Junior Varsity Game Changers- Cardinal Ritter vs Tri-West

These young men put on a show for all to see Friday night. Both sides played an exciting brand of basketball that gave the crowd something to cheer about.    He's an excellent shooter who showed the ability to knock down shots from mid or long range. Luke surprised me with his ability to break down defenders and get to the basket. He's a great ball handler who creates his own shot, while finding ways to make plays for others. Luke had one of the purest shots I've seen this season. Every time he had a clean look, the shots always seemed to fall. Luke is a great team player who had a habit of making positive plays. Whether it's scoring timely baskets, grabbing rebounds or playing tight defense, Luke proved to be a valuable asset to the Tri-West team. He's an extremely confident player who has a bright future with the basketball program.     He's a physical guard who plays the game with a fearless attitude. Xavier has the skills to score in a variety of ways. He's a good perimeter shooter who found ways to knock down shots from mid or long range. Xavier was effective using screens or creating shots of the dribble. He knocked down multiple threes using hesitation dribble moves to gain the space he needed for clean looks. Xavier played the game with an attitude of a player who could not be denied. His play style led to numerous three-point play opportunities from the foul-line. He's a great all around player who does everything on the basketball court. Xavier has a promising basketball career ahead of him at Tri-West High School.      He is one of the best players on the court Friday night. This is my second write up of Amare and he did not disappoint. He continues to excel at every aspect of the game. Amare's a great scorer, passer and defender. Whether it's beating opponents off the dribble, attacking the basket, knocking down threes or winning one-on-one match-ups, defending him was not easy for the opposition. He has a great handle of the basketball. Amare easily beat opponents to the basket with driving lay-ups. Whenever he found teammates with pin-point assists, most were in flashy fashion. In some instances, he used the step-back dribble to create the space he needed for good shot attempts. Amare was able to knock down multiple threes using this move. Defensively, he was great at playing the passing lanes and applying pressure on the basketball. Amare's a great player who has a chance to become elite in the near future. He finished the game with 20 points.     Andrew is a great spot-up shooter. He always managed to find ways of freeing himself for good looks at the basket. Andrew took advantage of utilizing teammate screens and getting open within the Cardinal Ritter offense. During the match-up against Tri-West, Andrew knocked down three shots from beyond the arc. He also showed the ability to score from mid-range. There were sequences in the game where Andrew used various moves to create the space he needed. The extra space allowed him to convert numerous shots from the perimeter. He's a great rebounding guard. Andrew attacked the glass and provided his teammates with second chance opportunities to score. He showed no fear of battling opposing players in the paint. Andrew is a great shooter who's capable of scoring in bunches. I expect him to become even better as he continues to mature as a player.     Shawn was instant energy when he entered the game. He's an excellent ball handler who creates for himself and others. Shawn excelled at getting to the basket and knocking down long range three-pointers. He made three of them in Friday night's match-up against Tri-West. The majority of his assists led to positive outcomes for Cardinal Ritter. On defense, he was great at deflecting passes, being physical and applying pressure to the Tri-West back-court. He forced multiple steals and made ball handling difficult for the opposition. After watching him play, I believe Shawn is an unselfish player who does all the intangibles needed to help Cardinal Ritter win.     Aron is the type of player who does it all. Whether it's scoring, rebounding, passing or defending, he always found ways of being effective. Aron does all the “hustle work” for Cardinal Ritter. He attacked the boards on both ends of the court. Often grabbing rebounds that led to positive plays for the team. Most of them gave his teammates second chance scoring opportunities. The majority of his baskets were scored around the rim after attacking the offensive glass. On some occasions, he was able to beat opposing players off the dribble and get to the basket. He's also a great passing big man. Aron was great at finding teammates cutting to the basket with pin-point passes. I was most impressed with his ability to shoot the ball. He knocked down numerous mid and long range shots throughout the game. Defensively, Aron blocked multiple shots and protected the paint from the opposition.

These young men put on a show for all to see Friday night. Both sides played an exciting brand of basketball that gave the crowd something to cheer about.