9th Annual Gatorade Invitational: Wings and Scoring Guards 2030

These players are known for their ability to score the basketball. Everyone on this list played vital roles to their team's success.    Zach is an excellent ball handler who excels at creating his own shots. He easily drove past defenders, attacked the paint and dished off assists to teammates around the basket. If he decided to take the shot, it usually ended with a high arching floater. Zach showed his skills as a shooter. In isolated situations, he used great dribble moves to free himself for mid-range jump-shots. There were a couple of instances in the game where Zach brought the ball up-court, stopped at the three-point line and knocked them down. This shows his prowess as a legitimate threat from behind the arc. Zach will continue to grow as an all around player. He already has the ability to be a scorer and play-maker. Just imagine how good he will become as his game continues to progress.     Leo is an all around team player who does whatever the team needs to be successful. If he needed to score, he made it happen. When HoopGeeks had fast-break opportunities, he finished strong at the rim. Leo was a monster on the glass! He scored the majority of his points by grabbing offensive rebounds. Leo had no problems battling opposing players in the paint, despite being undersized. This young man hustled to make plays all over the court. Leo is the type of player who takes charges, dives for loose balls and does all the necessary “dirty work.” Whenever a defensive play was needed, Leo locked down his opponent with tough physical defense. His pressure and timing led to forced turnovers and blocked shots. Keep it up Leo!!     Knox was great at handling the basketball, knocking down perimeter shots and being a facilitator. He's a fearless player who always looked to score by staying aggressive for the duration of the game. It did not matter who guarded him, Knox was on a mission to make positive plays. Anytime he got into the lane, Knox looked to either pass or score. Some of his assists were on the flashy side. There was one that stood out above the rest. He drove down the lane and hit the power forward with a no-look bounce pass, which he easily scored. Knox is a scrappy player who does whatever he needs to win games. Keep it up Knox!!                                                                                                                                                          TJ reminded me of a point forward after watching him play. He handled the basketball, scored, assisted and defended. TJ showed his skills as a play-maker with precise passing and leadership. He attacked the basket and scored tough baskets around the rim. In some cases, he was the primary facilitator within the IE Indy Hoops offense. After bringing the ball up-court, TJ showed a knack for hitting teammates with precise passes. Whether it was IE Indy Hoops players cutting in the lane or flowing around within the offense, TJ always made the right play. Defensively, he used his length to be disruptive. TJ made handling the ball and getting pass him a difficult task for the opposition. If TJ improves his scoring ability, the sky's the limit for this young man. Keep working TJ!!     Tobi was an offensive machine for the Kobe Elite team. He's an elite ball handler who showed the ability to be a creative scorer. Tobi made defenders look average when he beat them off the dribble. This led to easy scores at the rim. He showcased a package of lay-ups which proved to be effective. Whether it was floaters, reverse lay-ups or straight drives to the basket, Tobi was hard to handle. I was surprised to see him knock down shots from three-point range. After watching him play in the first half, I viewed him strictly as a slasher. I guess his shooting ability was a weapon he decided to show in the second half of play. On defense, he applied great on-ball pressure to opposing guards. Tobi is an "effort player". He dives on the floor after loose balls and plays the pass lanes. Tobi forced numerous turnovers while being a nuisance to the opposition. Tobi lead the team in scoring with 17 points.     A shifty point guard who excelled at scoring the basketball. Brian is an elite ball handler! He routinely beat defenders off the dribble and made positive plays for Kobe Elite. Whenever he found himself in one-on-one match-ups, Brian dominated. There were points in the game where he used excellent dribbling moves to attack the paint and score. The floater was a shot he consistently made throughout the game. Brian is not shy of taking and making three-pointers. In the match-up against Kokomo Swish, he knocked down four shots from beyond the arc. He led his team in assists as the top play-making option for Kobe Elite. Defensively, he locks down opposing guards. Brian made handling the ball a difficult task for the Kokomo Swish back-court. He forced multiple steals with the on-ball pressure he applied. Brian shows legitimate signs of being a future great.

These players are known for their ability to score the basketball. Everyone on this list played vital roles to their team's success.