Varsity Spotlight- Beech Grove Hornets

The Hornets are a tough team led by three outstanding Sophomores. They are looking to capitalized on a successful first season that could see them grow into contenders.    BJ is an exciting lead guard who excels at pushing the pace. Whenever Beech Grove ran the floor, BJ was a catalyst for the team's success. He's an excellent ball handler who used a quick first-step to beat defenders to the rim. BJ has a knack of finishing around the basket with acrobatic lay-ups. He did this on numerous occasions in Tuesday night's game. BJ showed great leadership with his ability to flawlessly orchestrate the Beech Grove offense. He often found open teammates for high percentage shots within the offense. After watching him play, I saw an unselfish player who always looked to get others involved. Whenever there was an opportunity to attack, BJ did so without hesitation. On defense, he forced multiple turnovers and made ball handling difficult for Perry Meridian guards. BJ is a great play-maker who happens to be the heart of the team. With his leadership, BJ can lead Beech Grove to a promising season.     Bishop continues to grow as a player since his freshman season. He played strong in the post by scoring multiple baskets through contact. Those scores led to three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. Bishop calmly stepped up and knocked them down. He showed his athleticism by running the floor and finishing in transition whenever the opportunity presented itself. In some instances, Bishop was able to beat defenders off the dribble and score on driving lay-ups. I was surprised to see Bishop extend his shooting range beyond the three-point line. The confidence he showed as he took the shot, exemplifies the amount of practice he may have put into becoming a better shooter. Last season, Bishop scored the majority of his points near the basket. So it was great seeing the progression of his game. On defense, he blocked a couple of shots and protected the paint when Perry Meridian players attacked the basket. Bishop finished as the team's leading scorer with 17 points.     Nate is the kind of guard who attacks his opponents from the beginning of the game, til the end. He epitomizes what a scoring guard should be. Nate has a scorer's mentality that could be valuable to any team. He slashes to the rim, scores tough baskets, knocks down perimeter shots and shoots threes when the opportunity's available. There was a moment in the game when Nate won his one-on-one match-up. He used a host of dribble moves to beat his defender into the paint where he scored on a floater. In other moments, he was able to score points in transition. Defensively, Nate was great at locking down opposing guards with excellent on-ball pressure. He finished the game with multiple steals. Nate is an awesome two-way player who is a vital piece of the puzzle for Beech Grove basketball.     Tiyon is a hardworking player who hustles to make every play on the basketball court. He was all over the floor in Tuesday night's game. Tiyon was a monster on the boards. Especially, on the offensive glass. Many of his scores came from cleaning up his teammates' missed shots. His other rebounds gave Beech Grove players second chance shot opportunities. Tiyon showed the ability to be a viable threat offensively. He beat bigger players off the dribble on numerous occasions. Whenever he had a mis-match in the post, he took advantage of the situation. Tiyon is a better shooter than I expected. In the beginning of the game, I saw a player who attacks the basket and scores inside the perimeter. Well, I was wrong because Tiyon showed a nice shooting touch from behind the three-point line. On defense, Tiyon played with a big abundance of energy. He blocked shots and had multiple steals that led to positive outcomes for Beech Grove.     This young man is a play-maker! Zane came off the bench and immediately made a difference in the game. His efforts on offense and defense seemed to fire up his teammates. His energy led to positive outcomes for the Beech Grove team. Zane was one of the quickest players on the court. When he handled the ball, Zane had a knack for finding open teammates with accurate passes. In some instances, he grabbed defensive rebounds and became a one-man fast-break. He drove the full length of the court and scored. If Zane needed to battle in the paint for boards, he did not mind the physical play. His football background played a big role in the toughness he showed. After watching him play, you could clearly see he had a different energy than everyone else. Zane has excellent timing and great footwork. He was able to generate four steals that led to easy points in transition for Beech Grove.     I truly enjoyed watching this young man play Tuesday evening. AJ is a player who I would label as a “ Jack of all trades.” There were no limits to his game offensively. He scored in every way on the basketball court. It did not matter if he attacked players off the dribble, scored in the post, knocked down mid-range floaters or converted long distance threes, Perry Meridian had no answers for AJ defensively. He played strong in the paint. Some of his scores came through contact. I was thoroughly impressed with his agility to run the floor, finish in transition and block shots. AJ is a stout young man. I did not expect him to be as good as he was Tuesday night. Well, he definitely proved me wrong! I believe he has the capability of being a special player on this team. If AJ continues to play at a high level, Beech Grove could have major achievements this season.

The Hornets are a tough team led by three outstanding Sophomores. They are looking to capitalized on a successful first season that could see them grow into contenders.