Prep Hoops DMV Top 250 Showcase: New Faces

Colby Giacubeno

September 26, 2022 @ 04:45 PM

The Prep Hoops Top 250 Showcase took place yesterday at The St. James Sports Complex. Over 80 prospects were in attendance to take advantage of the stage. As usual, we'll have wall-to-wall coverage surrounding the event. For this article, I'll take a look at some new faces who impressed me throughout the day.   [player_tooltip player_id='1494115' first='Cy' last='Hardy'] | 5'11 | Northside '25   Hardy was by far the best player that I hadn't seen coming into yesterday's showcase. He wasted no time in asserting himself as a dynamic scorer from the lead guard spot. There wasn't an individual in attendance who could keep Hardy in front of them and when they did a good job on the initial move, he'd counter with a quick change of direction to gain the advantage. Hardy had what seemed to be an endless amount of floaters from straight-on as he lived in the paint, but when he had a clean look from three he converted on those as well. He played good defense on the ball and caused multiple deflections in the game that I saw to spark transition opportunities. What Hardy brings is a a great feel for the game and an understanding of how to create for himself while also make the correct read to others as the defense shifts their focus on taking away his strengths.   [player_tooltip player_id='1366905' first='Kai' last='Settles'] | 6'7 | Jackson-Reed '24   Settles played on my court the first game of the day and it wasn't hard to tell that he takes a different approach to rebounding the basketball. It didn't matter if the ball was in his area or not, Settles was pursuing it with intentions of nothing less than being the one securing the possession for his team. His work didn't end there. Settles quickly located guards to push the tempo where he'd put his head down and make himself available as the trailer in transition for dump-off passes. He finished around the rim with efficiency and embraced contact that found him in the air. In the half-court, he was actively moving without the ball and even knocked down a few triples throughout the afternoon. Settles' motor was fun to watch.   [player_tooltip player_id='1598816' first='Robert' last='Johnson'] | 6'0 | Mt. Zion Prep Academy '24   Johnson got off to a red-hot start in the first two games before tweaking what seemed to be his hip. He battled through the rest of the day and remained productive despite the nagging injury, which was respectable. Johnson was a shifty, compact ball-handler who knew how to get where he wanted on the floor. He thrived getting inside the arc and finished a handful of times around the basket with either hand. He even added some flair to his finishes. Johnson had a quick and confident stroke on his jumper and didn't hesitate on catch-and-shoots on fast breaks. As the day progressed, his vision became apparent as he got into the heart of the defense and utilized spray-out passes to shooters in the corners.   [player_tooltip player_id='999643' first='Margad' last='Choijilsuren'] | 6'5 | Fairfax '23   Choijilsuren has great positional size as a guard with a frame that will look to fill out nicely as he matures and gets into a college lifting program. Aside from the body type, he has skills and IQ on the floor. He used his quick first step out of triple-threat positions to find his way into the paint and with his size, he'd rise up and finish at the rim, which made defenders hesitate to contest. Choijilsuren also had a nice one-handed flush in the open floor that caught the gym's attention. He's an unsigned senior who I think college coaches should do their homework on.   [player_tooltip player_id='1343126' first='Phoenix' last='Shahateet'] | 6'4 | Unity Reed '24   We often hear the phrase, "he fits the eye test," meaning he has a frame or athleticism that you could put into a high-level college program from the start and that prospect would be successful. While Shahateet doesn't catch your attention in warm-up lines, he absolutely brought it in every second of the game. I'd make the argument that if stats were being recorded, he and Hardy would've been the leading scorers. There wasn't anything fancy about how Shahateet was destroying defenders. He kept it simple, fundamental and never let his foot off the gas. He earned my undisputed respect for how he played yesterday and should be prepared for a productive junior campaign.

The Prep Hoops Top 250 Showcase took place yesterday at The St. James Sports Complex. Over 80 prospects were in attendance to take advantage of the stage. As usual, we'll have wall-to-wall coverage surrounding the event. For this article, I'll take a look at some new faces who impressed me throughout the day.