Battle of the Eastside- Stonybrook vs Lincoln

These young men put on a show Tuesday night!! The audience was treated to a great game with an exciting result.    I enjoyed watching this young man play for the second time. I saw Kayden play over the summer during AAU basketball season. He excelled at rebounding and doing all the hustle plays for his team at the time. After watching him play Tuesday night, Kayden has enhanced his basketball skills as an all-around player. He's developed a jump-shot that he accurately converts from long or mid-range. There was a critical point in the game, where Kayden nailed a high arching three pointer to give his team the lead. He plays more like a guard now as compared to his big man play style of the summer. He now uses great ball handling skills to get around and through opposing defenses. Kayden continues to be a great rebounder of the basketball. He's never had an issue with being physical in the paint with opposing players. Defensively, Kayden really gets after it! He forced numerous turnovers and impeded his opponent from being effective on offense. Some of his steals lead to easy transition baskets for himself or teammates. If Kayden continues to improve his overall skills, the transition into high school basketball will be flawless. He finished the game with ( 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal)     Parker was like a "man among boys" in Tuesday's night game. I watched this young man play during AAU basketball season. In that game he focused on dominating the paint, rebounding and defense, After watching him play last night, Parker has added to his skills on the basketball court. He continues to destroy the opposition within the paint by scoring tough baskets and drawing fouls in the process. Parker has also improved his ball handling ability and passing. On numerous occasions, he dribbled the ball coast-to-coast and either scored or assisted to open teammates. After watching him play over the summer, I never expected him to be a primary ball handler at his size. Parker now has the ability to knock down jump-shots from all over the perimeter. He's very athletic and strong around the basket. In the game against Lincoln, I counted four times he scored through contact. He went on to complete three point play opportunities by knocking down free-throws. This guy is still a monster on the boards. He finished the game with double-digit rebounds. On defense, Parker's an intimidating shot blocker who made scoring tough on the Lincoln guards driving into the paint. He has excellent timing and leaping ability, which allowed him to be a good perimeter defender as well. Parker has all the necessary tools needed to have a successful high school career. If he develops a consistent shot from behind the arc.. Look out! Parker finished the game with ( 26 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks)     Jaylen was the "floor general" of the Stonybrook team. He's an excellent ball handler and passer. Somehow, he always managed to find open teammates for easy opportunities within the Stonybrook offense. He showed the ability to drive by defenders and knock down floaters in the paint. Jaylen scored these kind of shots on numerous occasions in the game. Some of the dimes he threw to his big man in the paint were flashy and effective. He proved himself to be a capable three point shooter. Especially if he's left alone with no defenders around him. I watched him knock down two threes in a crucial part of the game. During transition, he was able to lead the break and find open players cutting to the basket for easy lay-ins. Defensively, he played passing lanes for steals and closely defended his opponent where he forced multiple turnovers. Jaylen will be an excellent point guard in the near future as long as he continues to enhance his skills. Keep working Jaylen!!     This young man was a scoring machine in the game against Stonybrook! I really enjoyed watching Amir show his determination to score the ball regardless of who defended him. He's an excellent isolation player who was literally un-guardable in one-on-one situations. Especially, out on the wing. I watched Amir blow-by his opponent and score with great success every time. He has really quick hands that made ball handling difficult for the Stonybrook guards. On defense, Amir caused four turnovers by applying excellent on-ball defense. A number of those steals lead to fast-break baskets that he either scored or assisted to his teammates. Amir is a tough minded guard who stayed in constant "attack mode" whenever he was in the game. He really excelled at grabbing rebounds from the guard spot. Amir is the kind of player who didn't mind battling in the paint among taller players. Amir is a player who has success written all over him! He's an excellent teammate who plays the game with a fearless attitude. Keep grinding Amir!!     Timothy was the best guard on the floor during Tuesday night's game. He was the primary facilitator and play caller for the Lincoln squad. Timothy flawlessly ran the team offense with precision and effectiveness. He's an excellent ball handler who easily broke down opposing defenses and made plays for himself or teammates. Timothy excelled at getting to the basket and drawing fouls through contact. On most of these scores he was able to convert free-throws into three point plays. He's a great passer who lead his squad in assists as the team's best play-maker. Whether it was scoring in transition, knocking down threes or playing ball-hawking defense; Timothy was ready for the challenge on this night. He had a stretch during the game where he put the team on his back. This guy literally made every shot for his team in the closing moments of the game. Timothy attacked the basket and converted four clutch threes in the second half of play. Defensively, he was a great on-ball defender who had a knack for turning over Stonybrook guards. He often used his quick hands and foot speed to be the ultimate pest for the opposition. Timothy has the ability to thrive at the high school level next season. He's very skillful at every facet of the game. Keep it up Timothy!!     Makai showed the ability of scoring in various ways during Tuesday nights game. Most of the points he scored were on hustle plays such as put-backs and lay-ups. Makai occasionally knocked down mid-range shots and drove the ball hard to the basket. This young man impressed me with his drive to succeed on the court. Makai is an excellent rebounder of the basketball. He constantly attacked the glass and played defense. Although his opponent was three to four inches taller, Makai fearlessly fought for every board. He's an athletic player who was great at running the floor and finishing in fast-break situations. On defense he was able to force turnovers and block multiple shots. In my opinion, Makai's biggest strength was the sheer hustle he showed to be a part of every play on the floor. He plays the game with a very calm demeanor. I noticed how he maintained the same emotions win or lose. He was great at communicating and showing positive energy with his teammates. Makai is what I call a "glue guy." The type of player who does everything well. Especially the intangibles, such as rebounding, assisting and defense. Keep balling Makai!!     Rajaun showed off good post moves with the ability of making jump-shots outside of 15 feet. He really excelled at grabbing rebounds for easy put-backs. Rajuan also used his size and strength to his advantage in the post against smaller defenders. There were a number of occasions where he was able to score through contact. Rajaun was very effective at getting to his spots for open looks. He was great at setting picks and screens that allow teammates to be efficient on offense. Rajuan's a great interior post defender who had no issues boxing out and grabbing defensive rebounds. He didn't bite on pump fakes and stayed on the ground against opposing post players. Rajuan is very knowledgeable in regards to defending the painted area. He was able to defend opposing post players without generating many fouls. If this young man continues to grow in stature, he could be very dangerous in the near future. Keep working Rajuan!!

These young men put on a show Tuesday night!! The audience was treated to a great game with an exciting result.