I. J. U. Middle School Fall Ball: Fresh Young Faces

The following young faces may be "fresh" on the basketball coverage scene, but their overall game is far from fresh or novice!    Ortiz uses tight crossovers to change speed and change direction. Once she blows by defenders, she knows her spots and understands how to get to the perimeter to pop the three-ball. She slides her feet well and plays nose-over-ball defense. Only in 7th grade, she is already playing with an understanding of offensive and defensive concepts that give her the edge over her peers.     Pure shooter. Her shot is smooth and silky as she elevates off the floor and holds her followthrough to the swish of the net. Although Haynes possesses a lethal shot, she consistently looks for her teammates because she has an understanding of when to take shots and when to assist. She is already making strong diagonal passes. More to her repertoire than a shot, she can single-handedly break the press with her speed and ability to keep her head up and find the cracks within the defense.     On her current squad, Stephenson is a "do-it-all" player for her team. She keeps her head up to lead the break, makes very calculated passes in transition to find teammates, plays patiently getting to the basket with inconspicuous crossovers to draw fouls, and understands how to see the gaps and attack all while she is developing into a crafty finisher. Solid free throw shooter and follows her shot to get rebounds. A few inches above the majority of the players on the floor, Stephenson is gaining versatile experience playing all positions.     Only is 7th grade, George is already appearing as long and lengthy. She is still learning her potential but has strong basketball instincts such as keeping the ball high and aggressively working the low block to gain post up on her defender. When she does receive the ball on the low block, she has a natural drop step to the basket. After receiving defensive boards, she is not afraid to put the ball on the floor. Upon attack mode to the basket, she draws contact and has a great follow-through at the line.       Nearing the 6-foot mark, Mingo understands how to use her size advantage to dominate. well, She plays the quarterback position in the back of the press for her team as she sees the floor well, communicates with teammates, and is extremely active off the ball to intercept passes to lead the break going down the floor the other way. Plays with a motor as she anticipates the entry pass to the wing and intercepts it to finish on the other end with contact. Did I mention she has a developed 3-point shot? I saw Minho with ease... snatch the ball off the board to launch a full-court pass to a leaking teammate. She is already playing with a toughness that will put her on everyone's radar much sooner than later.     Parker caught my attention with her uncanny ability to time when to block shots. She is extremely athletic and anticipatory-minded. She uses her athleticism paired with solid size (for middle school) to work the baseline and finish on crafty reverse layups that left her defenders more than puzzled. Just a 7th grader, Parker carries herself with the demeanor of a serious competitor.

The following young faces may be "fresh" on the basketball coverage scene, but their overall game is far from fresh or novice!