Showcase By The Beach: Event Sleepers

<p>The three-day Showcase By the Beach, hosted by the Cali Rebels, Cali Stars and Gamepoint basketball clubs, was an excellent tune-up event before the start of the July evaluation period season. There were a number of players who stood out for various reasons. In this report, we talk about some of the sleeper prospects who should be on your radar. </p> <p>Event Sleepers</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jayce Johnson, 6-5 2022 G, Fastbreak Sports</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Still 16 years old, the junior combo guard has impressive feel operating out of the pick-and-roll and is an advanced passer. His combination of size, length and feel should garner some D1 interest as long as he improves his consistency of effort. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="971239" first="Malachi" last="Murrell"], 6-5 2022 W, Gamepoint</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A long, athletic slasher makes things happen with his motor. He is a high-level rebounder, defends multiple positions and gives his teams extra possession with his hustle. He is an electric finisher in transition, capable of finishing above the rim and over defenders. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="970262" first="Marco" last="Kenz"], 6-6 2022 F, Los Angeles Elite</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kenz is the prototypical “three and d” wing type. He is a solid shooter off the catch, capable of knocking down shots from the corner and wings. Defensively, he moves his feet well and is a physical on-ball defender who fights over screens and keeps his man in front. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kaden Minter, 6-7 2022 F, Cali Rebels</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Seemingly flat footed, Minter had one of the finishes of the showcase, dunking on a defender in transition after making a solid defensive stand. He does a little bit of everything: he gives a good effort on the boards, he can knock down shots from midrange and from deep and plays hard. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="748770" first="Dane" last="Persek"], 6-7 2022 F, Cali Rebels</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Persek more than held his own against [player_tooltip player_id="970255" first="Alpha" last="Chibambe"] and [player_tooltip player_id="994908" first="Jacob" last="Bannarbie"] in a win over Players Play, pursuing rebounds in and out of the paint, finishing around the rim with regularity, and showing off a solid jump hook with either hand. He’s a true post in an era where they’re a dying breed. </span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Christian Estrada, 6-7 2022 F, Veritas </span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The strapping, chiseled lefty forward is the defensive linchpin for the Veritas team, as he rebounds, protects the rim and bottles up interior scorers. He can finish above the rim in transition and in the halfcourt, he can finish plays in pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop.</span></p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="971235" first="Nicky" last="Clotfelter"], 6-6 2022 F, West Coast Flight</h3> <p>Clotfelter is a very solid and rapidly improving prospect who impacts the game in a number of ways. He is a very good catch-and-shoot 3-point threat, capable of taking bigger forwards off the dribble and finishing from midrange, and showed some of his unsung athleticism finishing above the rim to cap off a 14-0 personal run in a game. </p>