Prephoopsnext Middle School Camp- Indiana: Scoring Guards

Scoring was the name of the game Saturday afternoon! These players showcased why they're the best offensive players at camp.    This is my second write up for Aaron. He continues to be an excellent shooter of the basketball. This guy can knock down threes with the best of them! He was definitely one of the best shooters at the camp. Aaron did most of his damage in the three-on-three sessions. In the half-court setting, he attacked his opponent in isolated situations. This lead to Aaron driving to the basket or shooting pull-ups on the perimeter. He excelled at using the dribble to create space for himself. Creating space allowed him to effectively get his shot off. Whether it was from mid or long-range; He knocked the shot down! In the full court sessions, Aaron nailed threes and made plays on the defense. I watched him give maximum effort by forcing multiple steals and not allowing his man to score. There was even a shot block on his part! As I said in his first write up, Aaron has the capability of becoming a great player in the near future. Keep it up Aaron!!     Tandon's a tough minded guard who plays the game with no fear. Despite being a smaller guard, he showed his tough demeanor by going at bigger players offensively. He was great at finding ways to get his shot off. Whether it was beating his opponents to the basket, running around screens or creating space off the dribble; Tandon always found ways to get buckets! I really appreciated his fearlessness on the basketball court. On a number of occasions, he was able to attack bigger guards and score at the rim through contact. Tandon showed off his shot making ability during the full-court runs. He has an excellent shooting touch from beyond the arc. I watched him knock down a total of six threes despite being guarded most of the time. Defensively, he was great at applying pressure on opposing guards. He forced multiple steals throughout each session. Keep shooting Tandon!!     It was great watching Gabe play again over the weekend. He continues to be a great scorer who excels at giving the opponent all they can handle. He handles the basketball, gets to the rim and knocks down perimeter shots. Gabe's a great one-on-one player who destroyed opposing guards during the half-court sessions of camp. I can't count the number of times I watched him easily beat his opponent to the basket. He followed this by nailing multiple threes and banging in mid-range pull-ups. During the full-court runs, Gabe scored a lot of baskets in transition by running the floor and finishing. Some of his baskets came through contact, which lead to free-throw conversions. On defense, he was great at playing the passing lanes and forcing turnovers. Gabe has the kind of scorers mentality that could take him far in the game of basketball. Keep balling Gabe!!     This is my second write up of BJ. He continues to be a shot-maker. The first time I watched him play, He was able to score the ball in a variety of ways. Well, that continued over the weekend at the Middle school camp. BJ was one of the best scorers at the event. He's a strong guard who attacks the basket and scores despite being fouled by the opposition. He used hesitation moves to free himself for open looks at the basket. Many of those open looks on the perimeter went through the bottom of the net. BJ can also knock down threes when the shot's available to him. He's an athletic guard who runs the floor and finishes in transition. Defensively, he pressured opposing guards into turnovers by keeping active with his quick hands. BJ had multiple steals throughout the full-court runs.     I really enjoyed watching this little guy play over the weekend. Ben was the most passionate player I watched at the camp. He played with the kind of swagger every confident guard should have. He's a great ball handler and facilitator of the basketball. Ben threw flashy dimes that always seemed to be on the money. Whenever his teammates found themselves open, Ben had the ball on the spot for easy baskets. Every time Ben attacked the basket, his shot of choice was the floater. He often used this shot to be effective against taller defenders patrolling the paint. Ben was also effective shooting the three ball. During the full-court runs, he nailed four of them, occasionally using a nice step-back dribble to do so. Once again, I really appreciated the passion he showed to be on the court. I remember being by the bench and hearing him ask the coach when he could go in. Sounds like a player who really loves the game. Ben definitely has the capability of being a special player as he continues to grow and mature. Keep it up Ben!!     This little guy is a great shooter. After watching Louie play, I can honestly say, " he's a human flamethrower!" This kid lights it up from beyond the arc. During the full-court runs, Louie was able to use his miniature size to his advantage. He's very knowledgeable of how to use screens. Whenever his teammates set them, Louie freed himself for clean looks at the basket. Chasing him around on offense wasn't an easy task for defenders. Every time he spotted up behind the arc, most of his threes went down. Many of them came when Louie spotted up in the corner. He even nailed a couple in transition. He's also quick off the dribble. I saw him beat his defender on the baseline and scored on a floater over the big man protecting the paint. Louie nailed a total of six threes in all the games I watched Saturday afternoon. He's only a sixth grader and he's already a great shooter. Just imagine how much better he'll be as he continues to grow and mature. Keep working Louie!!

Scoring was the name of the game Saturday afternoon! These players showcased why they're the best offensive players at camp.