The Stars Were In Full Effect!! Belzer vs Northview

The Class of 2029, came to play in the Marion County Tournament Playoffs last night! These young men are worthy of being featured in a Prep Hoops Next article.    AJ played an awesome game last night! Despite his team being severely over-matched; that didn't stop him from being the most productive player on the Northview team. As compared to the first time I watched him, AJ was light years better! He stayed in "attack mode" the whole game. AJ used his ability of getting to the basket to make plays for his team. He lead his Northview team in scoring during last night's game. He also knocked down perimeter shots, despite being closely guarded by the opposition. AJ continues to be a great rebounder and passer. He didn't mind going into the paint and fighting for boards among the taller Belzer players. Some of his rebounds lead to positive outcomes for him and his teammates. Defensively, AJ gave maximum effort by poking at balls, applying great on-ball pressure and forcing turnovers with good team defense. As I said before, I believe AJ has what it takes to perform at the high school level of play. If he continues to perform as he did last night, his transition will be flawless. AJ finished with (12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists) Keep working AJ!!     I enjoyed watching this young man play last night. Demetrius (Duece) played like a man among boys in the paint. I was amazed with his style of play. He can handle the rock, dish off nice passes and play like a big man in the paint. Duece is very strong for his size. I watched him score the ball numerous times despite being fouled by Northview players. This guy dominated every player he came across inside the paint. Whether it was slashing to the basket, grabbing offensive rebounds or just muscling up shots. The Northview players had no answers for him. As I said, Duece was able to easily attack the larger players despite being every bit of 5'7. He also scored multiple times in transition. These baskets were often generated by forced turnovers, shooting passing lanes and beating the Northview team up court. Defensively, Duece was able to apply great on-ball pressure to opposing guards. This often lead to mistakes for the opposing squad. Duece is part of a special team that looks to do big things. I believe he has the skills and experience from a winning culture, which allows him to succeed at the next level. Keep grinding Duece!!     Tristen is a great all-around player who can score, pass and defend. He's clearly one of the leaders on the Belzer team. I noticed his leadership ability in last night's game. Tristen stayed in constant communication with his teammates by making sure everyone was in the right spots on defense. His decisions lead to countless steals and transition points for himself and his teammates. I counted at least 12 steals that contributed to an easy win over Northview. Tristen has great ball handling skills. He easily blew by defenders and attacked the basket. This lead to him scoring in the paint or dishing out assists to other players for easier shots. Tristen can knock down shots from mid or long-range. I counted two threes and four pull-up jumpers from the perimeter. Defensively, he kept constant pressure on his opponents by forcing them into mistakes and turnovers. Defense was the theme of the night for Belzer and Tristen was a big part of it. I believe this young man has the skills to be a number one option for the high school he attends next season. Right now he plays on a team of stars, so everyone stands out. Keep working Tristen!!     This guy put on a shooting exhibition last night! Ryan has a smooth type of game that allows him to get whatever he wants on the court. He's an excellent ball handler who can breakdown his defender and make plays. He often found open teammates around the basket or along the perimeter for quality shots. He can also get to the rim and score through contact, which he did numerous times. Ryan has a great shooting touch from the floor. I watched him knock down five threes, some were contested by the Northview defenders, some were not. Ryan made everything look so easy on the basketball court. Whether it was short, mid, long or slashing; he put on a scoring "master class" for all to see. Ryan ran the floor and and scored multiple baskets in transition. As a team, Belzer forced a ton of steals and he personally had three himself. All three of the turnovers he forced lead to fast-break points. On defense, he used his long arms and quick hands to make handling the ball difficult for the opposition. Ryan has great skills in every facet of the game! I believe this young man has the opportunity of being elite in the very near future. Keep shooting Ryan!!     Well, Amazen was amazing on the basketball court last night. This little guy is tough and fearless! Every time he attacked the paint, it seemed like he was seeking contact from Northview players. Amazen was strong enough to make a number of tough baskets despite his small stature. He's an excellent ball handler who shook up a number of defenders with awesome hesitation or in-and-out dribble moves. Amazen isn't limited to only attacking the paint, he can knock down perimeter shots too. In last night's game, he made two threes and multiple shots from the wing. He also scored a large number of baskets in transition. Like all his teammates, Amazen was a demon on the defensive side of the ball. He forced the Northview guards into numerous mistakes and turnovers. I really appreciated how Amazen played with a mentality to be un-guard-able on the court. He's a really good player and knows it. This young man has a very bright future in the game of basketball. Keep working Amazen!!     Zyaire is the prototypical floor general who has excellent passing skills. He excels at getting teammates involved on the offensive end of the floor. He's a high energy player who showed the ability to create for himself or teammates. During the game, Zyaire threw a couple of flashy passes that lead to easy baskets. Besides being an exceptional point guard, Zyaire can really score the ball. He's a great shooter from the floor, often getting to the rim, scoring on floaters or knocking down shots from behind the arc. This young man has great offensive talents. Whenever Zyaire was on the floor, he stayed in constant "attack mode." He had no problem running the team as a lead guard. On defense, Zyaire plays with a high level of feistiness. He's a tough minded guard who really pressured opposing guards into mistakes. Zyaire was clearly one of the leaders on the court. He plays with a "hate to lose" attitude, which could take him a long way as he enters the high school scene. Keep it up Zyaire!!     Anthony is a player who does all the intangibles needed to help his Belzer team be successful. Every program needs a player of Anthony's caliber. A player who can rebound, pass, score and defend. During last night's game, Anthony showed the ability to score in various ways inside the paint. On some occasions, Anthony was able to score through contact and draw fouls. One of those put-backs around the basket lead to a three-point play opportunity. Anthony is an athletic player who excelled at running the floor, grabbing boards and cleaning up his teammates misses during last night's game. Defensively, he was able to block shots and make scoring difficult for Northview players entering the paint. In my opinion, Anthony's biggest strength was his sheer hustle to be a part of every play on the court. He will be an excellent addition to any high school team he joins next season. Keep grinding Anthony!!

The Class of 2029, came to play in the Marion County Tournament Playoffs last night! These young men are worthy of being featured in a Prep Hoops Next article.