Space City Collision: Difference-Makers 17U

Coaches love a player that enters a game with the mindset of making a difference in multiple ways. The group of athletes below take that mentality seriously every second they're on the floor.    Miller is a physical, hard-working guard that can impact the game in a myriad of ways for his team. His ballhandling skills are fantastic and enable him to work his way out of traps and make the best pass available. He doesn't lack confidence as you can tell from his drives to the rim and willingness to hurl himself toward contact. He's a patient player that gets good shots because of the way he thinks through his approach. I love the way he boxes out on the defensive end - 100% effort every time - which allows him to rack up boards and deny the opposition any second-chance opportunities. He's a tenacious defender and he doesn't back down to the most talented of players. Martin will continue getting better and will turn plenty of heads in the process.     D'Zayvin is an energetic spark plug of a point guard and he put in one of the most memorable performances on the weekend. What he lacks in height, he makes up for and then some with his hustle and the heart he plays with. He's lethal to the opposition in the passing lane - picking passes like a hobby with great anticipation and taking it the other way for an easy bucket. He never seems to run out of gas, literally sprinting on both ends and making heads up plays in the process. He has great vision and knows exactly how to get his bigs involved and set them up for high-percentage looks and easy finishes on the break. Bonner will continue to impress and I won't be surprised when the attention on him increases significantly.     Noah is a skilled, sharpshooting guard with an excellent ballhandling ability and the patience to work himself and his teammates into the best opportunities available. He's fantastic at creating off the dribble, whether that be utilizing his mid-range game with a pull up and quick release or switching to his dangerous crossover and breezing by defenders. He can get streaky from beyond the arc often and he has a nice ability to finish on the fast break. He has quick, sneaky hands and can rack up steals with ease. You have to be on your game when facing him because he recognizes and exploits mismatches and missed coverages. He's calm under pressure and can throw lightning passes that shred the thinnest of open lanes to get his guys great looks.     Dedric is a high-scoring, tenacious guard that can impact the game several ways and make winning plays throughout. He doesn't shy from physicality in the least, regularly finishing through contact for extra opportunities at the line. He's a smart talker on the floor, communicating effectively with his teammates on both ends of the floor. If his squad goes through a scoring slump or they get down significantly, he's the player that's there to hype them right back up and get them back in the game. His offensive game is pretty - he seems to glide his way into the paint on his drives and it's incredibly enjoyable to watch. Offense is not the only facet to his game - he's a tenacious defender as well and can be considered an dangerous two-way player. His quickness and anticipation make him lethal on the defensive end.     Maleek is a fierce two-way guard that seems to make all the right decisions when he's out on the floor. He has a solid frame and is physical on both ends with his competition. His ballhandling ability is fantastic and allows him to work his way past defenders easily and get himself into position for the best looks at the basket. He's got a nice mid-range game with the ability to pull up and utilize his quick release and impressive verticality to sink shots over opponents. His drives to the lane are fun to watch because of the incredible touch he has on his shots - if he's throwing it up toward the rim from the lane, it's most likely going in. He's an absolute hustler on defense and knows how to snag the ball without fouling and read passing lanes with pinpoint accuracy for easy points the other way.

Coaches love a player that enters a game with the mindset of making a difference in multiple ways. The group of athletes below take that mentality seriously every second they're on the floor.