Scecina vs Westfield- JV Ballers

These Junior Varsity players showcased the bright futures of the Scecina and Westfield basketball programs.    Eli continues to be an excellent perimeter shooter. The last time I watched him play was during the AAU season two summers ago. He's now a Sophomore in high school. Eli has grown a couple of inches and has a dribble drive game along with his shooting ability. He's a great ball handler who showed a knack for making plays by getting to the basket. Eli is also a high level assist man. The majority of his passes led to high percentage shots for other Scecina players. As I said, the young man is a shooter! Eli knocks down shots in a flashy way. He used various dribbling moves to free himself for clean looks at the basket. I appreciated the extreme confidence he showed on the basketball court. Whenever he made a big shot, his energy seemed to inject life into his teammates. Eli has unlimited range and it showed in the match-up against Westfield. He has the ability to make shots from mid as well as long range. Eli showed great poise and leadership as the team's lead guard. I look forward to seeing how much he progresses as a player throughout this season. Eli finished with (12 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds.)     Conner's play on the court exemplifies how a player should give their all for the team. After watching him play, I grew an appreciation for how much effort he gave to help his teammates win. Conner was great at attacking the basket. This led to him scoring most of his points on dribble drives. He's an excellent shooter who showed the capability of knocking down mid-range shots despite being closely guarded by his opponent. Conner had a knack of scoring tough baskets in the paint. On some occasions, he was able to convert three-point plays from the foul-line. If he had the opportunity to extend his range beyond the three-point line, he confidently knocked them down. His enthusiasm instantly energized his teammates. Defensively, Conner was all over the court making plays. He blocked shots, took charges and forced numerous turnovers. The highlight of the first half was the buzzer beater he made to end the first quarter.     It was good to see Greg play again. I was wondering how he would adjust to playing high school basketball. Well, I have to say, he's adjusted great! He continues to be a tough guard who handles the ball, makes positive plays and goes all out for his team. Greg is a great passer who does it with a little flare. A number of his assists were of the no-look fashion. There was one in particular where he threaded the needle to a teammate near the basket. Greg has a quick first-step that allows him to easily drive around defenders and score. He showed the ability to score tough baskets despite being contacted. Greg is capable of knocking down shots from mid-range or beyond the three-point line. On defense, he continues to be tenacious. He excels at pressing opposing guards into mistakes and turnovers. Greg is a crafty guard who always found a way to make positive plays for Westfield. He finished with (11 points, 4 assists, 2 steals)     Plays hard, knocks down threes and rebounds. Cayden did a little of everything on the basketball court. I truly enjoyed watching this young man hustle to be a part of every play on the floor. Whether it was scoring, taking charges or defending, Cayden was a constant threat to make plays. He was great at finishing strong in the paint with lay-ups or floaters. Whenever he had the opportunity to knock down three-pointers, Cayden shot them with complete confidence. He also showed the ability to finish in transition when Westfield ran fast-breaks. Cayden works hard on both ends of the court. He excelled at attacking the glass and battling opposing players for rebounds. Defensively, he pressed his opponent, forced a couple of turnovers and made some big-time blocks. Cayden plays the game with the mentality of a winner.     Codey showcased his ability as a great all around player in the match-up against Scecina. He's an excellent scorer who found ways of being effective from every level of the basketball court. Whether it was attacking the basket, converting mid-range shots, making free-throws or stepping out beyond the three-point line, Codey was a major scoring threat. He easily took advantage of smaller players in the post with a variety of effective moves around the basket. Codey was always in motion within the Westfield offense. He often used screens to free himself for open looks behind the three-point line. I watched him make three shots in this fashion. On defense, he gets into the body of his opponents. Constantly applying pressure with quick hands and excellent timing. Codey is the prototypical shooting guard who made shots and proved he's hard to handle for opposing defenses.     Kaleb is what I call a “glue guy.” This young man literally does everything for his team. If Westfield needed him to score, Kaleb gave it to them. Whenever they needed a crucial rebound, he battled for it. If the team needed him to make plays on defense, Kaleb got it done. He's a strong low post player who used his size and strength to effectively score in the paint. Whenever he established a position in the post, more than likely it led to points. Kaleb was excellent at working the offensive glass and scoring put-backs around the basket. He also showed the ability to knock down mid-range jumpers when given the opportunity. Kaleb is an outstanding interior post defender. I watched him lock down a taller player by using his strength to push opponents off their spot. Kaleb is a great all around player who is destined to have a successful season.      Joey is a promising player who facilitates and scores when he needs to. He's an excellent floor leader who played unselfish and looked to get his teammates involved offensively. Joey ran the Westfield offense with flawless precision. Whenever he pushed the pace, the team made plays by scoring in transition. No matter if they were bounce passes, outlet passes or flashy assists, Joey was the catalyst for setting up his teammates. He's a great ball handler who had no problem getting around opposing guards. When he did, Joey scored tough baskets in the paint. Whenever he had the opportunity to make perimeter shots, he did with no hesitation. On defense, he was very pesky. On numerous occasions, he openly frustrated the Scecina guards with great on-ball pressure. This led to multiple turnovers of the opposition. Joey is a talented player who will continue to progress as the season goes on.

These Junior Varsity players showcased the bright futures of the Scecina and Westfield basketball programs.