Superstar Events: Bracket Challenge- Scorers and Facilitators

The art of being a scorer, while being a facilitator are common traits of a great basketball team. These young men showcased their skills of doing both effectively.    After watching this young man play, I view Justin's play style as a "prototypical point guard." He's a play-maker who looks to get everyone involved by conducting precise offensive sets and providing vocal leadership. Justin was clearly the facilitator within the IBA offense. His passes were crisp and pin-point. Many of his dimes lead to easy baskets for his teammates. Whether the team played half-court offense or ran the floor in transition; Justin always made the right plays for his team to be successful. Don't be fooled by his skills as a passer! There's another aspect to his game. This guy can put up scoring numbers if he needs to. In Sunday's game, Justin was able to break down his opponents, get into the lane and either score or kick-out to open IBA players on the perimeter. He's a strong guard who can handle physical contact from opposing defenders. On numerous occasions, Justin was able to score despite being fouled. This lead to multiple three-point play opportunities from the free-throw line. He also showed off his long range shooting ability by knocking down four three-pointers. Defensively, Justin was excellent at applying on-ball pressure to opposing guards. His physical play and quick hands lead to numerous turnovers and mistakes of his opponent. Justin is already a legit point guard for his age. As he continues to enhance his skills, this young man will be a very special player in the near future. Keep working Justin!!     Jeremiah's a solid point guard who always tended to make the right plays for his TTS squad. He's an excellent floor leader and facilitator for the team. I can't count the number of times I watched him make a pin-point dime that lead to easy baskets. Some of his passes were flashy an full of flair. I could really see how much Jeremiah enjoyed making his teammates better. Watching him play this way, really gave me an appreciation of how a point guard has to perform. Jeremiah's position bears a lot of responsibilities. It all starts with him. If he's not effective, the team won't be. He's an excellent ball handler who showed the capability of effectively going either left or right. Being able to handle the ball with both hands is essential to a point guard's success. He can also get to the basket and knock down perimeter shots. Defensively, Jeremiah excelled at making timely steals. He also played great man-to-man defense. In my opinion, Jeremiah has a bright future at the point guard position. Keep it up young man!!     This guy is a threat from beyond the arc. I watched Veldon convert most of the three-point attempts he took. He was great at knocking down shots with a great shooting form and excellent ball rotation. After watching his shooting exhibition, I believe his hot spots were on the wings. It seemed like every shot he took in those areas ended up going through the bottom of the net. On a number of occasions, Veldon was able to make shots despite being closely guarded by the defense. He can also put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. I watched him beat his defender off the dribble and score in the lane numerous times. Veldon also finished at the rim whenever transition opportunities presented themselves. On defense, he stayed in front of his opponent and played exceptional team defense. Veldon already has great shooting skills for his young age. Just imagine how better he'll be as he continues to grow and mature? Things could become really dangerous for his opponents in the near future. Keep shooting Veldon!!     I enjoyed watching Jayon play the point guard position Sunday afternoon. He's an above average ball handler who's capable of leading fast-breaks, running plays and making correct decisions. He's a pass first point guard who looked to setup his teammates with easy shots. Most of his choices on offense lead to easy baskets due to his precise passing. I watched him throw accurate passes to his teammates cutting to the rim on numerous occasions. Offensively, Jayon plays an aggressive style by constantly attacking the paint. Most of his drives were finished through contact. A couple of these attacks, lead to three point play opportunities at the free-throw line. He converted most of the free-throws he took. Jayon is a young man! He has a strong frame that allows him to absorb physical contact and remain effective. Defensively, he plays with a high level of physicality. Jayon uses his body and quick hands to make ball handling difficult for opposing guards. He was able to force multiple turnovers and pressure them into mistakes. As long as he continues to work on his game, I see no reason why Jayon couldn't be successful in middle school and beyond. Keep working Jayon!!     The biggest strength I noticed about Christian was his ability to get to the basket and score inside the paint. Whether it was taking defenders off the dribble, scoring in the post or knocking down perimeter shots; Christian showed the skills to be effective offensively. He ran the floor and scored tough lay-ups in transition. He did this on numerous occasions. Christian played strong in the paint, by grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring on put-backs around the basket. He might've been one of the best rebounding guards I saw in his age group. This young man, had no problems going into the paint and battling for boards on both ends of the court. After watching him play, I saw a toughness in him. Especially on the boards or whenever he attacked the paint. Christian would not be denied as he constantly kept the pressure of slowing him down on the opposition. This young man has the attitude of a winner! He's a great team player who did whatever it took to help his team win. With Christian already having this do-it-all mentality, his level of play will only get even better. Keep it up Christian!!     Kyrell is a good all around player who happens to be a excellent shooter. I watched him knock down multiple threes and a number of shots on the perimeter. He used the dribble to get around his opponent and attack the rim for uncontested lay-ups. This happened numerous times throughout the game Sunday afternoon. Kyrell was really good in one-on one match-ups on the wing of the court. He also excelled at rebounding and passing. Most of the damage he caused was by grabbing defensive rebounds. Kyrell gave the impression of a player who prioritized the importance of rebounding the basketball. I can really appreciate this mentality he showed. He has the attitude of a player who's willing to do all the necessary intangibles needed to win games. On defense, he's an excellent on-ball defender who always kept his man in front of him. He also forced a couple of steals that lead to positive outcomes for his Midwest Flex 2031 squad. Keep working Kyrell!!     This is my second write up for Le'Brayden. The first time, he was dominant, this time around he was more passive. He continues to be an excellent ball handler who can get wherever he wants on a basketball court. Le'Brayden's a great scorer of the basketball. He breaks down the defense, attacks the basket, scores in the mid-range and knocks down three-pointers. This young man is the complete package offensively. Unfortunately, I didn't see this Sunday afternoon. There was a reason why Le'Brayden wasn't as aggressive on the offensive end of the floor. He had a teammate that had everything going offensively, so Le'Brayden just kept feeding the "hot hand." I'm certain he lead the team in assists Sunday. Most of his dimes went to the teammate who caught fire. Le'Brayden showed true leadership at the point guard spot. He has a scorer's mentality, but decided in the best interest of the team, it was better to continue going with the "hot hand" offensively. He could've decided to force up shots in order to get his, but he didn't. I truly know how good this kid is and will continue to be. Le'Brayden showed me his unselfish side and it just reiterates how great of a teammate he is. This young man has a great future ahead of him at the next level and beyond. He finished the game with (8 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals) Keep it up Le'Brayden!!

The art of being a scorer, while being a facilitator are common traits of a great basketball team. These young men showcased their skills of doing both effectively.