Junior Varsity Basketball- Cathedral vs Great Crossing

This was a competitive game that came down to the wire. These players performed at the highest level on the basketball court. Both schools have bright futures as basketball programs.    This was my first time watching Colt play since he was an eighth grader. He continues to shoot threes with great form and technique. For some reason, lefties have always been known as great shooters. Colt is an excellent ball handler who easily beats defenders off the dribble. He has improved his skills as a play-maker. A couple of years ago, I viewed Colt as mainly a scorer. He's learned how to involve his teammates on offense with improved passing ability. In some instances, he was able to score tough baskets by drawing contact. This led to a couple of three-point plays he converted from the foul-line. Whenever Great Crossing had fast-break opportunities, Colt always finished with a strong lay-up. Defensively, he used quick hands to be disruptive against Cathedral guards. Colt forced multiple steals that led to transition scores for his teammates. He's an excellent player who put in double duty Tuesday evening. Colt played the majority of the Junior Varsity game and finished with 14 points. He also played significant minutes on Varsity and finished with 13 points. Colt is a valuable player for Great Crossing. I expect him to turn everything he's learned into a monster Junior season next year.     Stan is a great shooter who showed unlimited range. Throughout the entirety of the game he was able to knock down four threes from a couple of feet behind the line. Some were contested while others were not. Those contested looks required him to break down opponents off the dribble. This allowed him to create the space he needed to get the shot off. Stan played with a certain tenaciousness on both ends of the court. Offensively, he attacked his opponent by getting into the paint and finishing around the rim. He also showed the ability to knock down mid-range shots. On defense, he stayed attached to his opponent and made sure he did not get beat. The constant poking at the ball and bodying up the opposition allowed him to be effective. Stan is the kind of teammate who does whatever it takes to help the team win. He's an excellent shooter who plays with a drive to succeed.     Jesse has the capability of becoming an elite player in the near future. He's an excellent scorer who showed the ability to put up big numbers. Whether it was scoring in the paint, knocking down mid-range shots or extending his range beyond the three-point line, Jesse was a tough cover for Cathedral. He's a great ball handler who showed a knack for making tough baskets off dribble drives and transition scores. Jesse is a physical guard who excelled at scoring through contact. This led to three-point play opportunities on numerous occasions. He's a solid rebounder who did not mind battling opposing players in the paint. On defense, he was great on the ball. His pressure forced multiple turnovers and made handling the ball tough for the opposition. Jesse is a great player who could be even better as his skills progress over the next couple of seasons.     This is my second write up for Gus. When I watched him back in the CYO City Tournament, Gus played like a man among boys. Well, he continues to show his dominance at the high school level. He's an athletic big man who runs the floor, handles the ball and scores in the paint. Back in February, he led his St. Simon's team to a convincing victory over St. Francis/ St.Clair. He knocked down multiple threes and made game changing plays. On Tuesday, he was a force in the paint. I can't count the amount of three-point play opportunities he had in the game. The majority of his baskets came through contact from the opposition. On some occasions, he stepped out and knocked down perimeter jump-shots. Gus continues to be a great rebounder and hardworking player. Most of his rebounds led to positive outcomes for himself or teammates. Those boards were opportunities for him to easily score or kick out to others for high percentage shots. Defensively, he blocked a couple of shots and guarded smaller players on the perimeter. Gus is capable of becoming an elite player in the near future. He finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds.     The big man excelled at scoring inside and defending the paint Tuesday afternoon. Eli is an excellent rebounder who finished the game with a near double-double. He dominated the glass on offense and defense. The majority of his scores came from grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring around the basket. Other boards led to setting up his Cathedral teammates with high percentage shots on the perimeter. Eli showed his athleticism by running the court and finishing in transition. In some instances, he was able to knock down perimeter shots after using great dribbling moves to free up space. Defensively, he blocked shots, protected the paint and made scoring difficult for opposing players attacking the paint. He even showed good enough agility to guard smaller players on the wing. I believe the sky's the limit for Eli. As he continues to work on his game, his progression could be very beneficial to the Cathedral basketball program.     Tristian continues to be an excellent floor leader who's great at involving his teammates offensively. The first time I saw him play was during the summer. He was a facilitator who always looked to make the right play. On Tuesday I watched a player who was more aggressive on offense. Tristian led his team in assists as the primary ball handler. There was no hesitation as he found ways of taking advantage of the Great Crossing defense. I did not realize how good of a shooter he was from the three-point line. Tristian confidently knocked down three of them throughout the duration of the game. He's a shifty guard who easily beats opposing players off the dribble. This allowed him to make positive plays for his teammates. Whether it was scoring or assisting, Tristian found ways of impacting the game. He's a steady point guard who has shown the ability to score when he needs to provide offense. By watching him play, I believe he's a pass first point guard who prioritized making others better. Tristian is clearly the point guard of the future at Cathedral High School. He finished the game with 13 points and 7 assists.

This was a competitive game that came down to the wire. These players performed at the highest level on the basketball court. Both schools have bright futures as basketball programs.