Windy City War: The Difference Makers- 13U

These players determined a team's wins or losses over the weekend. Every team needs those players who are known as difference makers.    Finnegan showed great leadership by communicating with his teammates on both ends of the floor. On offense he made sure everyone ran the correct sets. Defensively, he called out screens and player switches. Finnegan has a knack for cleaning up his teammates' misses and scoring around the basket. In some instances, he was able to make jump-shots from the perimeter. Finnegan shocked me when he made a three. I viewed him as strictly an inside player. Well, I guess I was proven wrong. He was great at setting screens. This allowed his teammates to shoot open jump-shots or attack the paint. On defense, Finnegan protected the paint and blocked multiple shots. Keep working Finnegan!!     Eli is the kind of player who makes all the hustle plays for his team. I watched a young man who gave maximum effort in helping his team win. He's a great rebounder who attacked the boards on offense and defense. Offensively, Eli scored tough baskets through contact. These scores sent him to the foul-line where he completed three-point plays. Whenever the Big 3 team ran the court, Eli finished strong at the rim. He chased down loose balls, set screens and played great defense. During the game, Eli defended the opposing team's guard. He forced a turnover by applying great man-to-man pressure. Whenever the opposing team attacked the paint, Eli was there to block or contest the shot. Keep grinding Eli!!     Malik is an aggressive combo guard who is skilled enough to play as the team's scorer or primary facilitator. He handles the ball with skill. Malik made plays by winning his one-on-one matchups. Either he scored in the paint or dished out assists to his teammates. Malik showed the ability to knock down short perimeter shots. He made a couple of threes by using the hesitation dribble to free himself. This allowed him to have good looks at the basket. He's a good passer who found his teammates cutting to the basket for easy scores. Malik is a talented guard who has a chance to be great in the near future. Keep it up Malik!!     This young man was definitely the TCDA team's best shooter. Deniro managed to find ways of making himself available on offense. He stayed in constant motion by running around player screens and having plays run for him. There was a sequence during the game, when Deniro caught fire. He knocked down two consecutive threes and energized his teammates. Occasionally, he attacked the paint and scored on lay-ups at the rim. Deniro was more effective shooting the ball. After watching him play, I can definitely see him as more of a shooter than a slasher. This young man has a weapon that all coaches want to have on their team. A great shooter! Keep firing Deniro!!     Tyell is an excellent rebounder who dominated the glass on both ends of the court. He led his team in rebounding throughout the game. The big man played a physical game. He scored in the paint with great post moves around the basket. The opposing post defenders had a difficult time containing him. Tyell was great on the defensive side of the ball. He showed the ability to guard in the post or the perimeter. Tyell held his own when he defended players on the wing. He did not allow himself to get beaten off the dribble. Tyell protected the paint by blocking and contesting shots. He is an excellent defender who will only get better as time goes on. Keep grinding Tyell!!     A shifty ball handler who used a variety of moves to get around defenders. Zabel is a team player who does all the necessary things to help his team win. Whether it's attacking the basket, fighting for rebounds, knocking down timely jump-shots or defending, Zabel was there to do it. He is an efficient passer. Whenever he saw teammates cutting to the rim, the pass was always on time. Most of his baskets were scored when the Pro Skills team ran the floor. Zabel scored three lay-ups in transition. In regard to defending, he excelled at timing the pass lanes and generating steals. Keep it up Zabel!!     The big man has the possibility of being a special player in the near future. His size gave him a distinct advantage over his opponents. Jimmy stands six foot five as a seventh grader. He was the best rebounder on the floor. Dominating the glass on both ends. He is not a polished scorer as of now, but that will come with continued growth. Many of his scores came off his teammates' misses or offensive rebounds. Defensively, is where Jimmy definitely shined! His physical presence made scoring a difficult task for the opposition. His size gave him an advantage as he protected the paint. He blocked multiple shots and altered many others. Keep working Jimmy!!     I enjoyed watching this young man play. The first time I saw him, Aarush was passive. Well, the second time was the charm! He was everywhere on the court. Aarush did most of the hustle plays for the Northwest Elite team. He rebounded on both ends of the floor. I watched him take charges and hit the floor for loose balls. Aarush had no issues doing whatever it took to help the team win. He had a knack for scoring tough baskets through contact. Some of those scores led to three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. Aarush confidently stepped to the line and knocked them down. On defense, Aarush was tenacious! He bodied up his opponent and attempted to steal the ball while applying pressure. Keep it up Aarush!!     A hardworking player who went after every ball in his vicinity. He was the most aggressive rebounding big man on the court. Ben plays the game like an athletic power forward. He runs the floor and scores during fast-break opportunities. This young man has great post skills. He used various pump-fakes and jump hooks to score over defenders. He also has the ability to make shots on the perimeter. On defense, he used his athleticism to block a couple of shots and be a strong presence in the paint. Ben finished the game with double-digit points and rebounds. He is a skilled player with a bright future in basketball. Keep it up Ben!!     Nasir is an excellent shooter from mid-range. He knocked down multiple shots on the perimeter, despite being tightly defended. In the post he used his size to score over smaller defenders. Whenever the [program_tooltip program_id='2830289' first='Vikings' last='United'] squad ran the floor, Nasir was a strong finisher during transition opportunities. He is a play-making forward who excelled at hitting teammates with pin-point passes. Most of his assists led to easy lay-ups or perimeter shots. Nasir can also rebound! I can't count all the times I watched him score after grabbing offensive boards. On defense, he was solid. Nasir was awesome at applying pressure on opposing players. He showed the ability to force turnovers and cause mistakes for the opposition.

These players determined a team's wins or losses over the weekend. Every team needs those players who are known as difference makers.