Team Spotlight: RJ Baskett Middle School

This team has two standout players who lead the way for their squad. They score, rebound and defend at a very high level. As a whole, RJ Baskett plays with a toughness that's great enough to take them far this season. With the play of their two stars, the sky's the limit for this team.    Adrian played awesome last night! He showed the ability to be effective in the paint or on the perimeter. Adrian has an excellent handle of the basketball. He easily dribbled around defenders and made plays. Whether it was attacking the basket, dishing off assists, grabbing rebounds or knocking down mid-range shots, Frankton had no answers for Adrian on defense. He was the outspoken emotional leader for RJ Baskett. Adrian showed great leadership by pumping up his teammates and communicating on both ends of the court. I was thoroughly impressed with a no-look pass he threw to a player near the basket. It was the kind of pass that generated a big reaction from the crowd. Defensively, Adrian used his athleticism to defend on the perimeter, generate steals and block shots. He is a great all around player who will help lead the RJ Baskett team to a very successful season. Adrian finished the game with (22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals.)     Kai continues to be a monster on the basketball court. This is my second write up of this young man. When I watched him play during a basketball showcase last summer, he was not as explosive. Well, last night I had a chance to see a Kai who physically dominated the opposing team. He stayed in attack mode from start to finish. Whether it was getting to the basket, scoring in transition, knocking down mid-range shots or extending his range beyond the arc, Kai was un-guardable. He excelled at scoring tough baskets through contact. Many of his baskets led to three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. On defense, he was a pest for the Frankton guards. He applied excellent on-ball pressure that led to numerous turnovers and transition scores for his teammates. Kai is a scoring machine that is capable of taking over a game if he needs too. He is an excellent player who is vital to his teams' success. Kai finished the game with (36 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals.)      Maddox was a dominant presence in the paint last night. Frankton had no answers for him in the post. Maddox scored a high percentage of his points in the paint. He is a hard working player who hustled for everything he got on the court. Whenever Maddox had a mismatch, he got his defender in the position he needed to be effective. Whenever he rebounded, he was dominant on both ends of the court. If his teammates needed a screen, he set them solid enough to free them up for clean looks at the basket. On defense, he protected the paint and forced opposing teams into bad shots. In some instances, Maddox blocked shots and forced turnovers. He's an excellent young player who has a chance to become even greater.     Calan is a great defensive guard who made life miserable for his opponents. He continuously pressured opposing guards into turnovers. Calan was great at using quick hands and footwork to stay locked on his opponent. Handling the basketball was a difficult task for the opposition. I watched Calan force three steals and cause Frankton guards to make mistakes. Offensively, he showed the ability to create for himself by using teammate screens or beating opponents off the dribble. Whenever he drove into the paint, he either scored or passed to other RJ Baskett players. If given the opportunity, this young man has the ability to shoot the ball. During the second half of the game, he was left alone behind the three-point line on multiple occasions. Calan calmly knocked down both attempts. He is a great defender who could play a major role in the teams' success this season.

This team has two standout players who lead the way for their squad. They score, rebound and defend at a very high level. As a whole, RJ Baskett plays with a toughness that's great enough to take them far this season. With the play of their two stars, the sky's the limit for this team.