Midwest Best Showcase: Exhibition Game 2- Best of the Best 2029

Game two of the Midwest Best Showcase focused on some of the best caliber players within the state of Indiana.    Channing continues to be an excellent point guard every time he steps on the court. As I said in the first write up I gave him; this young man already has varsity level talent. Channing will have no issues transitioning into high school basketball. He has excellent ball handling skills which allow him to make plays for himself or teammates. During Saturday's game, I watched him continuously break down the opposing defense and get into the lane. Whenever he attacked, positive things happened for his team. Either he scored or assisted on most of his team's baskets. Channing is the prototypical floor general who leads by example. He looks to get his teammates involved on offense, while having the capability of taking over a game. In the Semi-Final game of the Marion County City Tournament, Channing took the game over and nearly lead his Fall Creek Valley team to a win. He's a pass first point-guard but don't be fooled into believing this guy can't score. I watched him cook against a very good Belzer squad, so he's capable of having that scorer's mentality at the highest level. He didn't score much during the game Saturday. It was more about being a facilitator. I believe if the game had serious ramifications, I would've seen the Channing I saw when the games mattered most. Keep balling Channing!!     This is my second write-up for Carter. He continues to be a great shooter who has the ability to catch fire and make shots from everywhere on the court. Every time I see Carter shoot, I believe it's going through the bottom of the net. He has an excellent shooting form with great ball rotation on the release. What really makes him dangerous for opposing defenders, is his ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. If the average person watches him play, they'll believe he only shoots the ball. I had this same belief the first time I watched him play. Well, Carter proved me wrong, big time! During Saturday's game, he showed the opposition by knocking down mid-range shots, long threes and tough drives to the basket. He's also an excellent passer who knows how to find teammates along the perimeter or cutting to the basket. Carter runs the floor and has knowledge of using screens to free himself for open looks at the basket. I believe this guy will be an excellent addition for the team he plays for next season in high school. Keep it up Carter!!     Cole is the prototypical two guard who has the ability to shoot the lights out. He excels at playing with energy and making big time shots for his team. in some of his videos, I saw a player who had a knack for making timely shots despite the circumstances. He has the capability of breaking down opponents off the dribble and scoring at the basket. During Saturdays game, he was able to knock down perimeter shots and score in transition. There was a sequence in the game where Cole caught the ball on the wing of the court. He was able to hit his opponent with a step-back and calmly knock down the shot with no hesitation. Cole is a fearless player who has the mentality of a winner. He's the type of player who hates to loose, while doing whatever it takes to win. On defense, Cole was great at applying tough man-to man pressure on opposing guards. He forced multiple turnovers by making ball handling difficult for his opponent. Keep shooting Cole!!     Aiden is a tough young guard who played fearless in the game Saturday afternoon. He excelled at attacking the paint and scoring over taller defenders. Despite being the smallest on the court, Aiden was able to consistently make floaters as he drove down the lane. On numerous occasions in the game, I watched Aiden knock down mid-range shots and nail wide open threes whenever the option was there. He handled the ball with flare and showed off his play-making ability. Aiden was able to throw a number of flashy passes which lead to easy scores for his teammates. He often pushed the pace and made things happen for his squad's success. Defensively, this little guy caused havoc on opposing guards. He played great on-ball defense and made handling the ball tough for his opponents. As he continues to grow and mature, Aiden could become a problem for players and coaches alike.     This guy was the "hustle man" Saturday afternoon. Every time I looked up, Palmer was around the ball. He was literally everywhere on the floor. Whether it was grabbing rebounds, running the floor, scoring in the paint or playing defense; Palmer excelled at every facet of the game. He's one of those kind of players every coach loves to have. He does all the dirty work and makes all the winning plays for the team. Palmer was great at setting screens, to free up his teammates for open looks at the basket. He dominated the glass, especially on the offensive side of the floor. Many of his rebounds lead to easy put-backs scores around the rim. Palmer showed off his athleticism by running the court and scoring in transition. Defensively, Palmer was able to block shots and defend the painted area. Whenever opposing guards attempted to drive the lane, Palmer was great at altering their shots at the basket. In my opinion, Palmer has all the necessary intangibles to play an important role for any team he suits up with. Keep grinding Palmer!!     This is my second write up for Andersen. He continues to be a strong presence inside by grabbing rebounds and scoring around the basket. Andersen's an excellent passer who showed no problem hitting teammates with crisp bounce passes. Whenever a player cut to the basket, he always managed find them for easy lay-ins. Many of his points came from grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring put-backs in the paint. Andersen was great at setting screens and helping free up teammates for looks at the basket. He also showed the ability to knock down perimeter shots with a decent mid-range game as a part of his arsenal. On defense, Andersen was able to use his size and strength to make scoring tough on opposing players. Whenever a player attempted to attack the paint, they were met by an opponent determined not to give up any points. Keep working Andersen!!

Game two of the Midwest Best Showcase focused on some of the best caliber players within the state of Indiana.