Junior Varsity Basketball- Mount Vernon vs Marion

Marion was easily over-matched in their game against Mount Vernon Friday evening. These are players who stood out and showed how they're valued to their team.    Melo continues to be an excellent player who's capable of doing anything on the basketball court. Whether it's scoring, rebounding, passing or defending, Melo finds ways to be effective. Normally I watch him play as the primary scoring threat. In Friday's game he was more of a facilitator of the basketball. Melo had the ball in his hands as Marion's primary ball handler. This led to him running the team's offensive sets and leading them in assists. He didn't score much in the game but continued to show what he's capable of on offense. Melo has the ability to create off the dribble, attack the paint or knock down step-back three-pointers. Defensively, he's great at pressuring his opponents into mistakes. Those mistakes were turned into turnovers that led to numerous scoring opportunities for his teammates in transition. In my opinion, Melo has almost adjusted to the speed of high school basketball. Once he settles in completely, Melo has the capability of becoming an elite player. The more he grows and matures, the better he'll become.     Amare was a man among boys in the limited minutes he played. He made plays all over the court, especially on the boards! When he grabbed offensive rebounds, scoring around the rim would be no issue. Mount Vernon players had no answers for him on the glass. Amare continues to show the dominance he displayed when I watched him last season in eighth grade. Many of his scores came through contact from the opposition. Some were called, some were not. He's a strong player who will become a focal point of the Marion offense as his minutes increase. Amare showed his athleticism when he attacked defenders off the dribble and knocked down perimeter jump-shots. On defense, Amare blocked shots, protected the paint and occasionally defended smaller players on the perimeter. He finished the game with multiple blocks and numerous steals. Amare is a hardworking player who shall continue to improve as he develops within the Marion basketball program.     Chris is a tough minded guard who goes at the opposition. He stayed in “attack mode” throughout the game and showed no fear on the basketball court. Chris is an excellent ball handler who easily broke down opposing players and attacked the paint. Offensively, he was great at knocking down mid-range jumpers or extending his range beyond the three-point line. Whenever he used the dribble to beat his defender, Chris created just enough space to attack the basket and make a high percentage of his shots. He's a good passer and rebounder. Most of his passes led to high percentage scores for other teammates. He didn't mind battling Mount Vernon players for rebounds. Despite being smaller than the opposition, Chris fought for every board he got his hands on. Whenever the opportunity was there to make threes, he showed the ability to do so. He finished the game by converting three. Chris is an excellent shooting guard who's capable of being great in the coming years.     Sean continues to be the same high percentage shooter I watched last season in eighth grade. He's the type of player who catches fire once he sees a shot go down. In Friday's game against Mount Vernon, Sean had a quiet first half. Once the second started, there was a sequence when he knocked down two consecutive threes. Those baskets jump-started his perimeter scoring. From that point on, he attacked the paint and used teammate screens to free himself for good looks at the basket. Whenever Marion had scoring opportunities in transition, Sean proved to be a strong finisher. On defense, Sean was great at harassing Mount Vernon players into turnovers. Sean is a great shooter who's destined to have a successful basketball career at Marion High School.     Jonathan was a monster on the boards! He led the Mount Vernon team in rebounds. I feel confident in saying “he finished the game with a double-double.” Jonathan showed the ability to score and rebound at a high level. He dominated inside the painted area of the court. During the game, I was pleasantly surprised with his ball handling skills. Occasionally, he brought the ball up-court and made plays by dishing out assists. The majority of his passes led to scores by his teammates. On numerous occasions, Jonathan beat defenders off the dribble and scored. These baskets led to three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. Jonathan stepped-up and calmly made the free-throws. On defense, he blocked multiple shots and protected the paint from Marion players.     Jayden is what I call a “hustle guy.”He's the kind of player who's effective at doing everything on the basketball court. Jayden is a tough player who excelled at grabbing rebounds on both ends of the court. Where he really shined was on he offensive glass. When his teammates missed shots, Jayden had a knack for being in the right spot to score. When Mount Vernon had an opportunity to score in transition, Jayden sprinted down court and finished strong at the rim. He's an excellent ball handler who created his own shot by beating defenders off the dribble. His drives to the basket led to scores for himself or assists to other Mount Vernon players. When Marion left Jayden open on the perimeter, he didn't hesitate to take the shot. Defensively, he put his body on the line by taking charges and making impactful plays. Jayden has the potential of becoming a great two-way player with continued growth and maturity.     After watching Jalen play, I realized he's one of the shooters who's depended on to make shots. His teammates always looked to get him going offensively. They set screens and ran plays that specifically allowed him to get open looks at the basket. I watched him knock down two shots from beyond the arc in limited playing time. Jalen showed the skills to handle the ball and create his own shots. He used these abilities to attack the paint on numerous occasions. Where Jalen impressed me was on defense. He has quick hands and good lateral movement. I watched him steal the ball from his opponents by timing passing lanes and making ball handling a difficult task. He's a great shooter and defender who has a promising future ahead of him.

Marion was easily over-matched in their game against Mount Vernon Friday evening. These are players who stood out and showed how they're valued to their team.