Keenan "The Problem" BlackThe CB Spiders tournament kicked off today in Concord, NC and as promised Basketball Spotlight was in the building. Here’s a breakdown of the players that impressed us this morning.
Top Performers 12U
Keenan Black Forward (SC Ravens)- I was anxious to see “The Problem” today and I must say I seen the improvements. He’s more perimeter oriented and handles the pill more often. What separates Black from most of his peers is the mixture of skills, size, strength and athleticism that allows him to finish off difficult plays on this level. Some other 6th Graders may have one or two of these attributes but possessing all 4 is very rare.
Ty Graves Guard (SC Ravens)- Shooting from the perimeter must run in the blood line for Graves because his cousin (Will Graves) stroked the 3 ball all year for UNC. I did see one difference in the two players; the younger Graves handles the rock and creates plays better. Graves has good court vision and loves using the now popular Euro-Step to shake defenders. He was one of the top guards I saw today.
Matt Cone Guard (SC Ravens)- Another Raven tough guard, Matt has skills similar to Graves in terms of shooting the pill and pushing the ball. I like his mid range pull up and the speed he shows pushing the rock end to end. Finally, if you back up off Cone he will drain the trey ball.
DJ Clark Forward (SC Ravens)- Clark is really a guard but plays the baseline and post for this squad. He has good hands and converted drop offs in the lane. He will need to pack on some mass in the near future and probably will find himself on the perimeter. 
Jarvis Johnson Guard (SC Ravens)- Johnson rounds out the starting 5 and is a total pest on defense. He doesn’t shoot the outside as much as the other guards but instead enjoys finishing at the tin. We will check his progress and the tourney gets tougher.
William Miller Guard (BTYM)- The miniature point guard made some good plays despite his team lopsided loss. He got deep into the lane and used his pass first mentality to satisfy teammates. This kid never quit.
AJ Horne Guard (BTYM)- Horne is a flat out shooter. The southpaw usually spots up in the corner and lets it fly. His points came from a few deep shots and a couple of midrange floaters.
Josh Adison Guard (BTYM)- The husky ball handler attacks the lane like a fullback. He’s very nimble on his feet and has a good change of direction while handling the rock. We haven’t heard the last of him.
Malik Sam-Edwards Forward (BTYM)- Malik is still developing offensively but showed a great motor on the defensive end. We went after shots and worked hard on the glass. Once he gets stronger his game should come together even more.
