Center Grove Central vs Franklin Community- Standouts

These kids showed up and showed out in this game!! Middle School ball is back in full effect!!    This is my second write up of Isaac. He's shown even more improvement as a floor leader and facilitator of the basketball. A play-making point guard who always look to make his teammates better. Excellent passer who threw a number of flashy dimes that always to seem find their destination. The thing I noticed most about Isaac's game the first time I saw him play, was his energy and propensity to trash talk the opposition. It seemed to get him pumped up. He was quiet in last night's game. I love the energetic trash talking Isaac! He is a dead-eye three point shooter who is capable of getting hot and nailing shots from well beyond the arc. He had an off shooting night but still managed to knock down multiple threes. Isaac can also break down defenders and attack the basket, finishing with either lay-ups or floaters. On defense, he was really good at poking at the ball and using great footwork to force turnovers. Isaac finished the game with (10 pts, 6 asst.) This young man will continue to be the heart and soul of his squad as the season progresses.     I have watched this little guy play twice! Seeing Eric play again was a treat because I know I will see true point guard play. He continues to be an elite ball handler and assist man who showed no issues of being able to get wherever he wanted on the floor. I watched Eric throw a number of nice dimes (7) around and through traffic. Those passes always found an open man who more than likely scored the basket. He had a really quiet game in regard to scoring, (4 pts) but was valuable in every other aspect of the game. Eric's the clear cut leader of the Center Grove Central squad. Flawlessly running offensive sets and calling out the necessary plays needed to be successful. Defensively, he really gets after it! I saw him force numerous turnovers with great on-ball pressure (3 steals). If Eric needs to get on the floor for a loose ball, he has no problem doing so. I always get a kick out of watching smaller players ball at a high level. They have the so called disadvantaged of being small, but always find a way of being the best player on the court. Eric is an excellent floor general who is very capable of leading his squad to a City Championship. Keep balling young man!     Watching this guy play again was a real treat! David had an awesome game against Center Grove Central. He's still a really good rebounding big man who battled players taller than him in the painted area. David was really effective at grabbing boards on both ends of the court (8). A good low post player who has the capability of stepping outside and making shots on the the perimeter. I really enjoyed seeing David take on taller defenders in the post. His opponent was 6'4 and had had four inches on him; it really didn't matter because this kid played with no fear! Six of his thirteen points were in the paint. On multiple occasions, he was able to score through contact and convert three-point plays by making free-throws (4/6). David has really improved on the defensive side of the floor. He was excellent at protecting the paint against opposing players. David had four blocks in the game! I really didn't see that coming. He also played good interior defense, considering he had to deal with two opponents standing over 6'2. As I said, watching David was a real treat. I see nothing but continued growth in his game. Keep it up David!     Carson is a really athletic player who can do whatever he wants on the floor. He excels at driving the ball to the basket and making plays for himself or others. A good passer who always looked to set up players with good shots inside or along the perimeter. Whenever Carson was in the game, he applied constant pressure to the Franklin Community defense by staying in "attack mode". He was able to use his size and strength to score the ball in a variety of ways on the court. Whether it's driving around defenders, knocking down mid-range jump shots or grabbing offensive rebounds for easy put-backs. This guy is a legit scorer. A strong rebounding forward who grabbed every board, he could get his hands on. There were numerous scoring opportunities on fast-breaks that he took full advantage of. On one of those breaks, he was able to score while being fouled. Of course, he calmly stepped to the line and converted the three-point play. On defense, he showed the ability to generate steals and block shots on multiple occasions. Carson is the kind of player who could make a smooth transition into high school basketball. Keep working Carson!     