers with good on-ball pressure. He used his quick hands to be a nuisance for opposing guards. Keep working Zac!!     Colton is a solid point guard who literally does everything for his team! A great leader on the floor who has a pass first mentality. This guy lead his team in all major categories. I watched him score the points, throw dimes and force the most turnovers. Colton is an excellent passer who had no problems finding teammates for easy shots at the basket. (8 assists) He showed good handles by easily getting around defenders and attacking the basket. I loved Colton's determination to win the game at all cost! His team was severely over-matched, but he did everything he possibly could to keep his team in the game. He scored most of his points (17) and played ferocious defense on opposing guards. I saw him force a number of turnovers (4) that lead to scoring opportunities for himself or others. This guy is an excellent rebounding guard who attacked the glass and gave his team additional plays on offense. Great all around player who will definitely progress as the season goes on. Keep it up Colton!!     This young man is a constant threat form beyond the arc! Nolan can shoot the ball at a very high level. He's an excellent catch and shoot player who constantly knocked down shots in Wednesday's game against Franklin Central. I watched him move flawlessly within the Paul Hadley offense by using teammate picks and screens. Once he freed himself, shots began to rain through the bottom of the nets, (4-3 pointers) Nolan is an important piece of the Paul Hadley offense. His ability as a shooter frees up scoring opportunities for his teammates. He's the type of player who does whatever's needed to help the team succeed. It could be diving for loose balls, grabbing rebounds or playing defense, Nolan wants to win! Having great shooting skills, a team first mentality and a winning attitude; Nolan's basketball journey could go a long way in the near future.     It was really good to see how Miles has progressed since I last saw him play. His scoring ability hasn't change at all. Miles can score from all over the floor. He's an excellent ball handler and facilitator of the offense. On numerous occasions, I watched Miles blow by his defender and get to the basket for easy layups. He's also a threat from beyond the arc and on the perimeter. Excellent pass first point guard who can take over a game if he needs to. Miles lead the Northside squad as the top play-maker and assists man. The biggest improvement I saw in Miles game, was his leadership. He effortlessly ran the Northside offense to perfection by calling out plays and directing his teammates. He was also vocal on defense by making sure his guys were set in positions they needed to be successful. Miles is what I call a "stat stuffer." A player who excels at all aspects of basketball. He finished the game with (13 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals) I look forward to keeping tabs on Miles as he continues to progress this season. Keep it up young man!!     Owen was a monster on Wednesday night! He's an excellent scorer who showed why putting the ball in the basket was easy work for him. He effectively gets to the basket and scores regardless of who's guarding him. Owen can really shoot the rock! I watched him knock down shots within the perimeter and beyond the arc numerous times. He runs the floor well and never seems to tire. Owen is a good finisher in transition. I watched him run the court and convert a lot of baskets during fast -break opportunities. He's a great rebounder who grabbed a ton of boards on both ends of the court. Offensive rebounding is where Owen really stood out. Most of his boards lead to easy put backs and three point play opportunities. On defense, this guy excelled at blocking shots and forcing turnovers from the opposition. Owen finished the game with a double-double and a victory for his Northside squad. This young man has what it takes to succeed at the high school level. Keep grinding Owen!!     Max is a "glue guy" type of player who does whatever the team needs. These players are extremely valuable to a winning team. He's a really good scorer in the paint. I watched Max score most of his baskets on offensive put-backs. At least 10 of his points came from excellent offensive rebounding. Some of these baskets were followed by three point play opportunities. After being fouled by the opposition, Max calmly stepped to the line and knocked down his free throws. Occasionally, he found opportunities outside the paint to make plays. There were a number of times Max had the chance to show off his ability of making perimeter shots. Some he made, some he missed. As I said, his strength is doing all the dirty work for his team, hence "glue guy." He's a great rebounder who attacked the boards on both sides of the court. I can confidently say he finished the game with a double-double. Max was great at setting screens and freeing up teammates. Those screens lead to easy shots within the Northside offense. In my opinion, Max's biggest strength was the sheer hustle he had to be a part of every play on the court. Continue being the hard-nosed player you are Max!!     Ridge is an excellent shooter who has the capability of making long or mid-range shots. He showed the ability of creating his own shots with good ball handling to free himself on the perimeter. The use of side and step back jumpers allowed Ridge to be effective on offense. In isolated situations against defenders, he was able to blow pass his opponent and attack the rim. In my opinion, Ridge has the lateral quickness to be a great defender! He stays velcroed to opposing guards, while not giving up any air space. He really excelled at shooting passing lanes for steals (4)and forcing turnovers with quick hands. Ridge is very knowledgeable of where he needs to be and when he attacks defensively. He knows how to make the life of an opposing guard very miserable on defense. Ridge is the kind of player who lets the game come to him. He plays at his own pace and communicates with his team on both sides of the ball. Keep scoring and locking them down Ridge!!

The Around the World Tourney consisted of four teams. ( Franklin Central, Paul Hadley, Shelbyville and Northside ) These squads were highly represented by players who "stood out" for all to see.