Team Spotlight: William Penn Middle School

William Penn displayed excellent guard play from the back-court. The point guard showed great leadership, while the shooting guard excelled at making shots. The wings and bigs played with aggression. Often crashing boards, scoring inside and defending the paint. I expect William Penn to have a very productive season.    Malachi is a tough minded guard who has the ability to score. He displayed a high level of feistiness on the basketball court. Malachi played with no fear, despite being one of the smallest players on the court. He excels at handling the ball, driving by defenders, knocking down threes and scoring in the paint. Malachi showcased an impressive package of skills within the William Penn offense. Whenever he drove into the painted area, he showed a knack for scoring tough baskets despite being contacted. He always scored over taller defenders attempting to block away his shot. In two halves of play, I watched him nail three shots from beyond the arc. On defense, Malachi was a pest! His quick hands and good movement allowed him to generate multiple steals from the opposition. I really enjoyed watching him play. I believe Malachi is capable of leading his B team to a great season.     An athletic big man who dominates the boards, scores inside and defends. Octavious is a great rebounder who attacks the glass on both ends of the court. Before the game Octavious told me he was great at rebounding the basketball. Well, he prove himself to be right. I watched a player who finished with eleven rebounds in dominant fashion. He welcomes the physical play in regard to fighting for boards or scoring in the paint. Octavious scored most of his points around the basket. Others came from cleaning up teammates missed shots. Defensively, he was all over the court. He guarded players both in the interior and on the perimeter. Octavious was able to hold his own against smaller players while being strong enough to defend the paint. He finished the game with multiple blocks and steals. Octavious is a tough player who should flourish this basketball season.     Cashton is a shifty point guard who played fearlessly against Harshman. He handles the ball with skill. Whenever he was in isolated match-ups, Cashton easily drove by his defender and made plays. Whether it was scoring at the basket or hitting teammates with flashy passes, Cashton always created positive outcomes. He showed off his shooting ability from mid-range. During the game he knocked down multiple pull-ups from the perimeter. If Cashton had open looks from beyond the three-point line, he did not shy away from taking it. Some he made, some he missed. His aggression on offense was constant throughout the game. One of his biggest strengths was his leadership. Cashton often communicated with his teammates on both ends of the floor. Whether it was calling out plays or encouraging others, these were a major part of his game. Cashton is a great player who is capable of leading William Penn to an excellent season.     Aiden is a great two-way player. He gave maximum effort on both ends of the court. On offense, he handled the ball, attacked the paint and knocked down mid-range jump-shots. I appreciated his "will to win at any cost" mentality. There was a sequence in the game where Aiden beat his defender to the basket with a nice spin move. It was a tough score through contact, which lead to a three-point play opportunity from the foul-line. Aiden calmly stepped up and converted it. He's an aggressive player who stayed in attack mode throughout the game. Defensively, he did a little of everything. Aiden played great man-to-man defense, blocked shots and forced numerous turnovers. His overall skills as a scorer and defender will take him far in the game of basketball. Keep working Aiden!!     Aiden is a hard-working player who can shoot the ball from deep. I watched him knock down two threes in the game against Harshman. He plays with maximum effort on both ends of the court. Whether it's chasing down loose balls, taking charges, grabbing rebounds or being a solid defender, Aiden was always around to make a play. Offensively, he was very knowledgeable about using screens and finding ways to get open. He handled the ball well and showed off his play-making ability with great passes. On defense, he applied great pressure on opposing guards attempting to handle the ball. Aiden is the ultimate team player. He is a weapon from behind the three-point line. I believe William Penn coaches will take full advantage of his ability to shoot.

William Penn displayed excellent guard play from the back-court. The point guard showed great leadership, while the shooting guard excelled at making shots. The wings and bigs played with aggression. Often crashing boards, scoring inside and defending the paint. I expect William Penn to have a very productive season.