Varsity Basketball- Cathedral vs Great Crossing

A game that was nip and tuck til the very end. Both teams traded lead changes throughout, until Cathedral broke the lead open in the final minutes of the game. These players stood out in every phase of the game.    Ryan is a fearless scorer who stayed in “attack mode” throughout the game. This is my second write up on Ryan. I watched him shine at Belzer middle School as the team's top player last season. He excelled at keeping pressure on the Great Crossing defense with his aggressive scorer's mentality. Ryan never stopped going at his opponent. Whether it was scoring, rebounding or defending, Ryan was a difference maker for Cathedral. He was great at scoring in the paint. The majority of his scores were tough drives to the basket. Ryan is someone who seeks contact from the opposition. He's a very smart player who looks to get to the foul-line any chance he gets. A great shooter who knocks down shots from mid or long range. During the game, I watched him make two three-pointers despite being closely guarded. The shots he scored from mid-range were floaters and pull-up jumpers. On defense, Ryan is a hard-nosed player who pressures the ball and forces turnovers. He's made an easy transition into high school basketball as a day one starter. The Freshman finished the game with 12 points.     Keaton is a physical guard/forward who played with aggression on both ends of the court. I was impressed with his tenaciousness to go at the opposition. Keaton attacked the Great Crossing defense for the entirety of the game. He excelled at getting to the basket and scoring through contact. There was a moment in the game where Keaton took on two defenders and scored in transition. This led to him being fouled and having one of his many three-point play opportunities. Keaton scored half of his points from the foul-line by going ( 15/17 ). He's a fierce rebounder who did not mind playing with physicality in the paint. Keaton attacked the glass on both ends of the floor, no matter who he went against. I was impressed with his mentality on defense. He generated multiple steals, took charges and chased down loose balls. Keaton is a hard-working player who could easily transition into college basketball next year. He finished the game with 30 points.     Julien showed great leadership in the match-up against Great Crossing. The Senior guard is an excellent ball handler who constantly found himself in great match-ups. He used these advantages to attack the mis-matches and make plays. He easily beat opposing defenders off the dribble where he either scored or dished out assists to other players. Whenever there was an opportunity to knock down threes, Julien did not hesitate. He confidently knocked down three for the duration of the game. Julien is a great facilitator of the basketball. The majority of his assists led to easy scores for his teammates. Some were to players cutting down the lane, some were along the perimeter. Julien was always in complete control of the offense. He showed great vocal leadership by staying in tune with his teammates at all times. I was impressed with his ability to rebound and defend. The rebounds he grabbed often led to fast-breaks or second chance scoring opportunities on offense. Julien should easily adjust to the speed of college basketball next season.     Travanti is a player who has the length to be effective on offense and defense. On offense he attacked every opponent who attempted to guard him on the wing. In most instances, he beat his opponent to the basket for easy lay-ups. Other times he made plays by dishing off assists to his teammates. Travanti showed the ability to knock down mid-range jumpers. He shot a high percentage from these areas of the floor. During the game, he extended his shooting range beyond the three-point line. He converted on multiple threes when he used hesitation dribble moves to free himself. These moves allowed him to have great looks at the basket. As I said, Travanti extends himself on both sides of the ball. Defensively, is where he truly excelled. He forced four steals by using his quick hands and length to be effective. Whenever Cathedral players threw lazy passes, Travanti jumped the pass lane and started fast-break opportunities for Great Crossing. On a number of occasions, he drew charges and blocked shots. Travanti is a great all-around player who will be a problem for opposing coaches this season and beyond.     The big man was the most dominant player in the paint Tuesday evening. Every time Brady had smaller defenders guarding him, he went to work in the post. There were a number of moves he used to be a difference maker in the paint. Whether it was jump-hooks, fade-away shots or put-backs, Brady was a force to be reckoned with. Not only was he a threat in the paint, he also ran the floor and scored in transition. In some instances, Brady knocked down short ranged jump-shots or extended his range behind the three-point line. During the game, I was impressed to see him make two threes in spite of being closely defended by the opposition. I was under the impression that Brady focused on being an interior threat at all times. Well, he proved me wrong and it was great to see he has more aspects to his game. Brady is a great rebounder! He dominated the boards on both ends of the floor. Especially, on the offensive side of the court. A big number of his scores came after he grabbed offensive rebounds. Defensively, Grant was excellent at defending the paint. Whenever Cathedral players attacked the paint, he was there to either alter or block their shots away. Grant is a great player who is very capable of being a focal point of the Warhawks offense.     He's an excellent point guard with great ball handling skills. Graham easily broke down defenders, attacked the paint and scored at the rim. He's an unselfish player who prioritized getting everyone involved on offense. The majority of his assists were converted into easy baskets by his teammates. Graham led the Warhawks as the top assists man. He was offensively sound from every area of the basketball court. Whether it was knocking down threes or mid-range shots, Graham had no problems being a scoring threat for the team. He showed a knack for getting to the rim and drawing contact. A couple of those scores turned into three-point play conversions. On defense, he was great at pressuring opposing guards into turnovers. The majority of his steals led to fast-break scoring opportunities. Graham is a talented guard who is capable of leading Great Crossing on a deep run in the Kentucky State tournament.

A game that was nip and tuck til the very end. Both teams traded lead changes throughout, until Cathedral broke the lead open in the final minutes of the game. These players stood out in every phase of the game.