2025 IYBL Winter League- Players on the Rise

Drey continues to be an excellent all-around player who excels at every facet of the game. This is my second write up of Drey since the summer AAU season. He's a great inside scorer who excels at beating his opponents off the dribble and getting to the basket. On a number of occasions, he was able to score baskets despite being fouled by the opposition. Drey is really good at forcing contact and drawing fouls. He's a good rebounder on both ends of the court. Many of his offensive boards lead to easy put-backs near the basket. Drey has nice passing skills to match his offensive game. I watched him throw a couple of nice passes that found his teammates for open looks along the perimeter. If he needs to knock down a shot form beyond the arc, he had no problem doing so. Defensively, he was able to apply great on-ball pressure to opposing guards attempting to handle the ball. Drey was able to force multiple turnovers that lead to transition points for himself or others. In my opinion, Drey has the talent to be a very special player now and in the near future. He finished the game with (8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals) Keep balling Drey!!     Clayton really excelled at breaking down defenders and attacking the paint. On multiple occasions, he was able to penetrate the lane and score over taller players. This is my second write up of Clayton and I must say, "he didn't disappoint." After watching him play the first time, he showed the ability to be an excellent scorer and defender. Well, this hasn't changed. Clayton can also rebound the ball really well from the guard position. He also made plays in the open court by hitting teammates in transition or scoring lay-ups himself. In Sunday's game he didn't display his shooting touch from the floor but I know he's capable of catching fire and knocking down threes. He did so, during AAU season. On defense, Clayton is an excellent defender who forced multiple turnovers from the Primetime back-court. I believe Clayton has a bright future in the game of basketball. He finished with (6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists, 3 steals)     I remember watching this young man play over the summer. I fell in love with his fearless style of attacking the basket regardless of who's in the paint. La'Brandyn continues to impress me! After watching him play Sunday, nothing has changed with his mentality. He still attacks the basket, knocks down perimeter shots, runs the floor and plays lock-down defense. I've always had a deep respect for smaller players. They play with heart and toughness. As I said, this little guy can score with the best of them. La'Brandyn's an excellent ball handler who quickly drives by opposing guards and dishes off to teammates. If that option's not there, he scores on runners in the paint. He was great at creating space off the dribble and knocking down jump-shots. On defense, he may have been the best on-ball defender on the floor. He also excelled at shooting passing lanes for steals that lead to fast-break points. La'Brandyn is an explosive young player with a very bright future. He finished the game with (6 points, 3 assists, 2 steals) Keep it up La'Brandyn!!     Derek continues to play big boy ball inside the paint. This is my second write up of Derek and he continues to be a solid player. He excels at doing all the intangibles needed to help the team win; Such as, being an excellent rebounder, passer and defender. During Sunday's game Derek was the recipient of many assists from his teammates. These assists lead to a number of scores in the paint for him. When it comes to attacking the glass, Derek has an aggressive mentality to grab every rebound he gets his hands. It really didn't matter how tall the opposing players were. He runs the floor and scores transition baskets when the opportunity arises. On defense, Derek is always in the right place to make a play on the court. Whether it's taking a charge, blocking a shot or forcing a turnover; This young man always seem to make positive plays. If he continues to improve his offensive skills, Derek will be a force in the near future. He finished with (4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal) Keep working Derek!!     What I appreciated about watching Harrison play, was the maximum effort he gave on the basketball court. He's a great rebounding big man who has a nice touch from the perimeter. I saw him knock down multiple shots while being closely guarded. Harrison also showed the ability to get to the basket and make plays for himself or teammates with good passing. He's the kind of player who fights for every loose ball, takes charges and grabs boards. Harrison can run the floor and finish at the rim in transition. He was able to score in these situations on numerous occasions. Defensively, he was able to block a few shots and make attacking the basket difficult for Kokomo players. Harrison can definitely be effective at the high school level next season. If he can enhance his offensive skills, the transition will go smoothly. Keep working Harrison!!     Luke is an excellent jump-shooter! He shoots the basketball with great form and ball rotation. Most of the baskets he scored were from behind the arc. Luke knows how to move around within the offense as a two-guard, but also showed the skills to run the team as its floor general. During Sunday's game Luke knocked down four three pointers, with one of those shots being a buzzer-beater going into the half. He's a great passer who lead his squad in assists while showing great leadership. Luke handles the ball and gets into the lane where he made a number of floaters. Defensively, Luke was sneaky good. He was surprisingly quick. He had no problem staying in front of his opponent without getting beaten off the dribble. He was a fiesty defender who constantly poked at the ball and made it tough for the Kokomo guards. Luke has an valuable skill of shooting that puts him ahead of most boys his age. He'll definitely succeed at the high school level. Keep shooting Luke!!     Carter has above average ball handling skills. He's capable of leading fast-breaks and making correct decisions that lead to easy scores for his teammates. On a couple of occasions, he was able to score in transition. Carter plays an aggressive style and loves to attack the basket. He was able to score the ball through contact which setup three point play opportunities. Carter can also knock down shots from mid or long-range. During Sunday's game, he was able to make a variety of shots despite being closely defended by Kokomo players. Carter was very aggressive on the defensive end of the court. He excelled at shooting passing lanes and generating turnovers. Carter also showed traits of being a solid on-ball defender. He plays the game with a calm and composed demeanor on the basketball court. I believe Carter has the capability of playing at the high level. If this young man continues to enhance his skills, adjusting to this atmosphere will not be a problem. Keep it up Carter!!