Junior Varsity Basketball- Center Grove Trojans

Center Grove has a tough minded team who takes on all comers. The point guard play is the heartbeat of the team while the wings and big men make all the hustle plays. This team excels at scoring, defending and playing as one unit.    He continues to be an excellent “floor general” and play-maker. Eric is great at involving his teammates offensively. Whenever he needed to be a threat on offense, he showed the ability to make shots. Eric confidently knocks down threes and attacks the paint. He's a flashy passer whose assists gained big crowd reactions throughout the game. Eric has adjusted well to the high school basketball scene. He's a small point guard who plays fearlessly every time he hits the court. When I watched him play over the summer, he was more aggressive on offense than he was last night. Eric has no problems mixing it up with taller players. He attacked the paint, drew fouls and kicked out assists that led to high percentage shots for his Center Grove teammates. In my opinion, Eric has the potential to be an elite player at his position with continued growth and progression. He finished the game with 11 points and 7 assists.     I was impressed with the strides Owen made to improve his game since I last watched him play. He's always been a good finisher around the basket. That trend continued last night against Whiteland. Owen attacked opposing players off the dribble, made multiple lay-ups and scored after grabbing offensive rebounds. When Center Grove had opportunities to score in transition, Owen always finished strong. I was shocked to see how much he's improved as a three-point shooter. There was a moment in the game where Owen converted a three with a nice step-back dribble move. This allowed him to free himself for a clean look at the basket. He continues to be a great rebounder who attacked the glass on both ends of the court. Defensively, he showed improvement with the on-ball pressure he applied to opposing players. I saw how much he prioritized stopping his opponent. Owen seemed to be more about scoring last season. He has become a two-way player who has a bright future at Center Grove High School. Owen finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds.     I truly enjoyed watching this young man play last night. Raj is a hardworking player who did everything for the Center Grove team. Whether it was scoring, rebounding, assisting or defending, Raj always found himself around the basketball. He literally did all the “dirty work” for his team. Raj took charges, chased down loose balls and made all the hustle plays on the basketball court. He's a great passer who showed a knack for finding open teammates cutting to the basket. Offensively, Raj excelled at getting to the rim and finishing. Whenever he had the opportunity to knock down jumpers, Raj did so with extreme confidence. Defensively, he was a jack-of-all-trades. Raj defended guards on the perimeter and played good interior post defense when he was needed. Raj forced multiple turnovers and made scoring a difficult task for opposing players.     The big man was a dominant presence on both ends of the court last night. Griffin was great at scoring around the basket. He showed a knack for being effective with either hand in the paint. Griffin was the best rebounder on the court. The majority of his points came from grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring put-backs around the basket. In some instances, he showed his athleticism by running the court and finishing strong in transition. Whenever there was an opportunity, Griffin showed the ability to knock down mid-range jump-shots. On defense, he blocked shots and protected the paint. When opposing players attacked the basket, Griffin was there to alter their shot attempts. He will play a major role in the team's success this season.     Colt continues to be a tough minded combo guard who stays in attack mode throughout the game. He's an excellent scorer who also passes and defends. The first time I watched him play, Colt was a hard cover for the opposition. He beat defenders off the dribble and scored on tough drives through contact. What I saw last night was a play-maker. He has improved his skills as a facilitator. Colt is capable of knocking down mid-range shots or filling it up from three whenever he had open looks. He's a hard-nosed defender who excelled at forcing opposing guards into mistakes. His great on-ball pressure caused multiple turnovers that led to fast-break points. Colt is a gritty player who gives his all for the Center Grove team.

Center Grove has a tough minded team who takes on all comers. The point guard play is the heartbeat of the team while the wings and big men make all the hustle plays. This team excels at scoring, defending and playing as one unit.