Team Spotlight- Belzer Bears

Both seventh and eighth grade teams have a wealth of talent. They are so stacked at every position, players are substituted in waves. These teams are capable of bringing City Championships back to Belzer.    In my opinion, Jermain is of the best combo guards in his class. He's a shifty guard who showed a knack for knocking down big shots whenever I watched him play. In Thursday night's game. Jermain wasn't as explosive as he normally is when I see him play. It does not matter because I know what he's capable of. I appreciated the hustle he showed on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he made a few plays by knocking down threes and attacking the paint when he had the opportunity. Whenever he had the ball in his hands, positive results showed. He's a great one-on-one player who often takes advantage of defenders guarding him in isolated situations. He achieved this by attacking down hill or knocking down perimeter jump-shots. Defensively, Jermain was a ball-hawk! He often used great hands and quick lateral movements to force opposing players into turnovers. He was great at applying pressure to the Creston ball handlers. Jermain continues to be an exciting young player who has a chance of becoming elite at his position.     In my opinion, he continues to be one of the best players in the 2030 class. James excels at every aspect of the game. He scores, passes, rebounds and defends. Whether it's beating opponents off the dribble, attacking the basket, knocking down threes or winning his one-on-one match-ups, James was hard to defend. He's a shifty ball handler who easily beats defenders to the basket. Whenever he had smaller opponents in the post, James dominated. In some instances he used the dribble to create the space he needed to get his shot off. James was able to knock down twos and threes in this fashion. Defensively, he does it all. He's capable of blocking shots, defending on the ball and forcing turnovers. James is a great player who has a chance of becoming elite in the near future.     This is my second write up of Kendle. The first time I watched him play was during Belzer's season last year. He has definitely improved as an overall player. Kendle has grown a few inches and added a new dimension to his game. He now has a post game to go with the same guard skills I saw last season. Kendle dominated his opponents in the paint. He's a great finisher around the basket with either hand. He continues to be a good teammate who plays unselfish and lets the game come to him. Kendle is an exceptional mid-range shooter who's capable of extending his range beyond the three-point line. He knocked down a combination of both in yesterday's game. In my opinion, last season Kendall was mainly about scoring. Now I see the growth! He's become a better passer, rebounder and defender. With his overall improvement as a player, Kendle is well on his way to becoming a future star.     Daniel is an excellent rebounder who attacked the glass on both ends of the court. He dominated inside the paint Thursday night. Daniel was great at getting into the lane and scoring a high percentage of his shots. He showed the ability to score through contact despite being fouled on multiple occasions. This led to a number of three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. Whenever transition opportunities were available, Daniel showed his agility by running the floor and finishing strong at the rim. Some of his scores came by knocking down short perimeter shots. He was great at scoring off his teammates' misses around the basket. Defensively, Daniel excelled at blocking shots, guarding on the perimeter and defending around the basket. When opposing players drove the lane, Daniel turned them away. He's an excellent two-way player who could be even better in the coming years.     Jhalyn is a shifty pass first point guard who showed excellent leadership. He had a quiet game Thursday evening but I've seen him play enough to know how good he really is. Whenever he was on the floor, he found ways to make positive plays for his team. The majority of the assists he made were on the money when teammates found themselves in scoring positions. He's a great ball handler who excels at breaking down his opponents off the dribble. On a few occasions Jhalyn was able to attack defenders and clear up enough space to get off perimeter jumpers and score. He always looked to push the pace when Belzer had the opportunity to run the court. Jhalyn has always been great on the defensive end of the court. He continues to be a ball-hawk who excels at forcing opposing guards into turnovers. He applies great on-ball pressure with quick hands and timing to generate steals. Jhalyn is an excellent "floor general" who should have no problem adjusting to high school basketball next season.     AJ continues to be a great spot-up shooter. He has a way of freeing himself for clean looks at the basket. He has always been a great shooter. What I have noticed recently is his ability to handle the ball, attack the basket and make plays for others. AJ has become an excellent passer who was great at setting up his Belzer teammates for easy scores. During the match-up against Creston, AJ knocked down multiple shots from beyond the arc. He also scored on strong drives into the paint. There were moments in the game where AJ used various dribbling moves to attack defenders or convert jump-shots. He showed no fear of battling opposing players for rebounds and loose balls. AJ is a great shooter who has enhanced his skills to become a good all around player. I expect him to be even better at the high school level next season.     Jalen continues to be a talented scorer! He has the ability to get to the basket and make plays. In the match-up against Creston, Jalen scored in a variety of ways. Whether it was beating defenders to the basket, knocking down short perimeter shots or extending his range beyond the three-point line, Creston defenders had no answers on defense. Jalen stayed in "attack mode" throughout the duration of the game. When he found himself in one-on-one match-ups, Jalen immediately went to work on the opposition. These circumstances often led to him scoring or assisting teammates with pin-point passes. On defense, he played great on the perimeter. His on-ball pressure forced numerous turnovers that led to easy transition scores for him and his teammates. Jalen is a young talent who is destined to do great things in the coming years.     It's always great to see the smallest player have the biggest impact on the basketball court. Bryson is a fiery player who handles the ball, scores tough baskets and knocks down threes. This young man is a play-maker! He's a great passer who always found teammates open with the opportunity to score. Bryson has elite ball handling skills. These same skills allowed him to easily get into the lane and make plays. Whether it was scoring himself or dishing off assists, opposing defenders were no match for his speed and quickness. Whenever he attempted a floater, more than likely it was going in. The shot was sweet because of his small stature. Bryson is a great shooter. He knocked down four threes in the match-up against Creston. On defense, he pressured opposing guards the full length of the court. He forced them into mistakes and came away with multiple steals. With his continued growth and maturity, Bryson is capable of becoming elite in the near future.

Both seventh and eighth grade teams have a wealth of talent. They are so stacked at every position, players are substituted in waves. These teams are capable of bringing City Championships back to Belzer.