Indiana State Tournament: Difference Makers and Glue Guys 14U

These young men played their roles well! They showed how being a difference maker or glue guy played a vital part of a team's success.    This is my second write up for Josh and I must say, “he didn't disappoint.” He continues to be surprisingly agile for his size. Josh has the body and strength of a power forward, but the shiftiness and ball handling of a guard. Every time I watch him play, he makes a play that has you shake your head. In the second game against [program_tooltip program_id='2076162' first='Team' last='Blaze Select'] 2029, Josh broke two defenders off the dribble, attacked the paint but missed the shot. It was a great play because he beat one off the dribble and immediately beat the next player coming his way. He's a great all-around player who scores inside, knocks down perimeter shots and defends. Josh also scores in transition when the opportunities are available. He excelled at grabbing rebounds and defending in the paint despite being shorter than his opponent. When Josh was in the game, the opposing power forward didn't score a point. Keep working Josh!!     Cam had a quiet game during the mourning session of the Indiana State Tournament. In the rematch against Mac Elite he came to play. This is my second write up of Cam and I have to say, “ he did not disappoint.” Cam attacked the glass with a ferocity he didn't show in game one. Despite being shorter than the bigs of Mac Elite, he held his own. Offensively, Cam showed the same shooting skills I saw the first time I wrote him up. He knocked down three shots from mid-range on three of his team's first six possessions. Cam also made all the hustle plays for the [program_tooltip program_id='2076162' first='Team' last='Blaze Select'] 2029 squad. This was a strength he showed the first time I watched him play. He chases down loose balls, takes charges, makes the right passes and defends. He always made the right play at the right time. On defense, Cam stayed attached to his opponent by not allowing him to have clean looks at the basket. He also altered shots in the paint by the opposition. Great young player who can definitely make a difference at the high school level. Keep working Cam!!     Cooper is the “ hustle guy “ for the SVO Elite team. He always found himself near the basketball. Whether it was rebounding, scoring inside, taking charges or defending, Cooper found ways to be effective on the court. He was the kind of player who took pride in grabbing rebounds. Cooper attacked the glass on both ends of the floor. I'm confident he finished the game with close to ten boards. Cooper also showed the ability to be a play-maker. Many of his assists led to easy scores and positive outcomes for SVO Elite. Don't be fooled! Cooper does all the intangibles, but he also scores. Whenever he was left alone behind the three-point line, Cooper calmly knocked them down. He is a hard-nosed defender who came up with timely blocks and steals. The pressure he applied on the opposition caused numerous turnovers. Keep it up Cooper!!     A tough player who showed the ability to score inside and knock down mid-range shots on the perimeter. Dajuan is a tough shot maker. During the game against Dayton Swish 2029, he used a quick first-step to blow by his defender and score tough baskets around the rim. Sometimes these scores led to three-point play opportunities from the free-throw line. I was impressed by his rebounding prowess at the guard spot. Dajuan attacked the glass with the same ferocity as he did on offense. Especially when he grabbed offensive rebounds. Many of his points inside came from put-backs around the basket. Whenever the team had chances to score, Dejuan was one of the focal points of the 502 Elite offense. On defense, he excelled at forcing turnovers with on-ball steals. He also played the pass lanes with success. Dajuan is a physical guard who should make a smooth transition into high school basketball. Keep it up Dajuan!!     Derez did everything for the 502 Elite team. He played the small forward position like a point forward. Derez is a great ball handler who facilitates the basketball and gets into the paint. In some instances, he beat his defender off the dribble, drove into the lane and scored tough floaters. If the shot wasn't available, he dished off assists to his teammates near the basket or along the perimeter. Derez also scores in transition and knocks down threes. Some of his threes were converted when he used the dribble to create space. His step-back move allowed him to connect on multiple shots from beyond the arc. Derez was a terror on the defensive end of the floor. He used his length to force four steals with great on-ball defense. He even had a couple of blocks during the game. He's a great two-way player who has a promising future ahead of him.     Trae continues to do all the dirty work for his team. He's a hardworking player who hustles on every play. Whether it's scoring tough baskets inside, rebounding or playing defense, Trae was a positive influence on the basketball court. This is my second write up of Trae. The first time I watched him play, he showed off his athleticism. Well, this continues to be the case, Trae is an excellent rebounderl. He dominates the glass on both ends of the floor. Many of his baskets came from grabbing offensive rebounds or cleaning up the misses of his teammates. Trae is a high riser! I wish I could see the high rising dunks I see in warm-ups during the game. Defensively, Trae excels at blocking shots and playing physical in the paint against the opposition. In my opinion, Trae has what it takes to be a great player at the high school level. Once he improves his game offensively, the sky's the limit for this young man. Keep it up Trae!!     Cash is a player who has the length to be effective on offense and defense. Offensively, Chase attacked every opponent who attempted to guard him on the wing. Sometimes he drove the ball into the paint, other times he dished off passes to his teammates. Cash has a great mid-range shot! During the game, he used a great hesitation dribble to free himself for an easy look at the rim. What made the play special, was the way he lost his defender with the move. As I said, this young man extends himself on both sides of the ball. Defensively, is where Cash excelled. He forced three steals with his quick hands and length. Whenever the ball was lazily thrown, Cash jumped the pass lane and started fast-break opportunities for the Era Elite team. He drew charges and finished with a couple of blocks. Great all-around player who will be a problem for opposing coaches in the future. Keep it up Cash!!     Joseph is a great defensive player! This young man showed the ability to make plays on the basketball court. Whether it was scoring, rebounding, passing or defending, Joseph was always around the basketball. He was part of a great defensive team who generated many turnovers. Joseph was one of the main contributors to stealing the basketball. He finished the game with four of them. Rebounding was also a strong part of his game at the guard position. He had no problem attacking the glass on both ends of the court. Joseph was great at beating his opponent to the rim for easy scores. As I said, he's a hardworking player who gives maximum effort on the floor. Keep it up Joseph!!

These young men played their roles well! They showed how being a difference maker or glue guy played a vital part of a team's success.