Perry Meridian vs Creston- 2030 Standouts

The class of 2030 was out on full display Thursday night!! These young men epitomize what standout players should be.    Colton is the epitome of what a point guard should be! I really enjoyed watching this young man play on Thursday night. He showed great leadership ability by running the Perry Meridian offense with precision. Colton showed off his passing skills by hitting teammates with pin-point dimes. Most of these passes lead to easy baskets in the paint or along the perimeter. He has excellent ball handling skills that allowed him to be effective within the offense. I watched him easily break down his defender and attack the paint for easy lay-ins. Sometimes he scored through contact and converted three point play opportunities from the free throw line. Colton also has the ability to knock down perimeter shots and finish at the rim during fast-breaks. Defensively, he pressured opposing guards into turnovers by making life miserable for them on that side of the floor. Colton is a really good player who has a bright future in the game of basketball. Keep working Colton!!     On Thursday night, I watched a player who shot the lights out against Creston. Aaron showed the ability to knock down shots from all over the perimeter. He was accurate from the three point line on numerous occasions. I watched him convert three of the four attempts he took from behind the arc. Don't let his shooting ability fool you! Aaron can also handle the basketball, get to the basket and make plays for his teammates. So, this guy isn't one dimensional. He's an unselfish player who looks to get his teammates involved on offense with excellent play-making ability. During the game Aaron drove around his defender, attacked the basket and scored despite being fouled. The whistle was blown and he calmly stepped to the line and knocked down his free throw. Aaron is a tough minded guard who has a talent every coach wants, an elite shooter. Keep shooting Aaron!!     This is my second write up for Anthony. He continues to be an effective scorer in the paint. In the game against Creston he was unstoppable in the post. He grabbed a large number of offensive rebounds that ultimately lead to easy lay-ins around the rim. Anthony was tenacious on the boards, often crashing the glass with reckless abandon! He showed no fear of battling in the paint against the opposition. Anthony is an athletic player who ran the floor and scored when transition opportunities presented itself. During the summer, he showed the ability to knock down mid-range shots. Unfortunately, I didn't see him take any, but I know he's capable of doing so. On defense, nothing has changed. He continues to be a menace in the paint and on the perimeter. Anthony can block shots and play excellent on-ball defense. He forced numerous turnovers in Thursday nights game. Stay on your grind Anthony!!     Lukas is what I call a "glue guy." The kind of player who does whatever's needed to help the team win games. He's an excellent rebounder and defender who hustles all over the court. Lukas excels at scoring tough baskets in the paint. On numerous occasions, he was able to drive around his opponent and make positive plays. This young man does all the intangibles needed to make a team successful. Whether its diving for loose balls, grabbing critical rebounds, hitting teammates with passes or locking down the opposition; Lukas can make it happen. It was a treat watching him be effective without scoring as many baskets as some of his teammates. He seems like the kind of player who doesn't put an importance on scoring, which can be valuable to any team. Keep it up Lukas!!     This guy was a banger on the boards in Thursday nights game. Jerimiah definitely lead the Creston squad in rebounding. He reminded me of a young Dennis Rodman when he attacked the glass. It didn't matter who was in the paint, Jeremiah was getting the rebound and making plays for his squad. Whether it was a outlet pass leading to fast-break opportunities, or a put-back score from offensive rebounds; He was getting the job done. Jeremiah effectively set screens that freed teammates for clean looks at the basket. He showed his athleticism by running the floor and finishing in transition. On multiple occasions, Jeremiah was able to play big-boy ball in the paint. He converted a number of shots through contact while drawing fouls from the opposition. On defense, he protected the paint and blocked multiple shots. Jerimiah was the best rebounder and hustle guy on the floor. If he can add a consistent jump-shot, he will be great in the near future. Keep working Jeremiah!!     This young man plays the point guard position with a surprising level of maturity. He's only in the sixth grade and plays the game like a seasoned veteran. An excellent floor general who ran the Creston offense flawlessly. Anthony has great court vision! He demonstrated this with a number of slick passes that lead to easy baskets for his teammates. Anthony is a great ball handler who used his dribbling skills to drive past defenders and make positive plays. Either he scored or assisted during these circumstances. He also showed the ability to score on the perimeter with mid-range shots and floaters down the lane. When left alone, he had no issues knocking down threes. On defense, he forced multiple turnovers with great on-ball pressure to opposing guards. Anthony plays the game with a level of maturity that will take him far in the game of basketball.     Excellent shooter who made three point shots with relative ease. Justin shoots the ball with confidence and displays good effort on the defensive end of the floor. He has catch and shoot ability that could work in any type of offensive set. Justin is a great rebounding guard who attacked the glass every chance he got. Most of his boards lead to positive plays that were taken full advantage of by the Creston team. On some occasions, Justin was able to get into the lane and make plays at the basket. He is the kind of player who lets the game come to him. Justin plays at his own pace and communicates with his teammates on both sides of the ball. He's a excellent team player who can succeed on any level, now and in the near future.     Bryan is a excellent shooter who has the ability to make long or mid-range shots. He displayed the skills to create his own shots with side and step back jump-shots. In isolated situations, he was able to drive the ball to the basket for easy scores. Bryan is a very skilled player on the offensive side of the ball. He's a good defender who has the lateral quickness to stay with opposing players. If he needed to fight through screens and disrupt the offensive players' shots, he had no problem doing so. Offensively, Bryan is very knowledgeable of where he needs to be on the floor and how he must attack. He keeps a cool head out on the court and only tends to show emotion in big moments. Bryan has all the necessary traits needed to be a successful shooting guard. If he continues to work, the sky's the limit!

The class of 2030 was out on full display Thursday night!! These young men epitomize what standout players should be.