Indiana State Tournament: All Tournament-1st Team 14U

The top players were on display for all to see at the Indiana State Tournament. These young men showed why they are worthy of being 1st Team All tournament players.    This is my second write up for Luke. He continues to be an excellent floor leader for [program_tooltip program_id='2076162' first='Team' last='Blaze Select'] 2029. During the game against Mac Elite a new skill boiled to the surface. After watching him play the first time, he didn't focus on rebounding the basketball. Now he makes it a point to attack the glass on both sides of the ball. There were numerous occasions. Where Luke followed up his teammates misses with easy put-backs around the basket. Many of his defensive boards led to transition starters for his team. He continues to be a great ball handler who can make plays for other Team Select players. Many of his passes were on the money. Luke excels at scoring in the paint and knocking down three pointers. He continues to show why his future is bright at the point guard position. Luke finished the game with ( 15 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds. )     Tal is a scorer! He was the most un-guard-able player on the floor. He's a tough shot-maker who showed a knack of scoring through contact. He had numerous three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. Tal was aggressive throughout the game. He kept pressure on the Mac Elite defense by staying in constant “ attack mode.” Tal showed off elite ball handling skills by easily beating defenders off the dribble. Either he scored on floaters, reverse lay-ups or straight line drives to the basket. Tal also showed off a great shooting touch from long range. In the match-up against Mac Elite, he knocked down four contested threes. As I said, this young man could not be stopped regardless of who guarded him. Tal is an awesome player who I really enjoyed watching! He has a great future ahead of him in the game of basketball. I can easily see him transitioning into high school basketball with no issues.     He plays the center position more like a point forward. Devin handles the basketball, facilitates the offense and shows high play-making ability. He's an excellent post player who dominated smaller defenders with his scoring ability. I was thoroughly impressed with his ability to lead the fast-break and find players with accurate passes. Devin ran the court and scored numerous baskets in transition. He showed off his athleticism in various ways Saturday morning. Whether it was snatching rebounds, breaking down players off the dribble or knocking down perimeter shots, Devin was always the focal point of the SVO Elite offense. Defensively, he patrolled the paint and blocked multiple shots. Whenever opposing players attacked the basket, Devin was there to alter the shot. Keep working Devin!!     Quinton continues his stellar play at the point guard position. Nothing has changed since the last write up I gave him. He's still a great floor leader who runs the Era Elite offense with precision and efficiency. Quinton has a knack for making the right play despite any circumstance the team may be in. He led his team in assists and scoring this time around. The first time I watched him play, he was the second leading scorer but the lead assists man. Quinton easily broke down defenders and attacked the basket. He often scored tough lay-ups and floaters down the lane. Quinton continues to be an excellent shooter from the perimeter. Whether it's mid or long range, he found ways to convert a high percentage of his shots. On defense, he was great at jumping pass lanes and generating steals. Most of his steals led to easy transition points for the Era Elite squad. Quinton is a great young player who I affectionately call “ point guard.” He finished the game with ( 19 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals )     I enjoyed watching this young man play basketball. JP showed off a nice touch from the perimeter. It didn't matter if he scored in the post, nailed mid-range shots or converted on threes, JP had the complete package working for him. In the post he used his size to effectively score on smaller defenders. I was pleasantly surprised by JP's agility. He's a nice size player who I didn't expect to beat players off the dribble. Well, he definitely proved me wrong because JP did just that! He used a variety of great moves to get around opponents. These one-on-one moves led to easy scores at the rim. I truly appreciated his ability to score from mid-range. JP was so effective from fifteen feet. I could see the amount of work he put in to weaponize his shot. The mid-range game doesn't exist much in today's game. It was refreshing to see a young player taking advantage of converting easier shots. Do not be fooled! JP can also knock down threes. I watched him make three of them in Saturday's game. He was great at rebounding the basketball on both ends of the court. I believe JP is ready for high school basketball. His offensive skills will make him a viable threat next school year. Keep balling JP!!     Brady was the best shooter I watched in the 2029 class. I showed up to his first game late, so I missed seeing his shooting skills. I made a point to watch his second game. Brady told me he would score twenty. Well he scored eight points better. Brady is the kind of player that catches fire after he sees the first shot go down. After knocking down his first three, Brady reeled off another three straight. He's very knowledgeable about finding ways to shake off defenders and score. The 502 Elite players and coaches played a vital role in freeing Brady up for clean looks at the basket. This was done by setting screens and running a motion style of offense. Brady is an excellent defensive rebounder. He attacked the glass with as much ferocity as he did offensively. Despite being smaller than the opposing wing players, he battled for every board he could get his hands on. Brady is a shooting threat who any coach would love to have. I was told he's the best middle school shooter in Kentucky. Well, after seeing him in action, I would say “ it's a true statement.” Brady finished the game with ( 28 points, 6-12 three-pointers )     In my opinion, Khylan was the best point guard in the 2029 class. His overall skills stood out during the Indiana State Tournament. This young man is the complete package! He's a shifty guard with elite ball handling skills. Khylan showed the ability to attack defenders going either right or left. He excelled at using a quick first-step to beat defenders to the basket. Most of his drives led to easy scores at the rim. Khylan showed all the traits of being a great play-maker. His flashy passes always led to high percentage shots for his teammates. He's a high energy player who looks to push the pace and attack opposing defenses. Khylan also showed the ability to knock down short perimeter shots and long distance threes. Whether it was scoring, assisting or rebounding, Khylan was a major problem for the 502 Elite team. He played great on-ball defense and forced opposing guards into mistakes. He was also adept at jumping pass lanes and generating steals. Khylan is an elite player who has the talent to play varsity basketball next season as a true freshman. Keep it up Khylan!!     Charleston is a new age power forward. The power forwards of today's game play are completely different from the traditional back-to-the-basket power forwards of past years. Charleston runs the floor, shows athleticism, attacks the basket and handles the basketball like a guard. In the first game, I watched Charleston grab defensive rebounds and drive the ball coast-to-coast on multiple occasions. Whenever he dominated the offensive glass, Charleston gave the Dayton Swish team second chance opportunities to score. On some occasions, he cleaned up his teammates' misses by scoring on put-backs around the basket. Charleston had a knack for scoring tough baskets in the paint. This led to three-point play chances from the foul-line. He excelled at blocking shots and maintaining a defensive presence in the paint. Charleston was great at extending his defense outside the interior. In some instances, he was forced to guard smaller players on the wing. He used his athleticism to hold his own, by keeping his opponent in front of him. Charleston is a great player on both sides of the ball. I expect him to have an immediate impact on the high school team he plays with next season. Keep it up Charleston!!

The top players were on display for all to see at the Indiana State Tournament. These young men showed why they are worthy of being 1st Team All tournament players.