Proving Grounds: The Inside Guys- Power Forwards/Centers 14u

The positions of Power Forward and Center consist of guys who do all the" dirty work," such as rebounding, defending and low post scoring.    Joshua was a dominant presence on both ends of the court over the weekend. Offensively, he was hard to handle for the opposition. He scored around the basket using a variety of post moves. These moves consisted of jump hooks, up and unders, fade-aways and put-backs around the rim. Opponents had no answers for the offensive onslaught Joshua used in the paint. I was thoroughly impressed with his touch from mid-range. I didn't see that coming! Everything Joshua did was inside the paint. He stepped out the box and knocked down jump-shots on multiple occasions. He easily dominated the boards on both ends of the court. I'm confident in saying "Joshua finished the game with a double-double in points and rebounds." On defense, he was great at blocking shots, protecting the paint and making it hard for opposing players who attempted to score. Joshua is on the path to becoming a special player in the game of basketball.     This young man is an exceptional player. He was great at scoring off pick and roll plays, making shots in the post and occasionally knocking down threes when they were available. Jason is also a great rebounder who had no problems battling opponents for boards on both ends of the court. A majority of his rebounds led to offensive put-backs around the rim or second chance shot opportunities for his teammates. Jason's agility is what truly impressed me. There were numerous occasions throughout the game when he grabbed a defensive rebound, pushed the pace up-court and scored transition lay-ups. When he didn't score, he often dissed off passes to other MN Sting 14u-1 players streaking to the basket. On defense, Jason gets after it. He finished the game with three steals and a couple of blocked shots. I believe Jason has the skills to be one of the top players in his class as he continues to progress in the coming years.     Max was one of the best players throughout the tournament this past weekend. He dominated both ends of the court with the mentality of a player who believed he couldn't be stopped. There was a sequence in the match-up against [program_tooltip program_id='2859102' first='Hoop' last='Habits Elite'] Red 14u where he scored on four consecutive plays. All were inside the paint. The opposing team simply had no answers for him defensively. Max also finished strong in transition whenever Team Hudson/Uncheckable had opportunities to run the fast-break. I would have liked to see Max shoot the ball. His coaches told me it's a work in progress. He was so effective inside, there was no need to make any plays outside the paint. After watching him play, I believe he's strong in every area except jump-shooting. He's big, athletic, an excellent rebounder and solid defender. Max already has the qualities of an elite player. Once he develops a consistent jump-shot he could become one of the best players in his class.     An excellent rebounder and scorer around the basket. Mason was great at doing all the intangibles for the team. Whether it was setting screens, rebounding, scoring in the paint or defending, Real Phenom 14u Anderson had no answers for him anywhere on the court. Mason dominated smaller defenders in the paint. He scored a number of his baskets after grabbing the missed shots of his teammates. Mason is what I called the ultimate “clean-up guy.” Practically every shot the other MN Chill 14u-1 players missed, he was there to make a play around the basket. He even showed the ability to knock down mid-range jump-shots. Defensively, he blocked a shot and played physical in the paint. His presence on defense made scoring difficult for the opposition. Mason is an excellent player who has the potential to be successful at the high school level.     Cole is what I call a “glue guy.” He does everything for [program_tooltip program_id='2075310' first='Northstar' last='Titans'] 14u-1. Whether it was scoring, assisting, rebounding or defending, Cole was always around the basketball. He was great at rebounding the basketball. Cole attacked the glass with more aggression than he did when he looked to score. A majority of his offensive rebounds led to easy put-backs around the rim. When the team had opportunities to score transition points, Cole finished with strong drives to the basket. I appreciated the importance he placed on making all the intangible plays. It was not about scoring for this young man. Cole set great screens, took charges and hit the floor going after loose balls. Defensively, he excelled at forcing turnovers and blocking shots. He is the ultimate team player who gives maximum effort.     The big man showed the ability to be a dominant force in the paint. When Luke had smaller defenders guarding him, he went to work in the post. Luke is not only a threat in the paint, he runs the floor, scores in transition and knocks down short perimeter jump-shots. There were instances where Luke extended his range beyond the three-point line. He finished the game with four of them despite being closely defended by the opposition. Luke is a great rebounder! He dominated the boards on both sides of the court. Especially on the offensive end of the floor. A good amount of his scores came from grabbing offensive rebounds. Luke is a hard working player who does whatever it takes to help [program_tooltip program_id='2075672' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 14u win games. Defensively, Luke played great post interior defense and blocked multiple shots. He also forced a couple of turnovers by guarding wings on the perimeter. Luke is a great all around player with a promising future.

The positions of Power Forward and Center consist of guys who do all the" dirty work," such as rebounding, defending and low post scoring.