2024-25 SEC Backcourt Standouts: Independence Division

The 2024-25 season was full of competitive matchups and impressive individual performances, and the Super Essex Conference provided much of that throughout the course of the regular season. With the regular season fully wrapped and post season champions crowned, let's take a look at some guys, in the backcourt, that had strong regular seasons in the Super Essex Conference's Independence Division.    Excelling as an off ball threat, Zach Smith had a senior season that really showcased how much of a threat from three point range he can be. With a quick release and an innate ability to relocate effectively, Smith proved to be a capable shooter both off the catch and off movement. Smith had multiple games throughout the season where he knocked down 3+ threes from deep.     As just a sophomore, Sage Kornreich emerged as an impactful contributor for Livingston's offense. Finishing second on the team in made three pointers, Kornreich was a respectable threat from three point range that defenses had to close out on. As the season went, Kornreich showed more and more flashes of making shots from different areas on the court, whether it was times where defenses ran him off the line or in mismatch isolation opportunities.     Eclipsing the 1,000 point mark during his senior season, Gregory Burton showcased the different ways he can put the ball in the basket, ultimately providing a steady source of offense for the Orange Tornadoes this season. Through an array of different dribble combination moves in combination with his quickness, Burton displayed not only his ability to attack the basket and finish through contact but also knock down mid range pull ups. Burton even proved to be a capable shot maker, particularly off the catch, from three point range throughout the course of the season. Burton averaged 14.6 PPG.     Operating as the primary ball handler for Orange's offense this season, Amadou Traore shined in the ways he was able to keep the defense honest, not only in the ways he was able to create offense for himself but also generate open looks for his teammates. Traore used his quick first step to either attack the basket and finish around defenders around the rim or get in the paint and attract help defenders, creating open looks both on the perimeter and in the dunker spot for his teammates. Averaging 12.6 PPG, Traore also had multiple games where he eclipsed 5+ assists.     Starring primarily off the ball, Justus Tschopp proved to be a steady shot maker, primarily from three point range for Belleville throughout the course of this season. Tschopp excelled at shooting it off the catch and off movement, coming off screens and pin downs. Tschopp also showed flashes of being able to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket or hit pull up jumpers when defenses ran him off the line.     Eclipsing the 1,000 point mark during his senior season, Connor Cook was the primary source of offense for this year's Belleville squad. Cook displayed his ability to hit shots from the perimeter, find his in between game when the defense gave it to him, and even attack the basket on dribble drives. In Cook's last high school game, he erupted for an impressive 46 points against Roselle Park.

The 2024-25 season was full of competitive matchups and impressive individual performances, and the Super Essex Conference provided much of that throughout the course of the regular season. With the regular season fully wrapped and post season champions crowned, let's take a look at some guys, in the backcourt, that had strong regular seasons in the Super Essex Conference's Independence Division.