Team Spotlight- Creston Cyclones

Both squads demonstrated the ability to fight and take on all comers despite its team sizes. They're program is dealing with injuries in both grade levels. These circumstances aren't stopping these players from giving their all on the basketball court.    I thoroughly enjoyed watching this young man play Thursday evening. King came off the bench and made an instant impact on the court. In my opinion, he was the best passer in the game. King is a sixth grader who's playing on the seventh grade team. This is an accomplishment that he's definitely worthy of. Every assists he threw was on the money! Some were regular, some were flashy. Whether it was a behind the back, bounce or no-look, King was efficient as a play-maker. He's an elite ball handler who has the capability of beating team defenses with his penetration and decision making. King is the prototypical pass-first point guard who looks to make everyone better. He's not only a passer, he scores when he needs to score. In some instances, he found himself isolated against Belzer defenders on the wing. King used a quick first-step to easily get to the basket. He also showed the ability to knock down threes whenever he had opportunities. Some of his scores came in transition after forcing opposing guards into turnovers. King is a promising player with a great future ahead of him.     Mal was the emotional leader of the Creston seventh grade team. He had a habit of keeping up his teammates spirits up. Especially when he made big shots throughout the game. He's a good ball handler, scorer and defender. Mal excelled at getting to the basket and making tough shots. He's a hard-nosed player who did whatever the team needed to be successful. If Creston needed a score, rebound, assists or defensive stop, he gave it to them. Mal showed the ability to make a high percentage of his shots from the perimeter. If he was not attacking the rim, he was knocking down mid or long range jump-shots. Mal was great at using the dribble to free himself for clean looks at the basket. Whenever Creston had an opportunity to score transition points, Mal finished with tough lay-ups. On defense, he forced multiple turnovers with great man-to man pressure. Mal is a great all-around player who'll play a big role in the success of Creston's basketball program.     During the seventh grade game, Zaydin was the most dominant player on the court. In the match-up against Creston, there were no answers for him defensively. Zaydin showed great post moves inside the paint. He used pump-fakes, drop-steps and other various moves to dominate the smaller Belzer players. Zaydin showed a knack for drawing fouls with his physical style of play. Many of his scores came through contact which led to and-one baskets. Zaydin calmly stepped to the foul-line and converted most of his opportunities. He showed his agility on numerous occasions. Zaydin attacked defenders off the dribble, ran the floor and scored in transition. He was definitely a tough cover for the Belzer defenders. Defensively, he blocked multiple shots and made scoring difficult for opposing players attacking the paint. He's an athletic player who's capable of scoring at a high level. Once he develops a consistent jump-shot, Zaydin could become an elite player in the future.     Perry was one of the best guards I watched Thursday night. He's a great ball handler who easily beat defenders and made plays. Perry made an instant impact as soon as he stepped off the bench. The team was in a scoring funk before he came in the game. He immediately jump-started the Creston offense by scoring five points in two consecutive possessions. Perry knocked down a three-pointer and scored a lay-up when he attacked the paint. This young man is a scorer in the making and he's only a sixth grader! He's very knowledgeable about creating shots. Whether he used the dribble or teammate screens, Perry found ways to stay aggressive on offense. There were moments in the game where his ball handling skills got reactions from the crowd. He dribbled between his legs and had the defender going in the opposite direction. Perry is a play-maker who always looked to make his teammates better. The majority of his assists led to easy scores for his Creston teammates. Defensively, he forced three steals and made handling the ball difficult for opposing guards. Perry is a special player who has a bright future in the game of basketball.     Jace played hard on both ends of the court. He's an excellent ball handler with a quick first-step. He used that step to easily blow by defenders and score in the paint. Jace is a good all-around player who did everything for his team. Whether it was scoring, passing, rebounding or defending, Jace was the teams' “glue guy.” He was one of the best rebounding guards on the court. Jace had no problems battling for rebounds despite being shorter than his opponents. Many of his offensive boards led to second chance shot opportunities for his teammates. I appreciated the effort he showed to play with aggression whenever he was on the floor. Jace is a good mid-range shooter who showed the ability to knock down threes on occasion. On defense, he used his physicality to force turnovers and block shots. Jace is a really good player who is capable of being a force in high school next season.     Jeremy had an off scoring night in Thursday's game. That's fine because I know what Jeremy's truly capable of. He continues to be an excellent rebounder who does all the intangibles for his team. The majority of his points came from grabbing offensive rebounds in the paint. He's a strong willed player who attacks the glass with authority. In the match-up against Belzer, he attacked defenders off the dribble and knocked down short perimeter jumpers on numerous occasions. He set solid screens that allow his teammates to have great driving lanes to the basket. Jeremy has always been a great passer. He excelled at finding Creston players in positions to be effective. Defensively, Jeremy blocked multiple shots and defended smaller players on the perimeter. Jeremy is a hard-working player who has improved in most areas of his game. I was impressed with his improvement as a ball handler. I expect Jeremy to have a big summer during AAU season. He'll easily transition into high school basketball next fall.

Both squads demonstrated the ability to fight and take on all comers despite its team sizes. They're program is dealing with injuries in both grade levels. These circumstances aren't stopping these players from giving their all on the basketball court.