CBG Finale: Senior Standouts

14p 4r vs Woodside; 15p 5r 3a vs Massanutten   -Have really enjoyed watching the progression of Edwards' development as a W/F tweener that takes on any task with this Knights group. Edwards can switch 1-5, hits the glass extremely hard, has improved his handle to become a much more effective driver, and has really worked on his touch in the paint on putbacks and floaters. Edwards is especially dynamic in transition as a play-finisher that can fill the wing or race it upcourt himself. One of the youngest prospects in the class, I think we might see one more growth spurt before he graduates but still think the consistency and value that he brings to his team should be valued more by college coaches this year. As the co-captain of a Knights team that I think will be better than most expect this season, he will have plenty of opportunity to do so.     14p 8r 1s 5b vs Blue Ridge   -Ponder has worked hard on his body and that work is paying dividends as he is remaining in games for longer stretches of time to serve as an effective post presence for his team. The improved conditioning was needed because his motor is always running hot at both ends of the floor and you could tell that he had a hard time pacing himself because of his competitive edge. The 5 blocks were the most I've seen from him as he protected the rim both on and off the ball and he was finishing plays in traffic through the contact. Has a chance at All-MET as he will likely be one of the best bigs in the area this season.     16p 4r 1s vs Gillion   -Love the mix of perimeter scoring (three made 3s) and physical drives to the rim for Creasy in this one as he guarded anyone from 3-5 in this one. Creasy uses his length to shoot over opponents on the perimeter or at the rim with a nice shooting touch from all 3 levels. Liked his patience as a scorer within the halfcourt that used a nice bag of up fakes and pivots to score around the basket amongst the trees. Expect the East Carolina commit to have a big season for Blue Ridge team that needs his scoring/production.     13p 6r 2a vs St. James   -When Kodi plays with confidence he is one of the better shooting/scoring wings in the state. Kodi had a very balanced game against a good StJ team as he showed that he can hit C+S looks from the wings, score on faders from the paint or short corner, and fly in for some offensive rebounds here and there. Want to see him be more assertive as a driver in the half court because he usually makes good decisions with the ball in his hands.     24p 9r 2b vs Friendship Tech Prep   -Standout performance in a close loss for Augare-Deal as he's showed vast improvement over the course of this offseason. He scored on a run out lay off the window, hit a runner with the right coming across the paint, knocked down two C+S 3s, scored on a well-timed roll for the righty lay off window, walked into a 3 off the dribble, swished through a post fader off the catch, and came down with a great rebound in traffic and kept the ball high for the putback off window. His sprinting endurance and second jump have REALLY improved to make him a consistent threat to score around the basket while the ballhandling/scoring have also taken nice steps forward.     15p 9a 4r 2s vs Massanutten; 6p 4a 2s vs Woodside   -One of the best floor general PGs in the country, Bivins showed what he could do while leading his team to two double-digit wins against good VA teams. The cross court and pocket passes off a live dribble set the table for some really easy looks at the rim for his teammates and he finished the day with a 13-1 assist to turnover ratio. Bivins is also taking opportunities to pressure the ball, collecting 4 steals in the 2 games while forcing turnovers in the halfcourt as he has gotten better at cutting off driving angles to the rim. Want to see him call his own number a few more possessions each game and beef up his FTA with more trips to the free throw line but I don't know many prospects in the area that are more valuable to their teams than Bivins.     10p 4r 3b 1a vs St. James   -Norcome overcame a rough offensive 1H by showcasing his defensive abilities in a tightly-contested game. Norcome's value as a physical leaper that can guard 1-4 at the HS level cannot be understated as MZ graduates a ton of scoring and depth from last year's group. Want to see him utilize his quick first step and long strides to become a more consistent slasher that always puts pressure on the defense to rotate.