Small School Battle!! Vision Academy vs Andrew J. Brown Academy

Small school games are known for showcasing talent no one gets to see. These players showed why they're worthy of mainstream recognition.    Levi played a great all-around game Thursday evening. He made a major impact for the Vision Academy squad when he came off the bench. He's the 6th man who remained in the game during crucial situations. During the closing moments of the contest, Levi nailed a deep corner three to put an explanation point on a team victory. He and his team were able to defeat Andrew J. Brown Academy in dominating fashion. Levi excelled at getting into the paint and drawing contact from defenders. This allowed him to get to the free-throw line and convert most of them. He's an excellent rebounder and passer who grabbed boards and dished off a number of pin-point dimes. His assists lead to a number of easy baskets for his teammates. Defensively, Levi blocked a couple of shots, forced multiple turnovers and made it difficult for Andrew J. Brown players to attack the basket. If Levi can be more aggressive on the offensive side of the ball, the sky's the limit for this young man. Keep working Levi!!     This young man was the most athletic player on the court. Micah excelled in the painted area of the court. He did most of his damage after grabbing offensive rebounds for easy put-backs around the basket. I really appreciated how much he hustled on every play during Thursdays game. Micah grabbed every board and hit the floor for any loose ball he could get his hands on. A few of his scores in the paint lead to three point play opportunities from the free-throw line. He converted most of them. Micah is a tough player who seemed to seek out contact by aggressively driving to the basket. As I said, he's a great rebounder. I watched him grab ten boards on both sides of the floor. Micah showed off his agility by grabbing a rebound and dribbling coast-to-coast for an easy lay-up. I only saw him as an interior scorer. This is why he has great athleticism and the capability of expanding his overall game. On defense, Micah blocked shots with great timing and leaping ability. If he continues to work on all facets of his game, his transition into high school basketball will be easy. Keep grinding Micah!!     This guy really shined on the defensive side of the ball. Brandon was a terror for the Andrew J. Brown guards. He applied constant pressure and forced numerous turnovers. Many of these turnovers lead to easy baskets for his teammates. On multiple occasions, Brandon stole the ball from the opposition and hit a teammate streaking to the basket for an easy lay-up. He's a good passer who found Vision Academy players either in the paint or along the perimeter for high percentage shots. Brandon showed the ability to be a great rebounding guard. He played with a fearless mentality in regard to going inside the paint and fighting for boards. Brandon focusing on defense more than offense could be seen as a great quality to have. Most coaches seek out players who prioritize shutting down there opponents. Brandon has all the necessary skills to be a lock-down defender. Keep it up Brandon!!     Ishmael came to play Thursday evening! He definitely played the game like it was his last of the season. He lead his team in scoring by making shots all over the court. He's an excellent ball handler who had no problems getting around his defender and getting to the basket. Ishmael's a great finisher at the rim. He scored many baskets, driving into the paint. Running the floor and scoring in transition was another skill he showed. Ishmael can knock down long or mid-range shots when the opportunity presents itself. He's a good free-throw shooter who went to the line numerous times. Ishmael achieved this by staying in constant "attack mode" throughout the game. Defensively, this young man was a catalyst for the team's success. Many of his steals lead to easy points for himself or Vision Academy teammates. He's an excellent on-ball defender who forced five steals in the win over Andrew J.Brown Academy. Ishmael has a very bright future in the game of basketball. Keep it up Ishmael!!     This young guy is a scorer of the basketball! I noticed an excellent pull-up game from Camarion Thursday night. Many of his mid-range shots off the dribble hit nothing but the bottom of the net. The shot he was most effective using, was the floater down the lane. He's a good ball handler and passer who found open teammates cutting to the basket for easy lay-ups. Camarion excelled at running the floor and finishing during fast-break opportunities. Whenever he was fouled, Camarion calmly stepped to the free-throw line and knocked them down. On defense, he was great at playing the passing lanes for steals with excellent timing. This young man is only a seventh grader! He has all the time in the world to enhance his talents and become even better. Keep working Camarion!!     Zamaurion has the skills to play both in the paint and outside on the perimeter. During the game against Vision Academy, he was able to score in the post by grabbing offensive rebounds or attacking the basket. He's also a decent three-point shooter. I watched him flash to the corner, receive passes and calmly stick multiple shots from behind the arc. Zamaurion was great at using his size and strength to finish at the rim during fast-breaks. Rebounding the basket is where he truly excelled Thursday night. Many of his boards led to second chance points for himself and other Andrew J. Brown players. Zamaurion plays with a team first mentality. He sets screens, fights for every loose ball and does all the dirty work inside the paint. Defensively, he was great at holding his ground in the post and not giving an inch to his opponent. He forced the Vision Academy guards into tough shots whenever they attacked the basket. Keep it up Zamaurion!!     I always have an appreciation for smaller players. Lenyx is the prototypical point guard who leads by example. He was great at handling the ball and hitting teammates with flashy passes. Despite being the smallest player on he floor, Lenyx played the game fearlessly. He beat Vision Academy players off the dribble and scored on floaters down the lane. Lenyx can score the ball in various ways, as he showed during the game. Whether it was getting to the basket, making free-throws or shooting mid and long-range shots; Lenyx had the skills to make it happen. On defense, he's great at using his speed and quickness to force turnovers. Many of the turnovers were forced by excellent ball pressure being applied to the Vision Academy guards. Lenyx is a special player, who happens to be a sixth grader. He has a very bright future ahead of him. Keep working Lenyx!!     Ziemir gave the impression of being a really good team player. He hustles and leaves it all on the floor. Ziemir can knock down mid-range shots and hit teammates with nice passes. Many of his assists lead to high percentage shots at the basket for other Andrew J. Brown Academy players. In isolated situations on the wing, he easily broke down Vision Academy players and slashed to the basket. He was able to score this way multiple times. Ziemir is a great rebounding guard who didn't mind going in the paint and battling for boards. Despite being smaller than Vision Academy players, he showed a lot of heart and toughness. Ziemir is a good defender who forced multiple steals with great on-ball defense. The pressure he applied to opposing guards, forced them into constant mistakes. Ziemir has the skills to be a great player in the near future. Keep it up Ziemir!!     The big man was a beast on the boards Thursday evening! He dominated the glass on both ends of the floor throughout the game. William was great at using his size to box out Vision Academy players. This made it easy for him to control the glass. I appreciated the hustle William showed on the court. He did all the intangibles needed to help the team win. Whether it was setting screens, diving for loose balls, grabbing rebounds, passing to teammates or playing defense; William excelled at every tasks over the course of the game. The big man showed the ability to score in the paint with multiple baskets from grabbing offensive rebounds. A couple of baskets lead to three-point play opportunities after being fouled. He calmly stepped to the line and knocked them down. William is a tough player who finished the game with eleven rebounds. In my opinion, he'll be a valuable asset to any high school team he plays for next season. Keep grinding William!!

Small school games are known for showcasing talent no one gets to see. These players showed why they're worthy of mainstream recognition.