GameChangers: Freshman Showcase Superlatives (Part One)
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This content series is sponsored by GameChanger – The Official Scorekeeping, Stats, Team Management & Technology Partner of Prep Hoops. This GameChangers article will cover a wide range of players from the Freshman Showcase and identify what specific skill or archetype makes…
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This GameChangers article will cover a wide range of players from the Freshman Showcase and identify what specific skill or archetype makes these players game-changers. Here are some Freshman Showcase Superlatives from the field of 67 players who attended the event Saturday in Bellevue.
Send it Back
Top Shotblockers
Juice White-Kelly Juice White-Kelly 6'2" | SG Renton | 2027 State WA Renton
This guy brought the ball down the court and played on the perimeter on offense but was all around the rim on defense, stuffing shots and altering plenty more.
Jack Thompson Jack Thompson 6'9" | C Shorecrest | 2027 State WA Shorecrest
There were a few ambitious players who went at the 6-foot-8 big man but Thompson was ready to deny them. The big man showed great range on defense that helped him defend the paint.
Achilles Reyna Achilles Reyna 6'6" | PF Eastside Catholic | 2027 State WA Eastside Catholic
Reyna wasn’t just one of the biggest players at the event, but also one of the most athletic. He moves pretty smoothly and that probably fooled some players into thinking they could get shots by Reyna in the paint.
Tev Uttech Tev Uttech 6'4" | SF Chelan | 2027 State WA Chelan
Uttech is only about 6-foot-4 but he has great length and used impeccable timing to block lots of shot.
Drake Penberthy Drake Penberthy 6'6" | SG Bellevue Christian | 2027 State WA Bellevue Christian
Penberthy was another kid who timed up his block attempts really well, and often blocked the shot before it even left the shooters’ hands.
Coast to Coast
End-to-End Threats
Ronnie Wiggins Ronnie Wiggins 6'2" | CG Bellarmine Prep | 2027 State WA Bellarmine Prep
His end-to-end speed was fun to watch and while he was always ready to run, he played under control and that mix of pace and awareness was tough to stop.
Achilles Reyna Achilles Reyna 6'6" | PF Eastside Catholic | 2027 State WA Eastside Catholic
It was a bit surprising to see Reyna taking the ball up the court but it was almost a gimme at times with his ability to get downhill and finish right through defenders.
Brian Stevenson Brian Stevenson 6'5" | SF Olympia | 2027 State WA Olympia
Stevenson was a nice surprise at the showcase. He flashed some handles at times and was able to weave through defenses with his strength and when he found lanes he usually got all the way to the cup.
Finessing
Scoring with Strength and Style
Micah Ili-Meneese Micah Ili-Meneese 6'3" | CG Rainier Beach | 2027 State WA Renton
This guy was able to show off a smooth handle while exhibiting the necessary strength to hold off defenders and create just enough space to hit some tightly contested shots.
Jimmie Haywood III Jimmie Haywood III 6'3" | CG Bellevue | 2027 State WA Bellevue
Haywood showed off a great blend of size, strength, skill, and explosiveness that helped him get to the rim at will on Saturday.
Edison Kan Edison Kan 6'2" | PG Glacier Peak | 2027 State WA Bellevue Christian
Kan was a pretty patient player and picked his spots well. That being said, he has the talent to score from almost anywhere on the court and showed off that ability with some real grace and strength.
Bigs Bringing it Up
Point-Forwards
Drake Penberthy Drake Penberthy 6'6" | SG Bellevue Christian | 2027 State WA Bellevue Christian
He wasn’t just a big rebounder, Penberthy also was ready to bring the ball down and create off the dribble to set up teammates too. He’s a really versatile player who can help start the break right off the glass.
Juice White-Kelly Juice White-Kelly 6'2" | SG Renton | 2027 State WA Renton
I mentioned it earlier, but White was capable of blocking a shot and then immediately taking the ball down the other way. He has long strides and was really able to work the ball deep and take the ball rim-to-rim.
Achilles Reyna Achilles Reyna 6'6" | PF Eastside Catholic | 2027 State WA Eastside Catholic
He didn’t just take it coast to coast, Reyna also brought the ball down ready to set up the offense and orchestrate some flow among his team. He showed some pretty good vision and was confident with the dribble.
Top of Their Class
High IQ Players
Jayden Hunt Lake Washington
There was an ease to his play that comes with having a great understanding of the game. He made smart plays, key passes, and was able to create good looks with minimal movement and effort.
