Prephoops The Expo: Kentucky- Team 5 Standouts

Kentucky has an abundance of talent in regard to basketball. These players showed why they may be some of the best in the state.    Emmanuel is a great scorer! Whether it's getting to the basket, converting shots from mid-range or knocking down three pointers, he always found ways of being effective on Team 5. He's an excellent ball handler who showed the ability to make plays. There were moments during the game when he found teammates cutting to the basket. The majority of his assists led to easy scores for his teammates. Emmanuel is a great rebounder who showed no fear of battling opponents in the paint. He attacked the glass on both ends of the floor. As I said, this young man is a scorer. He knocked down multiple threes, attacked the basket and stayed aggressive throughout the game. Defensively, Emmanuel was a terror! He played the pass lanes and generated steals with great on-ball pressure.     Johnathan excels at getting to the rim. He's a strong guard who scores through contact. This led to numerous three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. I was impressed by his drive to score every time the opportunity presented itself. Whenever Team 5 had chances to push the pace, they made positive plays. Johnathan was the guy who handled the ball in these situations. He showed the ability to find teammates with great passes in transition. A number of his baskets came during fast-breaks. Whenever he had a chance to score on the perimeter, Johnathan had no problem taking advantage of the situation. On defense, he was great at pressuring opposing guards into turnovers. Johnathan is an excellent young player with a bright future ahead of him. He finished the game with three steals and double-digit points.     Cooper is a shifty guard who had no issues getting what he wanted on the basketball court. He's an excellent ball handler, scorer, and play-maker. Whenever he found himself isolated against a player, Cooper used a great first step to beat his opponent off the dribble. Most of his assists came from drawing in defenders off dribble drives to the basket. Cooper scored the ball in a variety of ways. Whether it was attacking the paint, knocking down mid-range shots, or extending his range beyond the three-point line, he was tough to handle for the opposition. Cooper was a sniper from beyond the arc. He knocked down four in the match-up versus Team 6. Cooper is a special player who can score with the best of them.     Xavier plays his position extremely well. He's the perfect prototype of a Power forward/Center. Xavier showed the knowledge and skills of what it takes to succeed in basketball. He's a great rebounder on both ends of the court. Many of his offensive boards led to easy put-backs or second chance opportunities for his teammates. He showed great post presence by dominating his opponent in the paint, often scoring tough baskets while being contacted. Xavier showed off a nice touch from the perimeter, often knocking down mid-range shots from the baseline. Whenever transition opportunities were available, Xavier finished strong at the rim. Defensively, the opposing team felt his presence in the paint. He finished the game with a couple of blocks and a few steals. Xavier has the skills to become an elite player in the coming years.     Trey is an impressive basketball player. The big man was unstoppable inside the paint. Whenever he had smaller defenders guarding him, Trey quickly took advantage of the situation. Sometimes he scored through contact, often leading to three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. He dominated the glass on both ends of the court. Trey finished the game with a double-double in points and rebounds. He showed his athleticism by handling the ball and going coast to coast during a fast-break. Trey also attacked the basket and finished with a nasty wind-mill dunk. He has a nice shooting touch from the perimeter. During the match up against Team 6, Trey was a scoring threat from every area of the court. On defense he protected the paint, blocked shots, and made scoring difficult for opposing players.     Nicholas is the ultimate team player! He does all the intangibles on the basketball court. Whether it's rebounding, assisting, scoring or defending, Nicholas showed a knack for making plays. If the team needed a crucial rebound or defensive play, he made it happen. Most of his baskets came off hustle plays. He fought for rebounds and scored on put-backs around the basket. Nicholas also showed the ability to knock down jump-shots. His aggressive style of defense forced multiple turnovers from opposing players. In some instances, Nicholas showed off his passing ability by finding teammates cutting to the basket for easy scores. As I said, this young man is a great team player who excels at doing all the intangibles. Nicholas has the capability of become a great two-way player in the future.

Kentucky has an abundance of talent in regard to basketball. These players showed why they may be some of the best in the state.