Prephoopsnext Middle School Camp- Indiana: Power Forwards

The big men showed up and showed out this weekend! These young men showed a variety of skills that made them the best at their positions.    I was really impressed with this young man's agility Saturday afternoon. Jeremiah excelled at scoring in the paint, grabbing rebounds and scoring in transition. In the three-on-three sessions, he was able to score in the post with a variety of moves. These moves effectively dominated smaller players. He also showed an excellent shooting touch on the perimeter by nailing multiple jump-shots. In the full-court runs, Jeremiah shocked me with his quick first step. He used this quick step to beat defenders to the basket numerous times. He gave maximum effort by running the floor and scoring during fast-breaks. Jeremiah was the best rebounding big man at camp. He dominated the glass on both sides of the floor. Many of his points in the full court runs came from offensive boards and put-backs around the rim. On defense, Jeremiah blocked a couple of shots and protected the paint from opposing players.     When I spoke with Kash, he told me he's a combo guard. After watching him play, I saw a power forward. Kash spent a lot of time in the paint. He posted up players and used great footwork to get his shot off over smaller defenders. Most of his damage offensively was done in the three-on three sessions. He was able to score in the box and knock down mid-range jumpers. Once the full-court runs began, Kash was able to make all the hustle plays for his team. Whether it was setting screens, taking charges, chasing down loose balls or grabbing boards; Kash excelled at doing all the "dirty work." Some of his baskets came from grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring on put-backs. As I said, Kash told me he's a combo guard, maybe he is. I just didn't witness it. What I saw Saturday, was a power forward who played well at the position. Hopefully, I'll see him play again. Maybe I can see the combo guard the next time around. Keep grinding Kash!!     This is my second write up of Za'Kari. He continues to be an excellent all-around scorer who does it in various ways. Za'Kari's agility has always been impressive to watch. He's a big man who has the ability to handle the ball and be a play-maker. Za'Kari has a great first-step he often used to blow by his opponents. He also has the skills to dominate smaller players in the post. Za'Kari was effective in both sessions. ( three-on-three and full-court) In the the full court runs, he was able to beat defenders to the basket on numerous occasions. It was awesome watching the big man out run smaller guards and beating them to the basket. These baskets were either during transition or Iso situations on the wing. Za'Kari continues to display a great shooting touch from everywhere on the floor. During the game he knocked down multiple shots on the perimeter and nailed a couple of threes. He was a great rebounder the first time I watched him play. Well, that hasn't changed. He continues to dominate the glass on both ends of the court. Defensively, Za'Kari blocked shots, protected the paint and forced opponents into turnovers. This young man has the skills to have a successful career in basketball. Keep it up Za'Kari!!     I was really proud of this guy Saturday afternoon! The first time I wrote up Nate, he lacked confidence and played nervous. Well, he played like a different person the second time around. Nate showed off some good post moves in the paint. He used his size and length to score over smaller defenders. Nate brought out a weapon I had no idea he had in the arsenal. He can really shoot the ball from the perimeter. I watched Nate nail a high percentage of his shots from mid-range during the full-court runs. In some situations he was task with bringing the ball up court. He was able to do this under control and without turning it over. Many of his scores came off grabbing rebounds for easy put-backs around the rim. Nate also did the "dirty work" by setting screens, taking charges and fighting for rebounds. Defensively, he continues to be a great shot-blocker. He denied a number of players attempting to score in the paint. As long as he continues to put in the work, Nate will be a successful player at the high school level next season.     Brady has the ability to catch and shoot effectively from three point range. He showed the ability to score in a variety of ways during Saturday's game. Brady shot threes with relative ease. He has an excellent shooting form with great ball rotation on his shot. Brady plays with an aggressive style on both ends of the floor. On offense he's constantly looking for ways to free himself for clean looks at the basket. On defense, he physically defends opposing players attempting to score in the paint. Brady's a steady defender who stays with his man on the defensive end of the court. He also set screens and grabbed rebounds on both ends of the court. Many of his defensive boards lead to positive plays such as outlet passes and transition starters. Brady's a player with a good all-around feel for the game. Keep it up Brady!!

The big men showed up and showed out this weekend! These young men showed a variety of skills that made them the best at their positions.