Queen City Clash- Rising Stars 12U

These young men showed the skills that made them worthy of being Rising Stars! After watching them play, I see a very bright future ahead of them.    Michael displayed an excellent all-around game over the weekend. He's a good ball handler who showed the ability to beat defenders off the dribble and make plays. Whether it was attacking the basket or kicking out passes to teammates, he always made the right decision. Michael was able to knock down threes and score during fast-breaks whenever opportunities were available. He's a great on-ball defender. Michael forced numerous steals with his pressure on the Griffin Elite guards. This young man is a good all-around player who could become great in the near future. Keep working Michael!!     I've always had a soft spot for the "little guy." Zacchaeus was one of the toughest players on the floor. I watched this young man play with a great amount of heart and fearlessness. He did everything he could to help his team win. Zacchaeus was great at handling the ball and setting up Unit 12U players with easy shots at the basket. He threw slick bounce passes and a couple of no-look dimes. Many of these assists were successfully converted by his teammates. He drove into the paint and scored on numerous shots despite being contacted by players much bigger than himself. These plays showed the toughness Zacchaeus plays with. Defensively, he was a pest for the opposition. Zacchaeus used his quick hands to force turnovers and pressure opponents into mistakes. Keep it up Zacchaeus!!     Kyson excelled at handling the ball and scoring from everywhere on the floor. In the first game of the day, he easily attacked the basket and made plays for the Griffin Elite squad. Whether it was lane penetration, mid-range shots or long distance threes, All the shots were falling for Kyson. He's a decent passer who made numerous plays. Many of his assists led to easy baskets for his teammates. On defense, Kyson gave maximum effort by poking at the ball and being a pest to his opponents. He caused multiple turnovers by pressuring opposing guards into mistakes. Kyson is a great all-around shooting guard. As long as he continues to enhance his skills, the possibilities of him becoming greater would be endless. Keep working Kyson!!     The first thing I noticed about Noah, was his ability to attack the basket. He stayed in constant "attack mode" throughout the game. Noah was the best one-on-one player on the court. He used a great first step to blow by opponents and attack the rim. On multiple occasions, Noah scored tough baskets despite being fouled by the opposition. Some of his baskets led to three-point opportunities from the foul-line. Of course Noah knocked them down. Whenever the Griffin Elite squad had chances to run the court, Noah was great at scoring in transition. This young man is a great scorer who constantly pressured the Unit 12U defense to slow him down. Just imagine how dangerous Noah will be as he continues to grow and mature? Keep scoring Noah!!     Shane already has the game of a legit power forward. He plays strong inside the paint by using his size to dominate smaller defenders. Shane attacked the glass on both ends of the court. Offensively, he grabbed rebounds and scored on put-backs around the basket. On the defensive end he constantly battled opposing players inside the paint. Many of his defensive boards led to outlet passes, which setup fast-break opportunities for his teammates. I was pleasantly surprised after watching Shane step out the paint and nail perimeter shots. He was so dominant in the post, I didn't realize he could be effective outside the paint. Well, I guess this young man proved me wrong. On defense, Shane blocked multiple shots and protected the paint area. Whenever opposing players attacked the lane, he used his size to make scoring difficult. Keep it up Shane!!

These young men showed the skills that made them worthy of being Rising Stars! After watching them play, I see a very bright future ahead of them.