Marley Miller Marley Miller 6'0" | CG Edmonds Woodway | 2027 State WA Edmonds Woodway
Miller saw the entire court so well and was making plays in every facet of the game. It started with reading his man and taking it from there, but he was equally aware off the ball and making plays however he could.
Achilles Reyna Achilles Reyna 6'6" | PF Eastside Catholic | 2027 State WA Eastside Catholic
Reyna gets the nod for IQ here because of his recognition and confidence to take over when the offense stalled. He did try and work the ball around, but when that didn’t work he understood he had the ability to take his man to the hoop with a high probability of scoring.
Jackson Sasser Jackson Sasser 6'2" | SG Bonney Lake | 2027 State WA Bonney Lake
Sasser made the absolute most of his touches. Almost every touch he had resulted in either a quick bucket or an assist. He was ready to make the next move before he got the ball and was a key guy on his team.
Edison Kan Edison Kan 6'2" | PG Glacier Peak | 2027 State WA Bellevue Christian
Kan did a little bit of everything and made really smart choices deciding when to pass or shoot. He’s got a great feel for spacing on the floor too.
Footwork Phenoms
Dicing Up Defense with the Dribble
Zion Stone Zion Stone 6'0" | CG O'Dea | 2027 State WA O’Dea
I don’t know if there were many players who made it look as easy as Stone did on Saturday. He was super efficient with the ball and as graceful as they come stepping around and between defenders.
Devin Freeman Devin Freeman 6'2" | CG Lake Stevens | 2027 State WA Lake Stevens
He may have had the quickest feet at the showcase and could beat two guys with just two or three steps. He cut up defenses all day with his ability to drive the ball.
Jimmie Haywood III Jimmie Haywood III 6'3" | CG Bellevue | 2027 State WA Bellevue
His footwork success really stemmed from his work out of the triple threat. Hard jabs and smooth pivots got his man working before he even put the ball down and helped Haywood get the first step quite often.
James Hudson James Hudson 5'11" | SG Odea | 2027 State WA O’Dea
Hudson was a lightning rod at times and was a tough man to keep away from the rim. He had some quick, bursty moves and was constantly stepping around defenders.
Ray Clark III Ray Clark III 6'0" | SG O'Dea | 2027 State WA O’Dea
His finishing may not have been where he wanted but Clark was pretty smooth with the rock and left a couple of defenders stuck watching him blow by them.
Mini Maestro’s
Undersized Crafty Guards
Tariq Taylor Tariq Taylor 5'6" | PG Graham Kapowsin | 2027 State WA Graham Kapowsin
Taylor was really good at shifting defenders with ball fakes and using his eyes to throw them off his trail. Whether he was opening up passing or driving lanes, he had his moments of brilliance faking out the defense.
Yeseong Cho Fleetwood Park Secondary (CAN)
Cho could not be stopped at times inside. He was super smooth weaving around defenders to get to the rim and had some real sneaky finishes.
Karson Maze Karson Maze 5'10" | PG Mead | 2027 State WA Mead
Maze was a terror at times and his combo of explosiveness and IQ allowed him to get to his spots and create buckets in a hurry.
Holding it Together
Ultimate Team Guys
Jackson Sasser Jackson Sasser 6'2" | SG Bonney Lake | 2027 State WA Bonney Lake
Sasser was efficient with his shots, chipped in assists in transition, and had some big rebounds too. He was just a key guy helping do a little bit of everything for his team.
Justin Vaughn Justin Vaughn 5'11" | CG Reardan | 2027 State WA Reardan
Vaughn had some good pace to his play and he was always ready to play when the ball came his way. He was chasing down loose balls, running in transition, and hit some big shots from three.
EJ Manning Edmonds Woodway
Manning was another kid just out there hustling and doing whatever he could to help his team. He was working his tail off crashing the boards, running in transition both ways, and making hard cuts in the halfcourt.
Niko Ahhi Niko Ahhi 5'10" | PG Clarkston | 2027 State WA Clarkston
Ahhi was a really smart player who was secure with the ball, hit some threes to space the floor, and made great defensive rotations.
Rhett Huber Rhett Huber 6'5" | C Bellevue Christian | 2027 State WA Bellevue Christian
Huber was another kid that didn’t quite find bottom like he’s probably used to but he didn’t let that stop him from playing hard and chipping in in other ways. He set hard screens, had some great pin-downs, and worked hard to get his man boxed out when the shots went up.
Kellen Matt Kellen Matt 6'3" | SF Seattle Prep | 2027 State WA Seattle Prep
Matt brought a little bit of it all to the table. He’s a taller kid who had some slashing ability, was good boarding the ball, defended multiple positions and made sure to get out on the break with his team.