He's a fiesty little guard who excelled on offense and defense! I watched him knock down threes and play the game with a high level of energy. Finn is the kind of player who never seems to tire. When I say, "This guy was every where," I literally mean it. He was able to attack the lane and convert floaters over taller Center Grove Central defenders. He also shoots the mid-range shot very effectively, often knocking down most of the opportunities that presented itself. Finn is a really good rebounding guard who showed no fear of going into the paint and grabbing boards. This happened despite being over matched by the opposition. On defense, Finn forced a couple of turnovers by shooting passing lanes and applying good ball pressure to opposing guards. He's a tough minded guard who happens to be a good team player. Finn's skill set along with his intangibles, make him a valuable asset to the Franklin squad.     This is my second write up of Owen. He's still a really good all-around player who is good at every facet of the game. He continues to be a banger on the boards! (6) Owen grabbed offensive rebounds and scored baskets through contact. He promptly stepped to the line and knocked down his free throws. He's an excellent passer from the post, who always seem to find teammates outside the arc. Owen was good at knocking down shots from the wing of the court. He was able to score in transition when the opportunity presented itself. On defense, Owen excelled on the wing and in the paint. There were a number of times when he needed to defend guards. I have to say, "Owen held is own in these situations." I don't recall any guards scoring on him in isolated situations. In the paint, he was able to block two shots and make attacking the lane difficult for the opposition. He finished the game with seven points. More importantly, Owen helped the Center Grove Central squad win the game with his excellent all-around skills. Having all the intangibles in the game of basketball, can take a player a long way. I believe these skills will allow Owen's future in basketball to be very bright.     What I learned about watching Tandon play, is his ability to shoot the ball. I saw this little guy knock down multiple three pointers with a pure and confident stroke! In my opinion, he may be the best shooter on the Franklin Community squad. He was really good at staying in constant movement on the offensive side of the floor. Tandon has knowledge of using screens and finding ways to free himself for clean looks at the basket. Do not be fooled by him just camping out behind the arc. He showed the ability to make shots from the perimeter also. I saw him knock down a couple of mid-range jumpers on numerous occasions. Tandon knows he's a three point threat every time he steps on the floor. This brings extreme confidence to him and his teammates. If he is left alone, more than likely, the shot is going down. Keep shooting Tandon!     Marshall completely dominated Franklin Community in the painted area. He showed off his good hands by catching every pass thrown his way, leading to unstoppable scoring in the paint. He's a good passer who always found teammates cutting to the basket for easy lay-ups. I believe this young man converted most of his shot attempts at the basket. Marshall is a great rebounder who grabbed double-digit boards on both sides of the court. He showed a real knack for drawing fouls as he attacked the paint. Some of his offensive rebounds led to scores and three point play conversions. Marshall has a really good touch from the free-throw line. If he can develop a mid-range shot, his game can be more special than it already is. Excellent interior defender who used his size to make lane penetration difficult for the opposition. I was shocked to see how agile Marshal was. He's a big guy who has really good foot speed and timing. He blocked numerous shots and played great interior defense on his opponent. Marshall finished the game with a double-double. I believe he is capable of achieving this feat the whole season.     This is my second write up of Colt. I have to say, " He did not disappoint!" This guy is still a walking bucket. Colt is probably the best all-around scorer on the Center Grove Central team. He literally does it all offensively. Excellent ball handling skills to create off the dribble and attack the basket. He also excels at knocking down mid-range pull-ups and threes from beyond the arc. A very strong guard who can score through contact and make free throws. Colt is excellent at keeping the pressure on opposing defenses by staying in constant "attack mode." He's also a good rebounder at the guard position. The kind of player who doesn't mind being physical when it comes to grabbing boards. He's an unselfish player who is capable of being the squad's leading scorer on a night to night basis. There were a number of occasions, I watched Colt blow by the defender, get into the paint, and effortlessly score lay-ups or floaters. He has that scorer's mentality that screams, "nobody can stop me." Defensively, he's a ball-hawk who's great at forcing opponents into turnovers with his excellent timing and quick hands. With continued growth, Colt could be an elite scorer and defender at the high school level.

These kids showed up and showed out in this game!! Middle School ball is back in full effect!!