Varsity Spotlight- Liberty Christian Lions

Liberty Christian is the pride of Anderson, Indiana as it pertains to basketball. This small school is full of players with high potential. After watching them play in person, I became a serious believer.    Ka'maries continues to be the same dynamic scorer I watched in Middle school a season ago. He's a big-time shot-maker who has the ability to score from everywhere on the court. Whether it was slashing to the basket, knocking down mid-range shots or converting threes, Ka'maries found ways to be effective offensively. There was a sequence in the game where he caught fire! He knocked down multiple three-pointers on consecutive possessions. When he drove into the paint, Ka'maries was great at making floaters. This shot was effective because he shot it high enough to scored over taller defenders. On defense, he excelled at jumping passing lanes and generating steals. I expect Ka'maries to have a great Freshman season. With his continued growth and maturity, Ka'maries has a great chance of becoming elite in the near future.     Monte' is the “ glue guy “ for the Liberty Christian team. He always found himself near the basketball. Whether it was rebounding, scoring inside, knocking down jumpers or defending, Monte' found ways to be effective on the court. He's a player who took pride in grabbing rebounds. Throughout the game he attacked the glass with a determination to grab them all. I believe he finished the game with double-digit rebounds. Monte' also showed the ability to be a play-maker. The majority of his assists led to easy scores and positive outcomes for Liberty Christian. Don't be fooled! Monte' does all the intangibles, but he also scores. In the second half, he became more of a threat on offense. He scored in the paint, made baskets in transition and knocked down a three. Monte' topped it off with a slam in the closing moments of the game. On defense, he blocked multiple shots, protected the paint and forced a couple of turnovers. I believe Monte' will have no problems adjusting to college basketball next season.     Tywaine has the mentality of a true “floor general.” He's a great ball handler who always looked to set-up his teammates for high percentage shots. After watching Tywaine play, I saw an elite passer of the basketball. He always managed to find Liberty Christian players in the right positions to score. I can say with confidence, Tywaine led the team in assists and play-making. He showed great leadership by communicating with his teammates throughout the duration of the game. Tywaine can also score the ball when he needs to. He knocked down a couple of threes and attacked the basket on multiple occasions. One of those threes was a highlight play. He used a nasty step-back dribble to make the shot despite being challenged by the defender. Tywaine is an excellent lead guard who could navigate Liberty Christian to a winning season.     Jaloni is a tough minded guard who plays with a quiet confidence. He's great at attacking defenders and getting to the basket. The majority of his scores came off tough drives into the paint. Some led to three-point play opportunities. He calmly stepped to the foul-line and converted them. He's a good shooter who knocked down multiple threes and mid-range shots on the perimeter. One of those threes led to a four-point play opportunity after being fouled in the act of shooting. Jaloni is a great rebounding guard. He attacked the glass with the same ferocity as he did on offense. Whenever the Lions had a chance to run the floor, Jaloni showed the ability to finish strong in transition. On defense, he was a ball-hawk. Jaloni forced the Attucks guards into numerous turnovers. Many of his steals led to transition scores for his teammates. Jaloni is a great all around player who should easily transition into college basketball.     Kendrick is a tough player who has the ability to get to the basket, score from mid-range and knock down threes. Kendrick showed the ability to make difficult shots. During the game against Crispus Attucks, he used a quick first-step to blow by his defender and score at the rim. On numerous occasions, these scores led to three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. I was impressed by his rebounding prowess at the guard spot. Kendrick attacked the glass with the same ferocity as he did when he looked to score. Whenever he grabbed offensive rebounds, he easily scored on put-backs around the basket. Kendrick was the focal point of the Lions offense Tuesday night. Everything was going for him offensively. He lead the team in scoring with 36 points. On defense, he forced turnovers with great on-ball pressure he applied on Attucks guards. He also played the pass lanes with success. Kendrick is a great two-way player who could play a vital role in Liberty Christian's success this season.

Liberty Christian is the pride of Anderson, Indiana as it pertains to basketball. This small school is full of players with high potential. After watching them play in person, I became a serious believer.