Midwest Best Showcase: Exhibition Game One-Young Ballers!!

The classes of 2031 and 2032, put on a big-time show at the Midwest Best Showcase! These young men definitely showed why the future will be bright for Indiana basketball as a whole.    I enjoyed watching this young guy ball on Saturday. Jalen was full of confidence when he approached me. He told me, " You should watch me play, so you can give me a write-up." Well I have to say, " this young guy did not disappoint! " Jalen has excellent ball handling skills. There were a number of times I watched him blow-by defenders and score at the basket. He showed the ability to create space off the dribble and knock in perimeter shots. Where Jalen really impressed me, was on the defensive side of the court. This kid was a monster in regards to shutting down players. I couldn't count the amount of steals he had in the game. He's a great on-ball defender who forced opposing guards into countless turnovers and mistakes. In my opinion, Jalen has a very bright future in the game of basketball. He's already an elite defensive player for his young age. Just imagine when he gets older. Keep it up Jalen!!     In my opinion, Jaxson was one of the best young guards at the showcase. He dominated the game with his scoring and passing abilities. Jaxson stayed in " attack mode " the entire game. On numerous occasions, I watched this little guy shake up defenders and get to the basket. many of his tough scores, came through contact. This lead to multiple three-point play opportunities from the free-throw line. A number of his assists came off flashy passes in the paint or on the break. If the situation was present Jaxson was able to score in transition. Every pass he threw, always seemed to find an open teammate. On defense, he excelled at playing passing lanes and good on-ball defense. His quick hands and timing, caused many turnovers from the opposing guards he went against. I predict, Jaxson will become an elite player in the near future. He's already really good as a 6th grader. Keep balling Jaxson!!     Kevin was surprisingly very quick and agile for his size. He's a decent size kid who has great ball handling skills to go along with the ability to score in the paint. Kevin's a really good passer who used his height to see over smaller defenders and make plays. I watched him use his size advantage to post up smaller guards and score at will. As I said, Kevin's a crafty passer who used his dribbling skills to attack the defense. His pin-point dimes lead to easy scores for his teammates in the paint or along the perimeter. He was great at leading the fast-break and finishing lay-ups. This young man can also knock down threes. I watched Kevin nail four shots from beyond the arc during Saturday's exhibition game. Defensively, Kevin poked at the ball and used his physical size to make handling the ball and getting around him extremely difficult. Kevin is a really great point-guard who I believe will become elite as he grows and matures. Keep working Kevin!!     Kahlil plays the game with a lot of energy and charisma. I enjoyed watching this young baller, play the game of basketball. He played with the attitude of " no one being able to stop him, whenever he was on the court. " He drove the ball to the basket, scored and told the defender why he couldn't guard him. Kahlil is very confident. I love his " take no prisoners mentality." He has great ball handling skills, to go along with a deadly jump-shot. During the game, I watched Kahlil bring the ball up-court, stop at the three-point line and nail the shot with no hesitation. He's already showing that he isn't afraid to take shots. This could be dangerous for his opponents in the future. He also gets to the rim fairly easy by using his quickness to beat opposing players off the dribble. Kahlil assisted to numerous teammates by drawing in the defense and kicking out passes to open players on the perimeter. Whenever he got into the lane, he made positive plays for his squad. This young man is only a 5th grader! He still has many years to enhance his game an become an elite player. Keep it up Kahlil!!     After watching this young guy play, I believe Carter already has the skills to be an excellent all around player. He does all the intangibles needed to help a team be successful. Carter can create his own shot by either driving to the basket or scoring on jump-shots. He also showed the ability to rebound and pass the ball with accuracy. I can't count the amount of times he was able to find his teammates with pin-point dimes. Many of these assists lead to easy scores at the rim. Carter was one of the best rebounding guards in his age group. He had no problems going in the paint and fighting for boards. Defensively, he 's very quick to the ball. Carter excelled at timing his steals by shooting passing lanes and playing great man-to man defense. Carter has a bright future ahead, especially if he improves his offensive skills. Keep working Carter!!     This kid was so good, people on the sidelines were comparing him to UNLV legend Larry Johnson. AJ was the total package on Saturday. He used his size to dominate by nearly scoring at will in the paint. Offensively, he was able to do whatever he wanted. AJ knocked down shots from everywhere on the perimeter. On numerous occasions, he found himself open behind the three-point line. I watched AJ line up shots with no hesitation and calmly knock them down. Whenever the team ran the floor, he was able to finish at the basket during fast-breaks. AJ was a beast on the boards! He was able to dominate the glass on both ends of the floor. Many of his offensive rebounds lead to tough scores around the basket. On some occasions, AJ was able to score through contact despite being fouled by opposing players. On defense, he blocked a couple of shots and challenged every player attempting to drive the lane. This young man is a scorer! He does it in a variety of ways and he's effective doing it. To have this ability already, is something to behold. Looking forward to seeing how everything turns out for this young guy. Keep balling AJ!!

The classes of 2031 and 2032, put on a big-time show at the Midwest Best Showcase! These young men definitely showed why the future will be bright for Indiana basketball as a whole.