GameChangers: Freshman Showcase Superlatives (Part Two)
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This content series is sponsored by GameChanger – The Official Scorekeeping, Stats, Team Management & Technology Partner of Prep Hoops. This is part two of our GameChangers from the Freshman Showcase. Once again, this will cover a wide range of players and…
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This is part two of our GameChangers from the Freshman Showcase. Once again, this will cover a wide range of players and identify what specific skill or archetype makes these players game-changers. Here are some more Superlatives for the 2027s who attended the event Saturday in Bellevue.
Hard-Hat
Hardworking Players
Isaiah Kiehl Isaiah Kiehl 6'2" | SG Monroe | 2027 State WA Monroe
Kiehl drove to the hoop with a reckless abandon and was up and down the court all day. He played all out on both ends.
James Hudson James Hudson 5'11" | SG Odea | 2027 State WA O’Dea
Hudson was a kid looking to push the ball in transition and get to the hoop with almost every touch, consistently keeping the pressure on defenders.
Leon Heilman Leon Heilman 5'10" | CG Timberline | 2027 State WA Timberline
This guy was consistently beating players down the floor and off the bounce for high-percentage looks at the rim. It started with his work on defense as a guy that hounded the ball.
Jack Thompson Jack Thompson 6'9" | C Shorecrest | 2027 State WA Shorecrest
The big man did a great job running the floor and his mobility was really encouraging to see for a kid his size.
Ryzen Nunez Ryzen Nunez 6'3" | SG River Ridge | 2027 State WA River Ridge
Nunez gets the nod here because of one game in particular where he just kept getting the ball fed to him and kept going to work scoring the rock. It seemed like almost every time down he got another touch in a dangerous spot and scored a ton of points for his squad.
Marathon Man
They Never Stopped Going
Trey Collier Trey Collier 5'9" | PG Lincoln (Tacoma) | 2027 State WA Lincoln (Tacoma)
He never stopped going, whether he was bouncing around to turn ballhandlers or bursting between defenders on the break, Collier was always running and working at the showcase.
Jaxen Lofton Jaxen Lofton 5'9" | CG Silas | 2027 State WA Silas
Lofton was another kid constantly looking to make an impact and his energy was evident. He was using every limb to defend passing lanes and ran the floor with a purpose.
Zion Stone Zion Stone 6'0" | CG O'Dea | 2027 State WA O’Dea
It wasn’t his speed that caught my eye but his ability to get on the end of so many plays. Whether he was anticipating the breaks or just out-hustling guys down the floor, Stone was a key guy up and down the court for his team.
Ronnie Wiggins Ronnie Wiggins 6'2" | CG Bellarmine Prep | 2027 State WA Bellarmine Prep
Wiggins never seemed to tire and was easily one of the most involved players on both sides of the ball at the showcase.
Splash Bros
3-Point Shooters
Jose Tijerina Jose Tijerina 5'8" | PG Southridge | 2027 WA Southridge
The Southridge guard didn’t find a lot of success near the rim but if you gave him space behind the arc he would punish you.
Alex Beckham Alex Beckham 5'7" | PG Lake Washington | 2027 State WA Lake Washington
Beckham was efficient from three and found his role early on, spotting up behind the arc and opening up lanes inside with his shooting.
Declan Crawford Declan Crawford 6'0" | SG Edmonds Woodway | 2027 State WA Edmonds Woodway
Crawford was excellent shooting off of the dribble and was pretty smooth with his footwork, getting into this shot quickly out of a move.
Judah Noonan Judah Noonan 5'11" | CG Life Christian Academy | 2027 State WA Life Christian
Noonan was a hard worker off the ball and a lot of times that resulted in him getting a good look from long-range.
Visionaries
Top Set-Up Men
Devin Freeman Devin Freeman 6'2" | CG Lake Stevens | 2027 State WA Lake Stevens
He didn’t just have the vision to cut up defenses with his drives, Freeman started finding passing lanes too when the defense keyed in on him and ended up making some real slick dimes.
Nino Moksivong O’Dea
I don’t know if anyone saw the floor better than Moksivong as a passer. He was able to see lanes from wherever he was on the court and really was head and shoulders above the rest as a passer.
Trey Collier Trey Collier 5'9" | PG Lincoln (Tacoma) | 2027 State WA Lincoln (Tacoma)
For Collier, his vision really stood out on the defensive end as a guy who could time up dribblers to pick balls loose, or read passes before they were thrown to create a lot of turnovers.
Marley Miller Marley Miller 6'0" | CG Edmonds Woodway | 2027 State WA Edmonds Woodway
Miller stood out for his shooting but he was also a threat to dice up the defense at times and made some outstanding passes through multiple defenders.
Jason Sandhu Fleetwood Park Secondary (CAN)
Sandhu was a prodder with the ball and was able to get the attention of defenses with drives into open areas, keep the dribble alive, and then make a key pass for a bucket. He also played with great pace and was really effective as a playmaker.
Quietly Getting it Done
Max Harrity Max Harrity 5'11" | PG Bellevue | 2027 State WA Bellevue
Harrity was a super reliable playmaker who did so without turning the ball over or forcing the ball into tough spots. He had nice touch in the paint with a variety of finishes and played under control.
Cameron Walls Cameron Walls 5'10" | PG Central Valley | 2027 State WA Central Valley
He was a key figure getting the ball moving and into dangerous spots. He kept it rotating, had good entry passes inside, and was able to shift the defense with his penetration.
Gabe Kearney Gabe Kearney 6'3" | SG Chief Sealth | 2027 State WA Chief Sealth
He didn’t get a lot of looks offensively but Kearney quietly got the job done on the defensive end and was able to simplify some shifty players with good feet and focus.
Kabir Bhangu Fleetwood Park Seconday (CAN)
He was a smaller guard who sunk some shots, made good hustle plays, and piled up some pokes and picks on defense. He also showed some smarts attacking the hoop and had a pretty good handle.
Payton Brown Payton Brown 5'11" | PG Muckleshoot | 2027 State WA Muckleshoot Tribal School
Brown showed off some good footwork to step through defenders and made some good reads passing the ball.
Xavier Gatlin Xavier Gatlin 6'1" | PG Lakeside | 2027 State WA Lakeside
Gatlin showed off some really good flashes with his handle and had an impressive burst in and out of his initial dribble moves to get by defenders.
Orland Axton Orland Axton 6'4" | SF Central Valley | 2027 State WA Central Valley
Axton was a versatile defender who chipped in with buckets by the rim, big rebounds, and a couple of shots from mid-range.