Proving Grounds: Game Changers- Small Forwards 14u

Small Forwards are players who do a little of everything on the basketball court. They handle the ball, score, rebound and make plays for others. The players on this list are a direct representation of these skills.    Brady is a physical player who is capable of playing with power and finesse. He showed the ability to dominate in the low post with a variety of moves. Brady effectively uses both hands to score around the basket. (Sometimes through contact) He also excels at attacking the basket off the dribble and knocking down mid-range jump-shots. There was a moment in the game where Brady made a highlight play. He caught the pass at the top of the key, made a quick jab-step and beat his opponent to the basket with a nice spin move. Brady is a great rebounder who attacked the glass on both ends of the court. A majority of his rebounds led to offensive put-backs around the basket. When 14u Real Phenom Rich had opportunities to push the pace, he always finished strong at the rim. I believe Brady is an excellent scorer who should easily adapt to the speed of high school basketball.     I was thoroughly impressed with Andrew over the weekend. He's a player who does everything on the basketball court at high level. Whether it was passing, rebounding, scoring or defending, Andrew found ways to make a difference for MN Sting 14u-1. He's a great passer who had the uncanny ability of finding open teammates all over the court. A majority of his assists led to high percentage scores for other players. After watching him play, I viewed him as a point-forward who handles the ball and makes plays. Offensively, he scores the ball by attacking the paint off the dribble, grabbing offensive rebounds or knocking down perimeter jump-shots. On defense, he forced turnovers, played physically in the paint and blocked a shot. Andrew is an excellent all around player who has the talent to be even greater at the next level.     Tayden played a great overall game when I saw him play Saturday afternoon. He's a good scorer who always found ways of scoring the basketball. Tayden attacked defenders off the dribble, scored mid-range pull-ups and knocked down the occasional three when he had the opportunity. He's a decent rebounder but he could get better. That will come with him getting physically stronger. Tayden runs the court and scores in transition. He had a couple of moments in the game where he finished fast-breaks with dunks. Defensively, he used his length to be disruptive towards the opposing team. He blocked shots and forced multiple steals that led to positive outcomes for the team.     Woody is a hooper!! I was truly impressed with him as a basketball player. He's an agile big man who plays like a guard. Woody has a great handle of the basketball. He easily beat defenders to the basket for easy lay-ups. Some were through contact and led to three-point play chances from the foul-line. He's a great rebounder who battled the opposition on both ends of the court. Some of his baskets came from grabbing offensive rebounds and immediately scoring around the rim. He's a great passer! A large amount of his assists were on the flashy side. Whether it was no-looks, behind the back or bounce passes, Woody always made plays. He excelled at using the dribble to create the space he needed to get off shots. These moves led to him knocking down multiple threes and a host of mid-range shots. Where he impressed me most, was his energy and emotion to get other teammates going. Woody is a great player. I believe he has all the traits of becoming an elite player in the coming years.     Brendan was the “glue guy” for Dream Ballers 14u-2. He literally does everything for the team. Brendan is a great scorer who did it in a variety of ways. He attacks the basket, knocks down short perimeter jumpers and extends his range beyond the three-point line. He finished the game with double-digit points and three conversions from beyond the arc. Brendan is a great team player who did whatever he needed to help the team win. His passing skills led to high percentage shots for his teammates. Every rebound he grabbed, allowed him to setup other players for second chance shot opportunities and transition scores. Brendan is a player who could fit in on any team he plays with. Adjusting to high school basketball next year should be no problem.     Isaiah is the “cleanup guy” for his Minnesota Falcons 14u-1 team. He's a great rebounder who dominated the boards on offense and defense. I feel confident in saying, Isaiah finished the game with double-digit rebounds. He scored a majority of his points on put-backs around the rim. These points came after his teammates missed shots. Isaiah used great timing to grab rebounds and immediately score. He was also adept at scoring off pick and roll plays going to the basket. I watched him score on this play two consecutive possessions. Isaiah also does all the intangibles for his team such as setting screens and communicating with his teammates. He also showed the ability to knock down threes when given the opportunity.     Good all around player who gets to the basket, knocks down threes and scores in transition. Pooda was on fire from the three-point line in their match-up against [program_tooltip program_id='2075310' first='Northstar' last='Titans'] 14u-1. He finished the game with four conversions from beyond the arc. After watching him, I saw a player who easily scores the ball from all areas of the basketball court. He has a nice post game to go along with a decent mid-range shot. He knocked down numerous fade-away jump-shots after posting up smaller defenders. When [program_tooltip program_id='2076118' first='MN' last='Chill Elite'] 14u-1 had opportunities to score on fast breaks, Pooda filled the lanes received the passes and finished strong. On defense, Pooda attached himself to the opposition and made it difficult for them to be effective. He finished the game with multiple steals and a couple of blocks. Pooda is an excellent player who will become even greater with growth and maturity.

Small Forwards are players who do a little of everything on the basketball court. They handle the ball, score, rebound and make plays for others. The players on this list are a direct representation of these skills.