Beech Grove vs New Augusta- 2029 Standouts

The quality of basketball showcased by these standouts, all but signified their readiness to play at the high school level.    A play-making point guard who showed excellent leadership and unselfishness. Arion is an elite ball handler who effectively broke down the opposing team's defense and made plays for his squad. In Tuesdays game Arion lead his team in assists. A large number of these passes were flashy and pin-point accurate. They always seemed to find open players near the basket or around the perimeter. I watched Arion be un-guardable in one-on-one situations. He easily drove by his opponent and scored at the rim. In some circumstances, he blew by the Beech grove defender and dished off nice assists to his teammates. Arion made it easy for his post players to feast in the paint. Of course, his effectiveness penetrating the lane made life miserable for the opposing defense. Oh, did I mention this young man can shoot! He has an excellent touch from the free throw line, often converting on most of the attempts he took. Arion showed the ability to knock down shots on the perimeter and behind the arc. I remember a particular play where he used the step-back dribble in order to give himself space for a clean look at the basket. The shot dropped and this helped push the New Augusta lead to double figures in the game. The true sign of a great point guard is, his ability to run the team offense with precision and conciseness. I have to say "This young man has all these traits and more." Arion is definitely on the path to success in the game of basketball.     I loved watching this guy play! LeBrayden was a complete ball of energy on the court. From what I saw, this kid was a one-man-wreaking crew for the Beech Grove squad. He literally did everything on the floor for his team. Whether it was being the primary ball handler and facilitator, or the scorer and rebounder, LeBrayden made it happen. I saw a great all around player Tuesday night. He's an excellent ball handler who got to any spot he wanted on the floor. He stayed in constant attack mode offensively, no matter who attempted to guard him. LeBrayden excelled at getting to the basket and scoring, while occasionally drawing fouls and converting three point plays from the free throw line. This guy is great passer who threw a number of dimes that had the crowd reacting loudly. He can also shoot the three ball from well beyond the arc. LeBrayden showed unlimited range by knocking down four threes in the game Tuesday night. Some of those threes were contested by the defense. He has a quick release and doesn't need much space to be effective. Defensively, he forced multiple turnovers by shooting passing lanes or applying the perfect half court trap with teammates. As I said, this young man plays with emotion and energy. Great traits to have for a player when he's capable of doing multiple things on the court. LeBrayden is definitely a player to keep an eye on as he progresses to the next level.     Jeremiah has great offensive skills! These skills were on full display for all to see in Tuesday's game. Whenever he was on the floor, Jeremiah was in constant attack mode. He's a fearless player who showed no fear of driving into the paint and scoring. Jeremiah has excellent passing skills. He hit his teammates with a number of effective passes that lead to easy scores. This young man is a high energy player who showed the ability to create for himself or his teammates. Jeremiah has the capability of being a great shooter from all over the court. In the game he made couple of floaters, perimeter shots and multiple threes when the opportunity presented itself. Jeremiah excelled at grabbing rebounds on both sides of the court. Being able to grab boards from the guard spot is a great skill to possess. On defense, He's a tough minded guard who really pressured opposing guards into mistakes. He forced multiple steals that lead to transition opportunities for himself or teammates. Jeremiah is a great scorer who could get his team a basket whenever they need it. I expect him to have a very strong season for the New Augusta squad.     Jaieon is a tough hard-nosed big man who played with aggression in the game Tuesday night. He was a beast grabbing the boards on defense and offense. In the paint he played with force and physicality. Jaieon showed off great footwork by scoring on a number of post moves. The bulk of his baskets came from grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring on put-backs. Some of his baskets in the paint came off nice dimes thrown from his point guard. On the defensive end of the floor, a number of his rebounds lead to fast break opportunities. The team often pushed the pace and easily scored during these circumstances. He ran the floor and scored a few baskets in transition, after turnovers were forced by the New Augusta guards. Jaieon played great interior defense by protecting the paint and making scoring difficult for the opposition. On some occasions, he stepped out the paint and played exceptional defense on the wing of the court. With continued growth on his basketball skills, Jaieon could become a very special player. Especially, if he develops a consistent jump-shot. Keep working Jaieon!!     Santos played big man ball on Tuesday! The Beech Grove players had no answers for him in the post. He showed excellent hand and footwork in the paint. Practically every pass thrown to him was caught and and controlled without losing it. After the catch, Santos scored right over the top of his defender. He was effective with his passes out of double teams. Majority of his assists were converted by teammates along the perimeter or behind the arc. Numerous times in the game Santos was able to score despite being foul. He stepped to the free throw line and converted the three point play opportunity on both occasions. This young man is a great team player who hustles on defense. He protects the paint and blocks shots at a high level. As I said, Santos has great footwork to go along with good timing. Both blocked shots came from really good timed jumps when the Beech Grove guards attacked the paint. Santos has a very bright future in the game of basketball. His transition into the next level won't be an issue.

The quality of basketball showcased by these standouts, all but signified their readiness to play at the high school level.