Franklin Central vs Southport- 2030 Top Players

These young men showed why the future of basketball is going in the right direction!!    CJ is the prototypical point guard who plays the position like a seasoned veteran. He knows how to run the team offense with precision. CJ always made sure his teammates were in positions that lead to successful plays. He was always vocal on the court, often showing why he's a team leader. CJ has above average ball-handling ability that he used to break down defenders on numerous occasions. He's an excellent passer who's capable of leading the fast-break and making correct decisions. His choices often lead to positive outcomes for the Franklin Central squad. CJ plays an aggressive style and loves attacking the basket. He can also knock down shots from both mid and long range. Especially, when the defense decides to leave him alone behind arc. On defense, his football mentality comes to the surface. He plays a ball-hawking style defense where he forced multiple turnovers. CJ is a two sport athlete who happens to be really good at both. The future is very bright for this young man!  He finished the game with (4 points, 4 assists, 2 steals) Keep working CJ!!     This is my second write up for Kobe and I have noticed some improvements in his game. He's always been a good scorer offensively. He continues to show the ability of driving the lane while scoring on floaters or getting all the way to the basket. He's an unselfish player who always look to make plays for his teammates. Whether its scoring, passing, rebounding or playing defense; Kobe is always looking for ways to help the team win games. When I saw him play during the summer, he didn't seem to prioritize rebounding the basketball. Now, he does and treats grabbing boards with the same value as scoring. This is a great improvement for him because it helps the growth of all facets of his game. Kobe continues to be able to finish at the basket during fast break opportunities. On defense, he's a solid contributor. He looks for steals by playing the passing lanes, he dives on the floor for loose balls and hustles all over the court. Kobe finished the game with (4 points, 3 rebounds 2 assists 1 steal) Keep improving Kobe!!     Torrence is an excellent team player who does a little of everything on the basketball court. He's a good passer who can make things happen off the dribble. On a number of occasions he was able to get by his defender and throw a couple of nice passes to his teammates. A few of these passes were through player traffic and lead to easy baskets in the paint. He can run the floor and finish at the rim in transition. Torrence excelled at driving the ball into the paint and finishing at the basket. He can also knock down mid-range pull-ups. I saw him convert these kind of shots multiple times in Thursdays game. Torrence is a really good defender who puts his body into opposing players. He made scoring very difficult for the opposition. Whether its in the paint or out on the wing, this young man is going to find a way of locking up his opponent. Keep working Torrence!!     This is my second write up for Jordan. He continues to be a dominant player in the paint. He has excellent footwork and passing ability that made him a threat against Franklin Central. In Thursdays game Jordan easily scored over the opposition. He's a great rebounding center who did most of his damage on the offensive glass by snagging numerous boards and scoring put-backs at the basket. Jordan also has the capability of stepping outside the paint and nailing mid-range shots. He excelled at using his size and strength to be effective on both ends of the floor. When the Franklin Central players drove the paint, guess who was there waiting for them? The big man in the middle ready to cast their shot away. Jordan blocked multiple shots and made it tough for the opponents to score. He finished the game with ( 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block.) I believe this young man has all the post player skills to be successful now and in the near future. Keep working Jordan!!     Bryson has really improved his ability of making perimeter shots. This is my second write up for Bryson. During those summer months of watching him, I noticed that he did most of his damage in the paint. Now in the school season, he's shown the ability to catch and shoot effectively. Bryson showed off a variety of post moves he used to score over smaller defenders. He takes it strong to the basket along with being a really good rebounder. Especially, on the offensive side of the floor. He grabbed four rebounds and immediately scored on put-backs. On some occasions, he was able to score through contact and get to the free throw line. Bryson is a steady defender who stayed with his man on the defensive end of the court. He made it hard for his opponent to be effective by constantly keeping a body on him. Bryson is the kind of player player who has a good all-around feel for the game. He finished with (6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) Keep improving Bryson!!     Cardel is a high energy player who has the ability to create for himself or teammates. He excelled at drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line, where he converted many of them. Cardel stayed in constant "attack mode" whenever he was on the court. He's a good ball handler who easily broke down the Franklin Central defense and made plays. Cardel showed the ability of being a good scorer for his team. He was good at making floaters, driving to the basket, knocking down mid-range shots or threes if given the opportunity. Defensively, he is completely aware of the way defense should be played. He's a tough minded guard who really pressures opposing guards into mistakes. Cardel and his aggressive style of play is what every coach would want. He has the skills to be a valuable scorer for any team he plays for now and in the future. Keep scoring Cardel!!     Briyon plays the game of basketball in a fashion that's smooth and free-flowing. He has the ability to play both forward spots, but he's strongest at the small forward position due to his speed and quickness. Briyon has strong ball handling skills that allow him to break down defenders and drive the lane for easy baskets. Briyon has become an excellent jump shooter as compared to the summer when I watched him play AAU basketball. He was a decent mid-range shooter but has now expanded his range. During Thursdays game he showed no issue getting his shot off against smaller defenders. Briyon continues to be a play-maker on the defensive end of the floor with his aggressive play. He forced multiple turnovers by playing great man-to-man defense and blocking numerous shots of opposing players. He went on to finish the game with ( 9 points, 2 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks) Keep it up Briyon!!     This kid right here!! Tre was the best player on the floor in Thursday nights game. What can I say" This little guy was the smallest player on the court, but ended up being the most dominant." A very shifty point guard who can score and facilitate. Excellent ball handler who used a variety of dribbling moves to break down the Franklin Central defense. On multiple occasions he was able to blow past defenders and attack the paint with floaters, reverse layups and so on. This kid was able to take the game over in the second half. Tre went on a stretch where he scored on four straight possessions. He was in the zone and I loved every minute of it. I always enjoy watching the smaller players dominate because logic says 'they're not suppose to." Tre can also pass the ball at a high level. There were a number of times his flashy passes lead to easy shots for his teammates. One of the biggest traits I loved about his game was the high energy and emotion he showed out on the court. He was always moving and staying in constant motion on the court. This guy never seemed to need a break. Tre showed unlimited range in regard to shooting the basketball. I watched him nail four threes and numerous shots from the perimeter. Defensively, he was great at applying on ball pressure to the Franklin Central guards. He forced multiple turnovers that lead to fast-break points for his team. Tre has stardom written all over him! I enjoyed watching him play basketball. I plan to keep an eye on his progression in the near future.

These young men showed why the future of basketball is going in the right direction!!