McDonald's Practices/Scrimmages

March 31, 2010 by Nolan Shulman

Speed has been the one area which has made Cory stand out among the best this week. There isn't a player in the building who can keep Cory in front of them. He can break anyone down off the dribble and has a tremendous mid range game; something which is rare in high school basketball players these days. He's already known as a great winner, great defender, and great shooter, so scouts were really focused on his ability to run half court sets. He passed with flying colors, doing an excellent job communicating, as well as playing mistake free, pass first basketball.

Spalding Hoophall Classic

January 18, 2010 by Nolan Shulman

After struggling vs. Northland on ESPN in Findlay’s first loss in two years, Cory bounced back and showed the National TV audience what he’s capable of. Going toe to toe with the #1 point guard in the country, Kyrie Irving, Cory proved he could compete at the highest level. He dictated the tempo, initiated the offense, played hard nosed defense, and shot the heck out of the basketball. He’s now 54-1 as the starting point guard for Findlay Prep and has established himself as one of the elite winner’s and floor generals in his class. Cory showed he can do everything you want in a point guard and proved he's one of America's best big game players. 

City of Palms Classic

December 23, 2009 by Nolan Shulman

It seems like every time I watch Cory play I end up writing about his defense. This week was no different. Cory’s head to head matchup with Austin Rivers was an outstanding show. While it’s hard to rave about a player who gave up 22 points to his opponent, when you’re talking about Austin Rivers, that’s keeping him in check. While Austin got off early, Cory used the second half to showcase why many call him the best lockdown defender in the country. He held Austin to 3-10 shooting and 0-5 from downtown, while chasing him all over the court and giving him nothing easy. Cory demonstrated outstanding lateral quickness, terrific discipline, and always led Austin into the heart of the help defense. His defensive legacy continues to grow with every game he plays.

State Farm Tournament of Champions

November 30, 2009 by Nolan Shulman

The tournament’s Most Valuable Player put on quite a show this week, scoring 72 points in 3 games. He pushed the tempo, buried a high percentage of his three’s, and made an abundance of tough shots which left fans shaking their heads and saying wow. Although his offensive output was the talk of the town, it was Cory’s defense which once again led the Pilots to victory. The pressure Cory put on opposing point guards made it next to impossible for them to feed the post or run their offensive sets. He gives all out effort until the final whistle, regardless of the score.

When I asked Cory why he takes so much pride on the defensive end, the tournament MVP said simply, “I just go out, compete, and get after it in practice. It all starts in practice. I just focus in on defense because I believe defense wins games. If you stop them from scoring, the offense will take care of itself.”

Touché.

Adidas Super 64

July 22, 2009 by Nolan Shulman

It's hard to evaluate Joseph in the AAU setting because he plays off the ball for Grassroots Canada. He's a scoring point guard who isn't as effective off the ball. Unfortunately for him he has Myck Kabongo on his team as the lead guard. That being said, Joseph did an excellent job slashing to the hoop and finishing, made some crucial three's and helped bring the ball up the floor when the Atlanta Celtics pressed. He was excellent defensively, pressuring the ball and getting his hands in the passing lanes. As a point guard, Joseph tends to shoot often early in the possesion. He has so much talent surrounding him on Grassroots Canada that he may as well work the ball around and get a quality shot. Everyone knows he's capable of scoring, but the question is whether he can lead a team. He needs to get his teammates more involved as the offense became staggered when Kabongo left the game. Joseph has the ability to become an excellent lead guard at the next level if he chooses a school that fits his style. He isn't a half court point guard, but will thrive on an up-tempo scoring team.