Beech Grove vs Perry Meridian- JV Ballers

This was a game full of excitement! These young players gave the crowd a close game that went down to the wire.    This young man took his position as lead guard seriously last night. Marvel is an excellent ball handler and play-maker. He ran the Beech Grove offense with smooth precision. Whenever he saw teammates open, he hit them with pin-point passes. The majority of his assists led to positive outcomes for the offense. I feel confident in saying, “ Marvel led his team in assists yesterday.” Besides being a play-maker, he can also score the ball. On numerous occasions, Marvel beat defenders off the dribble, knocked down jump-shots or scored tough baskets in the paint. He was great at pushing the pace and making things happen. Whenever he led fast-breaks, his team often scored in transition. On defense, he was great at forcing turnovers with great on-ball pressure. Marvel is a promising young guard who I expect to have a great season.     Steve was the best rebounder on the floor in yesterday's game. He attacks the glass at a very high level. I swear I was watching a young Dennis Rodman on the court last night. He dominated the boards on both ends of the court. His offensive boards led to most of his points in the paint. Steve is the type of player who does all the dirty work for the team. Whether it was fighting for rebounds, setting screens, taking charges or blocking shots, he made impactful plays on the court. Steve is an athletic player who hustles on every play. He runs the floor and finishes strong in transition. He also had a couple of blocked shots at pivotal moments in the game. Steve is a valuable player who believes in the concept of " team first.”     I was impressed with this young man's all around skills on the court. Adreus handles the ball, attacks the paint, scores baskets through contact and plays extremely hard. He has a nice mid-range game that allows him to be a dual threat offensively. In some instances, Adreus easily won his one-on-one match-ups. He used hesitation dribble moves to knock down perimeter jumpers or attack the basket. He also showed the ability to make threes. Adreus converted three of them throughout the game. The highlight of the night was the nasty two-handed slam he threw down in the second quarter. Adreus has the capability of being a big-time scorer for Beech Grove this season.     Darrian was instant offense as soon as he stepped into last night's game. He easily gets around defenders and scores in the paint. When I say this guy scores in bunches, I mean it! There was a sequence in the game where Darrian caught fire and scored on three consecutive possessions. He converted two straight lay-ups and followed that up by knocking down a long distance three. What I appreciated about Darrian was his scorer's mentality. He literally stayed in attack mode throughout the game. The fearless attitude he had to take shots is the sign of a very confident player. On defense, he played great on and off the ball. Darrian forced turnovers by using quick hands and excellent footwork. He is a promising player who has a chance to be a great two-way player.     Isaiah continues to be an excellent ball handler. He easily breaks down defenders, attacks the paint and makes plays. Isaiah is the prototypical pass first point guard who has scoring capabilities. Last season, Isaiah showed great leadership on the basketball court. Well, nothing has changed in his freshman year. He communicates with his teammates and runs the Perry Meridian offense with precision. Offensively, he capitalizes on shooting floaters over taller defenders. He's a good perimeter shooter, who is capable of extending his range beyond the three-point line. Isaiah excels at being the primary basketball facilitator. He immediately impacted the game when he came off the bench. The majority of his assists led to positive outcomes for Perry Meridian. Once he adjusts to the speed of high school basketball, I expect Isaiah to be a major player in the Perry Meridian program.     After watching him play Tuesday night, Bryson gave me the impression of a player who makes all the hustle plays. He was literally everywhere on the court. Whether it was grabbing rebounds, setting screens, scoring in the paint or blocking shots, Bryson continuously found himself around the basketball. He showed his prowess as a great rebounding forward. Bryson had no problems attacking the glass on both ends of the court. Whenever he grabbed offensive boards, Bryson immediately scored around the basket. Defensively, he showed his athleticism by running down offensive players and blocking their shots on multiple occasions. He also defends smaller players on the wing of the court. If Bryson develops into a good perimeter shooter, he could become a special player.     If there was an All Hustle team, Dylan would be the catalyst. He excelled at doing all the right things on the basketball court. Dylan scored, rebounded, passed and defended. He is a tough minded guard who did not mind the physicality of last night's game. Whether it was fighting for rebounds, setting screens, taking charges or scoring tough baskets, Dylan was a problem for Beech Grove. His hard play on the court led to positive plays for Perry Meridian. Whenever there was an opportunity to knock down perimeter jumpers or score in transition, Dylan showed the ability to make it happen. He is a good all around player who has the opportunity to blossom into something more in the coming years.

This was a game full of excitement! These young players gave the crowd a close game that went down to the wire.