Team Spotlight- Perry Meridian Falcons

Perry Meridian is a team small in stature but large in grit and determination. The skills these young players showed, bring a promise of special circumstances throughout the season.    I was pleased to see how much Riley has adjusted to high school basketball. He was excellent in middle school last season. Nothing has changed with his new surroundings. Riley continues to be a great all around player. He handles the ball and makes plays at a high level. Riley is the kind of player who could easily put up twenty-plus points whenever he's on the floor. He continues to score the ball from all levels of the court. Whether it was attacking the basket, scoring from mid-range or knocking down threes, Riley was a problem for the Beech Grove defense. He's a good perimeter defender who used his length to make ball handling difficult for opposing guards. His tenacious on-ball pressure led to multiple turnovers which led to fast-break points. Riley is a promising young star who has the makings of an elite player in the near future.      The first thing I noticed about Kayden's game was his shooting. He came out firing once the game started Tuesday night. He always found ways to free himself up for clean looks at the basket. Whenever Kayden attacked the paint, his shot of choice was the floater. He made this shot over taller defenders on numerous occasions throughout the game. Kayden is an unselfish player who puts the team first. A majority of his assists led to positive outcomes for his teammates. After watching him play, I believe Kayden is the type of player who could catch fire and knock down five threes in a game. It's just a matter of him seeing that first shot drop. Keep shooting Kayden!!     Ezra is a tough hard-nosed player who made all the hustle plays for Perry Meridian. He's an excellent rebounder who dominated the glass on both ends of the court. The majority of his points were scored through sheer determination to get the job done. I truly appreciated the way Ezra fought for every rebound, deflection or loose ball that came his way. If there was an All Effort team, this young man would be the catalyst for it. A number of his baskets were tough and hard fought. He dealt with physical play from the Beech Grove players. Ezra welcomed the challenge and gave the physicality back to the opposition. Defensively, he was all over the court. Ezra defended interior post players along with smaller players on the wing of the court. He finished the game with multiple blocked shots and forced turnovers. Ezra is the kind of player any coach would love to have.     Nique is an excellent two-way player who is capable of putting up big offensive numbers. He is what I call, “ instant offense.” As soon as Nique stepped on the court, he made an immediate impact on the game. I noticed his skills as an all around player once he started playing. Nique showed the ability to score from every area of the floor. He attacked opposing defenders off the dribble, took advantage of smaller opponents in the paint and knocked down shots from mid or long range. There was a moment in the game where he made three consecutive shots. Two were three-pointers while the other was a nice pull-up jumper from the perimeter. Nique also showed his prowess as an outstanding rebounder. He often attacked the glass and made plays around the basket. On defense, Nique applied pressure to his opponents with quick hands that poked and prodded them into mistakes and turnovers. Nique is a very skilled 6th man who is capable of playing a major role in the success of Perry Meridian this season.     I was impressed with the aggressive style of play Jaden exhibited Tuesday night. When I watched him play during the AAU season, he was playing while being injured. Seeing him play at full strength was awesome! Jaden showed the ability to beat defenders to the basket on numerous occasions. He even finished strong with a nice behind the back lay-up in transition. Jaden is a great team leader who led by example. He always communicated with his teammates on both ends of the court. I saw a player who made sure others were in the right positions to succeed. His assists led to positive outcomes for other Perry Meridian players. Jaden is a confident shooter who knocks down mid-range shots or extends his range beyond the three-point line. During the game Jaden took a lot of physical contact from the opposition. He calmly stepped to the line and made all his free-throws. This young man is a tough hardworking player who is capable of leading Perry Meridian to a productive season. Jaden finished with 13 points.     After watching him play, I learned Devonte was Perry Meridian's designated shooter. The majority of shots he took, often went down. I watched Devonte shoot the ball at a high percentage Tuesday evening. He continuously found ways to free himself for good looks at the basket. Whenever the team had opportunities to score on fast-breaks, Devonte ran the court and finished strong at the rim. He's a great rebounder who excelled at grabbing offensive and defensive boards. The offensive ones led to put-backs around the basket or second chances scoring opportunities for his teammates. Defensively, he blocked a couple of shots and made it tough for opponents to score in the paint against his length. I expect Devonte to lead Perry Meridian as the team's best three-point shooter.

Perry Meridian is a team small in stature but large in grit and determination. The skills these young players showed, bring a promise of special circumstances throughout the season.