Team Spotlight- Perry Meridian Falcons

These players are well on there way to having productive careers at the high school level next season. The team is strong at every position on the basketball court. The addition of these prospects will allow Perry Meridian High to be great for years to come.    Mikey continues to be an excellent post presence in the paint. He showed the ability to score on both sides of the low-block. Mikey excels at finishing around the basket with either hand. Throughout the game he was able to dominate smaller defenders who attempted to guard him. Mikey is the perfect teammate! He works hard and does whatever it takes to win. He was great at rebounding the first time around. Well, nothing has changed after watching him attack the boards last night. Mikey finished the game with 11 rebounds. He showed his athleticism by running the floor and finishing strong in transition. The biggest improvement to his game was three-point shooting. I was shocked to see Mikey knock down three consecutive shots from behind the three-point line last night. He did most of his damage in the paint when I saw him play the first time. It was great to see how Mikey has developed another facet of his game. Defensively, he continues to be a rim protector and shot-blocker. Mikey finished with ( 22 points, 2 blocks )     Trey continues to be an excellent ball handler and facilitator of the basketball. He easily beats opposing players off the dribble. This often led to positive plays for the Perry Meridian offense. Whether it was getting to the basket, knocking down mid-range floaters or converting three-pointers, Trey found ways to be effective. This is my second write up of Trey. He continues to show great all-around skills that allow him to play at a high level. In last night's game, Trey was more passer than scorer. When I watched him play the first time, he scored 27 points. So scoring is no issue. He chose the option of getting his teammates involved yesterday. Trey was great at finding his Perry Meridian teammates with slick passes. Some were behind the back, some were no-looks. Most of his assists led to open shots on the perimeter or in the paint. Trey is an awesome player who has the opportunity to become elite in the future. He finished the game with (5 points, 7 assists, 3 steals.)     This young man is a shooter! Aaron continues to be a player who can catch fire once he sees one drop. During the game, I watched him knock down two long distance threes. In my opinion, Aaron is the team's best three point shooter. I remember a game last season where he made five of them. On offense he is very knowledgeable of using screens and finding ways of getting open. Aaron has become a duel threat on offense. He showed the ability to score off the dribble by beating opponents to the basket. Last season he was more of a shooter than a slasher. I did not expect to see Aaron making the moves he made last night. Defensively, he gave maximum effort by staying attached to his opponent. His on ball pressure made ball handling difficult for the opposition. With his shooting ability, Aaron will always have a spot on a team. Now he scores in multiple ways. These new traits make him a viable threat within the Perry Meridian offense.     Colton has become a tougher player who showed physicality on the basketball court. He has grown several inches since I watched him play last season. At that time he played point guard. Now he plays as a small forward. Colton was great at grabbing offensive boards and scoring around the basket. He did not mind the physical contact he received when he fought for rebounds. Whenever Perry Meridian ran the floor, he easily scored in transition. In one-on-one situations, Colton was able to beat his opponent off the dribble and make plays. This led to him scoring or dishing out passes to his Perry Meridian teammates. On defense, Colton bodied up his opponents and made scoring difficult for them. He also had a couple of blocks in the game. Colton is the perfect team player. He works hard and does whatever it takes to win.     Adonis is a good player who does everything on the basketball court. Whether it's scoring, assisting or defending, Adonis was constantly around the basketball. He's a natural play-maker who succeeded at either guard spot. Adonis was one of the team leaders in assists. He started the game by dishing off accurate passes to his teammates. As the game went on, Adonis eventually picked up his scoring. He's great at breaking down defenders, getting into the lane and scoring floaters. Adonis showed the ability to knock down mid-range jumpers when he had the opportunity. On defense, he excelled at pressuring opposing guards into turnovers. He forced a number of steals that led to transition scores for other Perry Meridian players. Adonis has a bright future ahead of him.     Chase is the type of player who does everything on the basketball court. He scored, assisted, rebounded and defended. When he stepped on the floor, Chase immediately made an impact. On offense, he knocked down multiple shots from beyond the three-point line. He is a good passer who often found teammates in scoring positions. Chase excelled at getting around defenders and knocking down mid-range jumpers. He played the game with heart and determination. Whenever Chase needed to make a positive play, he did so in the form of scoring timely baskets or grabbing big-time rebounds. During fast-breaks, Chase finished with strong lay-ups. When Perry Meridian had the opportunity to score on the break, Chase took advantage of the situation Defensively, he fought for rebounds, took charges and forced numerous turnovers.

These players are well on there way to having productive careers at the high school level next season. The team is strong at every position on the basketball court. The addition of these prospects will allow Perry Meridian High to be great for years to come.