Junior Varsity Basketball- Ben Davis vs George Washington

Ben Davis dominated their match-up with George Washington Saturday night. Ben Davis is stacked with underclassman talent. These players will ensure the future is bright for their basketball program. George Washington has two stand-outs worthy of joining this list with their counterparts.    He continues to be the same “glue guy” type of teammate who does it all. When I watched him play during the AAU season, Moe excelled at scoring, rebounding and defending. During Saturday night's game, his scoring took a back seat to all the other intangibles. Moe is a great rebounder who dominated the glass on both ends of the court. The majority of his points came off hustle plays in the George Washington game. When his teammates missed shots, Moe was there to easily convert them. He sets screens and does all the dirty work for his team. Those strong screens often led to high percentage shots for his teammates. On numerous occasions, he scored tough baskets on pick and roll plays. Defensively is where Moe always shines. He's an excellent low post defender who uses his strength to make scoring in the paint difficult for the opposition. During the summer I watched him shut down a player who stood four inches taller. Moe is a valuable addition to the Ben Davis team. I expect him to be a difference maker for years to come.     Thomas is a solid combo guard who has improved his three point shooting since I watched him play during the AAU season. In Saturday's game against Washington, he knocked down three shots from deep. He was a big time slasher when I saw him play for the first time. Well, that has not changed. Thomas continues to have great ball handling skills. He had no problems beating opposing defenders to the basket. He did this a number of times in iso-situations. Defensively, he was great at forcing turnovers. Those mistakes often led to fast-break opportunities for himself and other Ben Davis players. He finished the game with multiple steals due to the amount of pressure he put on opposing guards. Thomas is a great two-way player who has a chance of being even greater in the coming seasons.     Jasir was the most explosive player on the court Saturday night. He dominated the opposition in his one-on-one match-ups by easily driving around them and attacking the basket. He's an excellent scorer who does it from all levels of the court. Whether it was driving to the basket, scoring in the paint, knocking down short perimeter shots or converting threes, Jasir proved to be a tough cover for George Washington players. He's a great finisher in transition. The defensive pressure he put on opposing guards led to multiple steals. Those turnovers turned into easy fast-break points for himself and other Ben Davis players. Jasir is what I call a “ball-hawk” on defense. He was literally stalking the George Washington guards and forcing turnovers. Jasir is an athletic guard who shows great promise.      This is my second write up of Draden. I watched him play in the summer during the AAU season. He played like a combo guard with the skills to be a scorer and facilitator. The player I saw Saturday had a growth spurt and plays more like a small forward. Draden has grown in stature but maintains those same skills he had during the summer. He continues to beat opponents to the basket and knock down perimeter shots. Draden is an excellent passer who is capable of making positive plays. The majority of his assists led to good outcomes for his teammates. The biggest difference I saw was his ability to rebound and score over smaller defenders in the paint. His growth spurt has allowed him to work on these parts of his game. With his guard skills combined with the new power game, Draden will be a dual threat on offense in the coming years.     Kaleb is the kind of guard who attacks opponents from beginning, til the end of the game. He epitomized how a legit scoring guard is supposed to play. Kaleb has a scorer's mentality that could be valuable to any team. He beats defenders, slashes to the basket, knocks down perimeter shots and shoots threes when the opportunity's available. He finished the game with three shots from behind the arc. There was a moment in the game when Kaleb won his one-on-one match-up. He used a host of dribble moves to beat his defender into the paint. This led to him knocking down a floater. In other moments, he scored points in transition. Defensively, Kaleb was great at locking down opposing guards with excellent pressure on the ball. Kaleb is an awesome two-way player who is a vital piece of the puzzle to Ben Davis basketball.     Dre'e continues to grow as a player since his freshman season. In Saturday night's game he played strong in the post. Dre'e was able to score multiple baskets through contact which led to three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. Dre'e calmly stepped up and knocked them down on numerous occasions. He showed his athleticism by running the court and finishing in transition. In some instances, Dre'e was able to beat defenders off the dribble and score on driving lay-ups. I was surprised to see Dre'e extend his shooting range beyond the three-point line. The confidence he showed as he took the shot, exemplifies the amount of practice he's put into becoming a better shooter. Last year, Dre'e scored the majority of his points in the paint. It was refreshing to see how much his skills have progressed. Dre'e is a valuable player who will play a vital role in George Washington's success in the coming years.     TJ is an exciting lead guard who excels at pushing the pace. Whenever George Washington ran the court, TJ was the catalyst for the team's success. He's an excellent ball handler who used a quick first-step to beat defenders to the basket. TJ is a tough guard who scored on acrobatic lay-ups and knocked down perimeter shots. He did this on numerous occasions Saturday night. TJ showed great leadership with his ability to orchestrate the George Washington offense. He excelled at passing to open teammates for high percentage shots. After watching him play, I saw an unselfish player who always looked to get others involved. Whenever there was an opportunity to attack, TJ did so without hesitation. On defense, he forced turnovers and made ball handling difficult for the Ben Davis guards. In my opinion, TJ is a play-maker who seems to be the heart of the George Washington team.

Ben Davis dominated their match-up with George Washington Saturday night. Ben Davis is stacked with underclassman talent. These players will ensure the future is bright for their basketball program. George Washington has two stand-outs worthy of joining this list with their counterparts.