Prephoops The Stage: 13U- All Tournament (2nd Team)

These players came to play during Saturday's games over the weekend. The Stage is where they proved to be worthy of being All Tournament players.    After watching Joshua play, what stood out most was his tenacity on defense. This young man was a terror on the defensive side of the ball. Whenever opposing guards attempted to drive by him, Joshua either stole the ball or crowded their space. He made handling the ball and being effective, very difficult for the opposition. A number of his baskets were scored off forced turnovers. This lead to many of his points coming off fast-breaking opportunities in transition. On the offensive side of the ball, Joshua was great at breaking down the defense and getting to the basket. Some of his scores were through contact, which lead to three-point play opportunities from the free-throw line. He was strong in the mid area of the perimeter. Joshua often attacked the defense with floaters and mid-range jump-shots. He also took advantage of his height and length by rebounding and blocking shots at a high level. I counted seven boards and two blocks during Saturday's game. This young man is a baller with a bright future. Keep it up Joshua!!     I loved watching this young man play Saturday afternoon. Ashur was a tough guard to handle for the opposition. He showed the ability to be the team's primary ball handler with great passing efficiency. When he needed to move to the shooting guard spot, Ashur proved it wouldn't be an issue. He's an excellent passer who lead his team in assists by finding teammates with precise dimes. Whenever Kentucky Ambition players found themselves open, Ashur always seemed to find them for easy scores. Offensively, this young guy made plays! He was great at getting to the rim and scoring. Sometimes despite being fouled by the opposition. Ashur can shoot the rock too! During the game I saw him knock down four threes despite being closely guarded with a hand in his face. Ashur is the kind of player who can catch fire and take over a game. He's a play-making guard who plays the game with a calm demeanor. Ashur has the capability of being a great combo guard in he future. Keep working Ashur!!     He's a crafty ball handler who breaks down defenses while making plays for his teammates. Kylan was the leading assists man in Saturday's game. Many of his passes were on the money and vital to the team's success. Every time Kylan spotted an open teammate, they were hit with precise dimes. Most lead to scores around the basket or along the perimeter. He was the smallest player on the court with the biggest heart. I really appreciated the effort he showed to make everyone better. Kylan was great at attacking the basket despite his size. Most of his scores came off floaters down the lane or shots from the perimeter. Defensively, he's excellent at applying on-ball pressure to opponents. He excelled at using his quickness to force turnovers. I watched Kylan steal the ball and score in transition multiple times. He made handling the basketball difficult for opposing guards. I've always had a soft spot for the "little guy." I believe Kylan has what it takes to be special player for years to come.     Zaedyan has the makings of a great point guard. He can do it all on the court in regard to scoring, passing, rebounding and defending. He showed the ability to drive by his opponents and make plays for his team. Either he scored at the basket or dished off passes to open teammates. Many of his dimes setup other players for easy lay-ups around the basket. Zaedyan was great at breaking down his opponent off the dribble. Most times he had his defender at a disadvantage because of his ball handling skills. On numerous occasions, I saw Zaedyan use dribble moves to clear enough space and get his shot off on the perimeter. This young man was a duel threat on offense. He knocks down threes, scores from mid-range and attacks the paint. On defense, he was able to play passing lanes and generate turnovers with his aggressive style of play. Zaedyan is a great point guard already at a young age. As he continues to grow and mature, this young man has the potential of becoming elite. Keep it up Zaedyan!!     Kobe was able to score in the paint by grabbing offensive rebounds, running the floor and catching passes from his point guard. He's what I call a "glue guy" in regard to doing everything on the basketball court. This young man was a dominating force on the boards. Every time I looked up, Kobe was either grabbing rebounds or fighting for them. He hustles to grab every loose ball, blocks all shots and occasionally hit the floor by taking charges. I appreciated the effort I saw from Kobe on Saturday. Whenever an opponent attacked the paint, he was there to either block or change their shot. Scoring at the basket wasn't easy for the opposing team. Kobe's an active player who used his athleticism to be problematic everywhere on the court. As I said, many of his effort plays came by grabbing rebounds and scoring on put-backs around the basket. Whenever the opportunity was there to score in transition, Kobe did so. He's the kind of player every coach loves to have. A player who plays with a team first mentality. Doing the "dirty work" can take a player far in the game of basketball. In my opinion, Kobe has these traits.     He's a very athletic big man who runs the floor, finishes in transition and dominates in the paint. During Saturday's game, Amarian was able to score at will in the post. The other team had no answers for his size and height. He knew the other team was at a disadvantage because he constantly called for the ball. In some instances, he was able to get to the free-throw line after being fouled. Some of the shots fell through, some didn't. Amarian was a man among boys in the paint. If he was in the game, the offense went through him. These circumstances lead to positive outcomes for his teammates because of double-teams. Defensively, Amarian blocked five shots in the game I watched Saturday. Whenever the opposing team attempted to penetrate the lane, he was there to turn them away. Being a good big man or an even better defender can take Amarian into the realm of greatness as he continues to grow and mature.     Zayden is a high energy player who showed the ability to be a jump-starter for the offense. He's a big-time scorer who always looked to put the ball in the basket. Zayden has a nice handle of the basketball. He used these dribbling skills to constantly beat opposing players to the rim. Where he really impressed me, was the ability he showed to effectively score from mid-range. I watched him beat numerous defenders with hesitation dribbles or cross-overs. This often freed him up for clean looks at the basket. He can also knock down threes when given the opportunity. Zayden did a little of everything on the court. He was one of the best rebounding guards on the floor. Zayden was relentless on the boards, despite being one of the smaller players. He didn't mind going into the paint and fighting for rebounds among the taller players. Defensively, Zayden plays with a high level of feistiness against opposing players. He's a tough minded guard who really pressured his opponent into mistakes. Zayden has the want and drive to become an even greater scorer as he matures. Keep working Zayden!!     Lucas is an excellent shooter who showed the capability of making long or mid-range shots. During Saturday's game, he was able to attack defenders and make plays for himself by scoring in the paint countless times. Lucas was great at finding teammates cutting to the basket with nice passes. He was able to be effective on the wing in isolated situations. It seemed like he scored every time he had a one-on-one match-up. Lucas is a very skilled player on the offensive side of the ball. He stayed aggressive whenever he was on the floor. Lucas was great at running the floor and finishing during fast break situations. One of his biggest strengths was the sheer hustle he had to be a part of every play on the court. On defense, he showed the lateral quickness needed to be a great defender. Lucas excelled at staying velcroed to opposing guards by crowding their space. He also shot passing lanes and forced numerous turnovers. Overall, this young man has the talent to become a top player in the near future. Keep it up Lucas!!

These players came to play during Saturday's games over the weekend. The Stage is where they proved to be worthy of being All Tournament players.