MYT "7th and 8th Grade Boys School Team Short League- Batch 2

This second group of players showed up and showed out this past Saturday. The skills they showed made them worthy of Prephoops Next write ups.    Blake is a shifty guard who excelled at scoring the basketball. He's a great ball handler who beats opponents off the dribble. This led to positive plays for Team Blaze 2030. Whenever he found himself in one-on-one match-ups, Blake dominated. This is my second write up of Blake and I must say, he did not disappoint. There were moments in the game when he used great hesitation moves to attack the paint and score. The floater was a shot he made on a consistent basis. Blake continues to be a great three-point shooter. During the match-up against Beech Grove, he knocked down four shots from beyond the arc. He also showed excellent play-making skills by leading the team in assists. Defensively, he locked down opposing guards by making ball handling a difficult task. Blake shows signs of being a future great.     Elijah is a tough minded guard who goes at his opponents. He stays in “attack mode” throughout the game and plays with no fear. Elijah is a good ball handler who easily breaks down opposing players, attacks the paint and scores. Offensively, his shot of choice was a mid-range jumper fading away from the defense. Whenever he used the dribble to beat his opponent, Elijah created just enough space to knock down a high percentage of his shots. He's a flashy passer and play-maker. Most of his assists led to easy scores for his teammates. Whether it was a bounce or no-look pass, Elijah was always on the money. Whenever the opportunity was there to make threes, he showed the ability to do so. He finished the game with three of them. Elijah is a excellent shooting guard who has the capability of having a great season in Middle School basketball.     Titus did everything for Team Blaze 2031. He's a excellent ball handler who shows the ability to be a creative scorer. Titus easily beat defenders to the rim. He has a package of lay-ups which proved to be effective. Whether it was floaters, reverse lay-ups or straight drives to the basket, Titus was hard to handle. I was surprised to see him convert multiple shots from behind the three-point line. After watching him play in the first half, I viewed him as strictly a slasher. He freely attacked the basket at will, despite being tightly defended by the opposition. Titus showed off a jump-shot he could effectively use whenever he needed. On defense, he applied excellent pressure on opposing players. Titus dives on the floor after loose balls and plays the passing lanes. He forced a number of turnovers and mistakes from the opposition.     Apollos showed his skills as a rebounder and scorer. He excelled at rebounding on both ends of the court. Apollos attacked the glass with as much ferocity as he did when he scored. He handles the ball well and shows a knack for making the right play. Apollos has the skills to be a great passer. Many of his assists led to high percentage shots for his teammates. As it pertains to scoring, Apollos showed his versatility by doing it in a variety of ways. Whether it was attacking the basket, scoring in the post or knocking down mid-range jumpers, guarding him was difficult for the opposition. Defensively, he used his speed and quickness to be effective against opposing players. His effort forced numerous steals from the opposing team. Apollos is a good scorer who has a chance to become great in the future.      I enjoyed watching Cooper dominate the boards. He excelled at rebounding on both ends of the court. With his hustle and determination, Cooper showed why he is a guy who does all the dirty work. He attacked the glass with the same ferocity as he did offensively. Most of his baskets came from grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring around the rim. Cooper is the type of player who does whatever his team needs to win games. He fought his opponents for loose balls and grabbed every rebound he got his hands on. Whenever Cooper needed to score, he showed that he is capable. He showed off a nice shooting touch by knocking down a number of perimeter shots that were vital to the teams' success. Defensively, Cooper was great at protecting the paint and guarding on the perimeter. He blocked multiple shots and forced numerous turnovers. Cooper is what I call a "glue guy." One of the most valuable assets to a basketball team.

This second group of players showed up and showed out this past Saturday. The skills they showed made them worthy of Prephoops Next write ups.