Solid Starts to the Season

Effective performances through the first slate of games in a season can work wonders for a student athlete building a confident foundation for the year. Below are a handful of standouts that have come out of the gate swinging.    Shawn is a fast, versatile player that thrives off physicality and top-tier competition. He's an absolute bucket in the paint, often using his body to create space and draw contact simultaneously. He's developing quickly and his start this season backs that up - he's averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds on nearly 50% shooting through his first three games. He's a spark plug for his squad, especially on the offensive end, pure hustle and heart and not afraid to make his presence known vocally. He's got great vision on the drive, frequently kicking it to teammates with success for easy points in transition. His pump fakes are next level which make him an absolute handful to defend and he stretches the floor nicely with a shooting range that extends beyond the arc.     Kai is a shifty, lengthy point guard with a pull-up game that is off the charts, often leaving his defenders in pure misery. He came out hot in his season debut with 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists and he's shown no signs of slowing down. He's an incredibly skilled ballhandler and he never panics under pressure, always seeming poised no matter what the circumstances are on the floor. He's got a nice, high arc on his jumper, which allows him to sink buckets over long defenders with ease. He can swish it from several feet beyond the arc, which virtually makes him an offensive threat as soon as he crosses half-court. He's excellent at finding teammates off the dribble with wide-open, easy opportunities and he does it often with the amount of defensive attention he draws.     Kameron is a quick-thinking, smart point guard that reads what the defense gives him and figures out multiple ways to success in rapid fashion. He's an impressive passer with natural instincts that he takes advantage of nicely - often finding open teammates on the break and getting them easy opportunities. He's come out blazing to start the season, averaging 24 points across his first handful of games while frequently filling out the rest of the stat sheet to go along with his scoring. He can take it coast to coast on his defender before they fully realize what happened and he's also a master at taking charges and creating easy turnovers for the opposition that his team can capitalize on.     Issac is a long, skilled forward that is a matchup nightmare for smaller defenders. He's an absolute beast on the glass on both ends and he's never lacking when it comes to pure hustle and attitude. He has excellent feet in the paint and uses his footwork to get to positions that are nearly unguardable for his opponent. He's come out blazing to start his season - averaging a solid 11 points and an impressive 15 rebounds across his first few games. He's a master at finishing through contact and he knows how t leverage his body and length to his advantage, often creating space and drawing contact with ease. He has nice touch on his jumper and a solid mid-range game as well, which makes him a tough assignment for nearly anyone on the defensive end.     Jace is a speedy, agile point guard with great hands and stellar footwork to go along with them. He can make decisions on the offensive end quickly and effectively, often identifying the best path to a bucket before the defense knows what hit them. His feet in the key are impressive and one of my favorite parts of his game - he has the patience and IQ to work himself into unbeatble positions time and time again. He's come out hot across his first couple games, averaging 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. If there's a loose ball near Taylor, it's almost guaranteed he'll be coming up with it due to his nonstop motor and energy on the floor. He's excellent on the fast break and can finish through contact while making it look easy.

Effective performances through the first slate of games in a season can work wonders for a student athlete building a confident foundation for the year. Below are a handful of standouts that have come out of the gate swinging.