Junior Varsity Basketball- Avon vs Mount Vernon

These teams played a great game that came down to the closing moments. It took a game winning three-pointer to get the job done for Mount Vernon.    Amari has easily adjusted to high school basketball. He continues to be aggressive on both ends of the court. Amari excels at getting to the basket and knocking down perimeter jump-shots. He also finishes strong when transition opportunities are available. There were numerous occasions where Amari made lay-ups through contact. This led to whistles being blown. He calmly stepped to the foul-line and converted each three-point play opportunity. He's become more of a viable threat from behind the three-point line. During the summer, he was a decent shooter for deep, now he's become more confident in taking these type of shots. I definitely see the work Amari has put into becoming a better shooter. Defensively, Amari continues to be a nuisance to opposing guards. He forced 4 steals and pressured them into mistakes. Amari's in-game highlight came in the closing moments of the 4th quarter. He was able to hit the go-ahead three to give his team the lead with 9.7 seconds left in the game. Amari is growing as a player right before our eyes. I strongly believe this young man will be elite in the coming years.     Keagan is just returning from injury and it showed Tuesday night. He had a low scoring night but I already knew what caliber of player he was before the injury. In Tuesday's game he aggressively attacked the paint and grabbed rebounds. Keagan's crafty ball handling allowed him to easily get around defenders and make plays. In place of his scoring were all the other intangibles needed to help Mount Vernon win. Whether it was grabbing rebounds, kicking out assists or defending, Keagan gave maximum effort on the basketball court. As I said, he's a great player who I once saw put up 30 points and look unstoppable. Keagan is a great scorer who can make shots from all areas of the court. Slashing to the basket, knocking down two's or three's is a skill Keagan thrives on when healthy. In my opinion, he's capable of being an All State player in the years to come.     Devin is an excellent ball handler and facilitator of the basketball. After watching him play Tuesday night, I viewed him as the primary three-point threat for his team. In the match-up against Avon he knocked down three shots from behind the arc. When he played his role as the team's play-maker, Devin found ways to share the ball and be effective. Offensively, he was very knowledgeable of finding ways to get open. He took advantage of teammate screens and moved around within the Mount Vernon offense. Whenever he had an opportunity to score from mid-range, Devin capitalized on it. He's a great teammate who played hard and gave maximum effort on defense. With his shooting and ball handling abilities, Devin should thrive as a combo guard.     Elijah continues to play his position at a high level. He's an unselfish player who always looked to get his teammates involved offensively. I believe he finished the game as the team's assists leader. The majority of his passes were on the money. One in particular, was a slick bounce pass he made in between multiple defenders. The pass was perfectly placed near the basket where his teammate easily scored. In the second half, Elijah was more aggressive on offense. He attacked the basket and knocked down numerous pull-ups from mid-range. Elijah was great at creating the space he needed to free himself for good looks at the basket. Defensively, he excelled at playing the pass lanes. His great timing and on-ball pressure forced turnovers. Elijah continues to grow as a player who's destined to do big things at Avon High School.     Jace was a monster in the paint. He dominated smaller defenders by using his length and athleticism to be effective. Most of his points were scored by grabbing offensive rebounds and cleaning up the misses of his teammates. Jace was great at setting screens and being a good teammate. His actions freed up other players for good looks at the basket. In some instances, Jace showed the ability to score on pick and roll plays. He's an excellent rebounder who dominated on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he was a big presence in the paint. He blocked multiple shots and contested every player who attempted to score. When Jace develops more as a offensive player, he could become a great on offense and defense. Jace is the ultimate team player who excels at making the hustle plays needed to win.     Alijah is a great overall player who does everything on the basketball court. Whether it was scoring, assisting, rebounding or defending, Alijah was constantly around the basketball. He's a natural play-maker who succeeded at both guard spots. Alijah excelled at dishing off accurate passes to his teammates. As the game went on, he eventually picked up his scoring. Alijah was great at breaking down defenders, getting into the lane and scoring tough baskets. He also showed the ability to knock down mid or long range shots. Alijah is a good rebounder who didn't mind battling opposing players in the paint. On defense, he was great at pressuring opposing guards into turnovers. He forced a number of steals that led to transition scores for other Avon players. Alijah is an awesome player who has a bright future ahead of him.

These teams played a great game that came down to the closing moments. It took a game winning three-pointer to get the job done for Mount Vernon.