First Impressions From PHI Freshman Showcase
The event on Saturday, our 2020 Freshman Showcase, was a success and it gave us a very good look at what the class could be. We got a look at the size, the skill, and the depth of the class…
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Continue ReadingThe event on Saturday, our 2020 Freshman Showcase, was a success and it gave us a very good look at what the class could be. We got a look at the size, the skill, and the depth of the class of 2020 and here are a few of the things we found out.
Wings-A-Plenty And With Upside
One of the areas that had the most depth seems to be the wing position. It’s full of high-upside guys and a lot come in the 6’3-6’4 range that could still sprout up a bit over the next four years. Guys like Dillon Duff and Anthony Leal really showcased their scoring prowess and the upside of Jaylen Petty and Anthony Scales seemed to be raved about. Scales and Petty both seem like candidates to grow quite a few more inches over the next few years and their potential is quite high if they can tap into it.
High-End Talent Yet To Show Itself
Outside of Mabor Majak, the 7’1 center from Hamilton Southeastern (IN), there isn’t a big time prospect in the class. Tayson Parker looked really good on Saturday but tough to see where he ultimately ends up. Last year we had Sydney Curry, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Keion Brooks who are some of the top prospects in the Midwest for 2019. To this point, the class just looks light on that front. Not sure if it is due to the lack of size (Curry, Jackson-Davis, Brooks are all over 6’7) or if it is just going to be a late developing group. There are some project types that could show themselves down the road, just not a ton of talent that can play right this second.
Lack Of Size Is Evident
One of the most glaring weaknesses of this class was the depth of size. There isn’t much at all. We did pretty well in getting some top players and in doing so, most came from the guards and wings. Of the post players, there were only four players over 6’8 and not many in the 6’6-6’8 range. Raymond Terry, Jason Morton, and Gunnar Vannatta are all 6’8 with big frames and have quite a lot of room to grow. Terry has a ton of upside but still very raw offensively. Morton has a decent motor but will have to trim the body down to tap into the potential and Vannatta looks good but just needs reps. Outside of those players, most of the size is in the wings and we believe some will develop and have the potential to be power forward types, it just is going to take a bit to get there.
Shooters Could Be Plentiful
The one skill that I really liked this weekend was that of the shooting ability. This group has some high-end snipers with a few that showed that it was only part of their game. Jackson Jannsen and Rowen Ferrell looked the part of dominant shooters now while Garrott Ott–Large and Anthony Leal showed a little more off the ball. Nijel Pack is a good lead guard that knocked down some tough shots this weekend as well. I think this, at least early on, will be the strength of this group along with the depth of wings.