DMV Freshman Showcase First Team

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Earlier today at The St. James Sports Complex, Prep Hoops hosted their inaugural Freshman Showcase, which allowed us an opportunity to get eyes on some up-and-coming talent as they prepare for their first high school season. It wasn't easy, but we put together two teams with standouts from the action. For this article, we'll break down the five players who were named first team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>FIRST TEAM</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>JJ Addison | Bishop O'Connell</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Addison has a lot to offer for his age. At 6'5, he showcases ball skills in the open floor where he would dodge defenders using an array of moves before throwing down multiple dunks. In a half-court setting, he saw success operating in the mid-post where he converted on a few tough fadeaway jumpers. Addison used his height and length to be a presence on the glass at both ends as well as a shot disruptor on weak side rotations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1592104,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/09/unnamed-5.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/09/unnamed-5-300x198.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1592104"/></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jonathan Gray III | St. Charles</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gray is a left-hander who is an absolute powerhouse. When he attacks the basket, he absorbs contact with relative ease and showcases a soft touch in the lane. Gray's main selling point is his high motor. He is a flat-out workhorse who gets his hand on nearly every 50/50 ball and must be accounted for on the offensive glass. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1592105,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/09/IMG-0079-scaled.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/09/IMG-0079-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1592105"/></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1588132' first='Nicholas' last='Parris'] | Maret</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Parris didn't take long to assert himself in transition where he used his strong, 6'1 frame to absorb contact and finish through fouls. He has good burst especially off hesitations that help him get to the basket in these scenarios. When he was in the half court, Parris was a capable shot-creator from 15-to-17 feet. He also knocked down a handful of triples throughout the course of the day by making himself available moving without the ball. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1592106,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/09/IMG-0081-scaled.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/09/IMG-0081-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1592106"/></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1588133' first='Derrick' last='Robinson Jr']. | St. Mary's Ryken</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Robinson was one of the top overall athletes in attendance and he made it known with his share of above the rim finishes. He's 6'2 with a sturdy frame and made his mark with his scoring inside the paint. Similar to Addison, Robinson also was an effective weakside rotation defender to altered a handful of shots around the basket. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1592107,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/09/IMG-0087-scaled.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/09/IMG-0087-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1592107"/></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1588123' first='Maurice' last='White'] | St. Mary's Ryken</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>White is a workhorse in every sense of the word. He crashed the glass every chance he got. He understands leverage and how to make contact early on box outs to establish an advantage. When it comes to the offensive glass, he displayed good timing on when he'd pick his spots to crash for second-chance scores. While his effort and overall motor are the first things that catch your eye, White can also convert on straight-like drives through contact and knock down three's off the catch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->