Junior Varsity Basketball- IMSA vs Horizon Christian

These two teams played a tightly contested game that came down to the wire. Both squads had players worthy of being recognized in this article.    Andreas continues to be the “glue guy” for every team he plays for. He's an excellent rebounder who doesn't mind doing all the dirty work to help the team win. He effectively sets solid screens that free up teammates for high percentage shots. Andreas is a hard worker who hustles on every play while he's on the court. He was great at grabbing rebounds and scoring around the basket. Where he really excels is on the defensive end of the court. Andreas dominated on defense by turning away Horizon Christian players when they attacked the paint. He's an athletic player who runs the court, finishes strong at the rim and pulls out highlight dunks whenever he has the opportunity. His great timing allowed him to finish the game with 5 blocks and 2 steals. I'll continue to say, once Andreas develops more on offense, he'll be a special player in the coming years.      Latrell showed his prowess as a scorer Friday night. He was great at driving by defenders and getting to the basket. Sometimes he was able to score through contact which led to three-point play opportunities. Latrell calmly stepped to the line and completed the play on most occasions. He also rebounds at a high level. Latrell was one of the best rebounding guards on the basketball court. He battled in the paint for boards with the same ferocity he had when he looked to score. Whenever there were opportunities to knock down mid or long range shots, he didn't hesitate to do so. He's a good player who plays hard on both ends of the court. As he continues to grow and mature, Latrell has all the traits of being a great two guard in the near future.      I fell in love with this kid's game Friday night. Aisaac was the smallest but toughest player on the court. He's an excellent scorer who always looked to put pressure on the Horizon Christian defense. Aisaac stayed in “attack mode” as soon as he stepped off the bench. Whether it was breaking down defenders, scoring in the paint or knocking down threes, Aisaac was a big problem for opposing guards to handle. There was a sequence in the game where he made two consecutive threes to get IMSA back in the game. As the game went on, he began to mix in some passing with his scoring output. A number of his assists led to easy scores for his IMSA teammates. Defensively, he plays hard and forces turnovers. He finished the game with three steals. Aisaac is a fierce little guard who'll continue to be a valuable player for the IMSA program.     I was thoroughly impressed with his play at lead guard Friday evening. Corde showed why he was the best play-maker on the court in their match-up against IMSA. Whether it was scoring, passing, defending or being a leader, Corde was the catalyst to the team's success. In his one-on-one match-ups, Corde easily drove around his opponents and made plays in the paint. He either scored or threw assists to teammates around the basket. Corde showed the ability to knock down a high percentage of his shots from mid-range. Whenever he had the opportunity to extend his range beyond the three-point line, he did so effectively. This is my second write up for Corde. I was thoroughly impressed with his adjustment to the level of play in high school. He continues to be the same shifty guard who makes clutch plays and shows great leadership. In my opinion, Corde has a chance of becoming an elite player in the future.     Rowan played his position extremely well. He's plays with the style of a power/small forward. Rowan showed the skills and knowledge of what it takes to succeed in basketball. He's a great rebounder on offense and defense. The majority of his offensive boards led to easy put-backs or second chance opportunities for his teammates. Rowan is a high energy player who made plays all over the court. He showed great post presence in the paint by dominating his opponents. In some instances, he was able to score tough baskets through contact. This led to three-point play conversions from the foul-line. Rowan excelled at knocking down mid-range shots and scoring when Horizon Christian had fast-break opportunities. Defensively, he played tough and defended the paint. He's a hardworking player who does what it takes to help his team win. Rowan finished the game with a couple of blocks and a few steals.

These two teams played a tightly contested game that came down to the wire. Both squads had players worthy of being recognized in this article.