Varsity Basketball- IMSA vs Horizon Christian

This was a great game where both teams traded baskets throughout. These players stood out and showed why they are worthy of being written up.    He's a high energy player who makes plays on offense or defense. Romell is a good scorer in the paint. The majority of his points came off hustle plays and offensive put-backs around the rim. He's an excellent rebounder who dominated the glass on both ends of the court. Romell didn't mind battling the opposition for boards in the paint. If there was an all “hustle team,” he would be the catalyst for it. Romell did all the little things to help IMSA defeat Horizon Christian. He excelled at setting screens, drawing charges and taking advantage of smaller defenders in the painted area. On defense, he's an excellent shot-blocker. He turned away four different players when they attacked the paint. Romell is a great teammate who does whatever's necessary to help the team win. Once he polishes his game offensively, the sky's the limit for this young man.      Spencer is a tough guard who plays fearlessly. I appreciated watching the heart and determination he showed to get the job done. He's a great scorer who excels at creating shots off the dribble. His ball handling skills allowed him to easily beat opponents to the rim. Spencer is a good shooter who's capable of knocking down mid-range shots or long range three-pointers. In the game against Horizon Christian, he was most effective when he scored floaters in the paint. Spencer showed a knack for making a high percentage of these shots. What made the shot so sweet, was the way he arched it over taller defenders. When IMSA had the opportunity to run fast-breaks, Spencer proved to be a great finisher. On defense, he excelled at jumping the passing lanes and generating steals. Spencer is a good all around player who could become a great "floor leader" at the college level next year.     I was thoroughly impressed with this young man's game Friday evening. Xzavion is a physically strong player who happens to be a big-time scorer. Whether it was slashing to the basket, posting up defenders, knocking down threes or finishing in transition, Horizon Christian players had no answers on defense. Xzavion was unstoppable! He was great at drawing fouls through contact. This led to him converting multiple three-point play conversions. There was a moment in the game where Xzavion scored on four straight possessions. He knocked down a couple of threes, hit a mid-range jumper and attacked the basket. I really appreciated the mentality he showed as a scorer. Xzavion kept the pressure on Horizon Christian defenders by staying in constant “attack mode” throughout the game. His offensive highlight was a nasty one-handed slam he finished in transition. Defensively, he blocked shots and forced turnovers with the great on-ball pressure he applied on opposing players. Xzavion is an excellent all around player who should have no problems adjusting to college basketball next season.       Jayden plays like a true "floor general" on the basketball court. He's an excellent ball handler who creates for himself and others. Jayden excels at getting to the basket and knocking down long range three-pointers. He made four over the course of the game. Passing was also a major strength of his game. The majority of his assists led to positive plays for his IMSA teammates. Jayden had a quiet first half but turned it on big-time in the second. He really shined in the fourth quarter. Jayden knocked down three of his four three-pointers to help cement the win for IMSA. On defense, he was great at applying on-ball pressure to the Horizon Christian guards. He forced multiple steals and made ball handling a difficult task for the opposition. After watching him play, I believe Jayden is an unselfish player who has the skills to become elite as he continues to grow and improve.     Trevor is a hardworking player who gave his all on the basketball court. He plays hard on both ends of the court. Offensively, he shoots the ball well from mid or long range. In the game against IMSA, Trevor knocked down multiple threes and found ways to attack the basket. He showed great effort by attacking the boards on offense and defense. Many of his scores came from cleaning up his teammates' around the basket. Trevor had no problems fighting for rebounds despite being smaller than his opponents. On defense, Jackson was great at applying on-ball pressure to opposing players. His tenacity forced multiple turnovers from the opposition. Trevor is a talented player who has a bright future in the game of basketball.     Alex is an excellent "floor leader" who showed the ability to score from all three levels of the court. Whether it was getting to the basket, scoring from mid-range or knocking down threes, opposing IMSA players had no answers for him on defense. Alex easily beat his opponents off the dribble. This allowed him to make plays by scoring or kicking out assists to other Horizon Christian players. When he found himself in isolated situations, Alex created the space he needed to effectively knock down shots. These could be mid or long-range jump-shots from the perimeter. When Alex had opportunities to make three-pointers, he shot them with no hesitation. In my opinion, this young man is very mature for his age. The offensive skills and play-making he showed were impressive. As I said, he literally scores from everywhere on the court. Once he improves his skills on defense, Alex will become a complete player. He's a legit scorer who has a chance of becoming an elite player in the future.      Shawn is a tough shooting guard who shows the ability of a big time scorer. He was very effective on the offensive side of the basketball court. In the match-up against IMSA, I watched a player who showed the ability to make shots from all levels of the court . Whether it was attacking the paint, knocking down mid-range jumpers or extending his range beyond the three-point line, Shawn was a hard cover for IMSA defenders. He made six threes throughout the duration of the game. One of those three-pointers came at the halftime buzzer. He's a great on-ball defender who pressed opposing IMSA players into turnovers. In my opinion, Shawn will finish the season with multiple high score games. I envision him putting up big numbers on offense the rest of the way. He's the kind of player who could catch fire and become a major problem for opposing players and coaches. Shawn plays with an aggressive scorer's mentality that could guide him far in the game of basketball.     Jackson is the type of player who does everything on the basketball court. He scored, assisted, rebounded and defended. When he stepped on the floor Jackson instantly made an impact. On offense, he knocked down numerous shots on the perimeter. He often found teammates in scoring positions with his passing ability. Jackson was great at driving by his defender and scoring at the basket. This young man played the game with heart and determination. Whenever he needed to make a positive play, he did in the form of scoring timely baskets or grabbing important rebounds. During fast-breaks, Jackson finished with strong lay-ups at the rim. On defense, he fought for rebounds, took charges, forced turnovers and blocked a couple of shots. All of these traits show why Jackson is an important piece of the puzzle for the Horizon Christian team.

This was a great game where both teams traded baskets throughout. These players stood out and showed why they are worthy of being written up.