Superstar Events: Bracket Challenge- Small and Power Forwards

This is my second write up of Kevonte. He played more aggressive this time around as compared to the first time I watched him. he stayed in constant "attack mode" throughout the game on Sunday. Kevonte excelled at getting to the basket and scoring through contact. He also scored baskets in transition by running the floor and attacking the defense. On some occasions, he played as the point forward of the HoopGeeks squad. Kevonte brought the ball up court, facilitated the offense and made a number of flashy assists that lead to scores for his teammates. Another aspect I saw of his game, was his ability to knock down threes. He was all about the mid-range game when I first watched him play. During the game he was able to convert three of his five attempts from beyond the arc. He continues to use his size to overpower smaller players in the post. Defensively, he's great at using his size and length to force turnovers and make scoring difficult for his opponents. Keep balling Kevonte!!     This guy continues to be a good player who excels at doing all the intangibles for his team. The first time I watched Andreas play, he wasn't aggressive on the offensive end of the court. Well, that changed on Sunday. Andreas was able to score in the paint using various post moves and grabbing offensive boards. He's a very athletic player who thrives on blocking shots and protecting the paint. Whenever opposing players attempted to get into the lane, Andreas was great at turning their shots away. He has excellent timing and leaping ability, which makes him a constant threat to block any shot thrown his way. Andreas runs the floor and finishes at the rim whenever fast-breaking opportunities were available. (sometimes with a dunk) He's known for taking charges and hitting the floor for loose balls. This young man gives maximum effort whenever he's on the floor. Andreas is an excellent team player who can take his game to the next level. As long as he continues to put in the work, there's no reason why he can't be successful at the high school level next season. The effort and intangibles are already there. Once his offense becomes more polished, watch out! Keep working Andreas!!     Chandler has a very nice jump-shot. This was the first aspect of his game I noticed on Sunday. He was excellent from mid-range. I saw him make multiple baskets on the perimeter and occasionally step out beyond the arc. Chandler has a decent handle of the basketball. He was able to attack defenders off the dribble and get to the rim. Chandler also used his size to score in the paint. Some of his points inside came from grabbing offensive boards. Nowadays many of the young players don't believe in utilizing the mid-range game. I truly appreciated how Chandler seemed to know his strength was taking and making shots inside the three-point line. On defense, he was able to defend the paint and turn away a few shots. He made this happen by blocking his opponents as the drove the lane. This young man has time to grow and flourish as he continues to work on his game. Keep it up Chandler!!     This young man was the best rebounder on the floor Sunday afternoon. Coleman gave off the impression of a tough hard-nosed player who'll do whatever he needs to help the team win. "When I say this guy was everywhere, I mean this guy was everywhere!" Coleman dominated the boards on both ends of the court. On the offensive side, most of his points came off rebounds and put-backs around the basket. There were also a number of times, the ball was thrown to him in the post. He was able to make plays by either scoring tough baskets or kicking out passes to teammates on the perimeter. Defensively, Coleman showed off his athleticism by blocking multiple shots, protecting the paint and guarding smaller players on the wing. He also force a few turnovers with his physical play, quick hands and great footwork. Coleman is the type of player every coach loves to have. A person who does all the dirty work. With his play style and tough mentality, transitioning to high school play won't be an issue. Keep it up Coleman!!     Jackson's a tough small forward who played with maximum effort Sunday afternoon. I can't count the number of times I saw him hit the floor. Whether it was scoring and-ones or diving for loose balls; Jackson was always on the floor. He excelled at getting to the basket and scoring in the paint. During the game I saw him knock down multiple shots from the perimeter and scoring in transition whenever the opportunity was available. Jackson can also make free-throws. He was able to convert numerous three-point plays after being fouled by the opposition. On defense, this kid was fiesty. He constantly poked at the ball and made it tough on opposing players trying to score. Jackson is one of those players who gives his all for the team. Playing hard and being a great teammate could take him far in the game of basketball. Keep grinding Jackson!!     What stood out about Donavan was his ability to do a little of everything on the court. He was great at scoring in the paint and grabbing rebounds. I also saw a decent mid-range shooter who comfortably knocked down multiple shots on the perimeter. Donavan was excellent at doing all the intangibles needed for his team to be successful. Whether it was setting the perfect screen, taking charges, going after loose balls or playing good defense; He was able to be a major contributor to his team. Donavan was able to score numerous baskets in transition after his teammates generated steals and pushed the ball up-court. As I said, this young guy did it all. He played excellent defense in the paint and on the perimeter. His pressure caused turnovers and his interior defense made scoring difficult for his opponents. As long as he continues to work on his game and mature, Donavan is capable of being a great player in the future. Keep working Donavan!!     I enjoyed watching this big man play. Lance is very athletic! It's one of the first things I noticed about his game. This young man was all over the place. He's very energetic and never seems to tire when he's on the court. Lance showed the ability to score inside and dominate the glass. He excelled at rebounding the ball offensively while scoring tough baskets. Some of these baskets were scored despite being fouled. Lance was great at using intangibles on the basketball court. He set strong screens that often freed up Team Indiana guards for open looks at the basket. On some occasions, he set successful screens and rolled to the rim for easy lay-ups. Defensively, he took charges and blocked the most shots I seen of all the players I watched Sunday afternoon. Lance showed his leaping ability by blocking many shots. Some came when guards attempted to drive the paint, while others happened when he guarded on the perimeter. He also had a couple of chase down blocks. Lance is a player who works hard on both ends of the floor. If he continues to work on his game offensively, he could be a menace in high school next season. Keep grinding Lance!!     Liam continues to be a solid player on the basketball court. This is my second write up for Liam. I watched him play early during the middle school basketball season. He did all the dirty work for his team. Well, he continues to do the same for his AAU team. Liam knocked down mid-range shots, attacked the basket and scored in the post over smaller defenders. He also showed the ability of being a dependable free-throw shooter. In the game against HoopGeeks, Liam converted multiple three-point play opportunities by scoring tough points in the paint. This was the best shooting performance I saw him have in comparison to his Beech Grove game. Liam was definitely more aggressive with the Indiana Racers team. He played more freely than he did during the middle school season. On defense, he forced a couple of steals and played good interior defense on the taller players from the HoopGeeks team. He has a great all-around game that will mesh with any high school team he plays for next season. Liam finished with (10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals) Keep it up Liam!!