IA Freshman Showcase: Team 6 Evaluations

Competing at the 2023 IA Freshman Showcase were 60+ players, separated into 8 different teams. As well as being a scout in the building for the day, I was also a coach on Court 1. I had the privilege of coaching Team 6 a handful of times throughout the day, giving me a good idea as to what each player excels at individually and what they need to work on moving forward. I will be listing each player by their jersey number assigned at the event (for video purposes if someone wants to look back on BallerTV), name, current height, current position, & high school they will be attending this fall. Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!   Lets meet the players..   #218 - Charlie Reich - 5'5 - PG - Gilbert High School   Charlie Reich is currently a small point guard with some big game. Reich stands at around 5'5 but plays like he is 5'10. He makes crafty and smooth moves near the rim, usually getting himself a bucket over bigger defenders on a consistent basis. If he isn't doing that, he is taking his opponent off of the dribble and getting into the teeth of the defense for a finish or assist. In the game that I coached against him on Sunday, Reich scored 8-10 points in a row at one point. Defensively he is scrappy and a tyrant when he plays on-ball defense. He displays active hands with the ability to read his opponents offensive tendencies rather quickly. If he keeps working hard on the court, he has a promising future ahead at Gilbert high school.   #220 - [player_tooltip player_id='2119177' first='Montavien' last='Chestnut'] - 5'4 - PG - N/A   [player_tooltip player_id='2119177' first='Montavien' last='Chestnut'] is a floor general and provider for his team when they need it the most. The smart and quick thinking point guard is definitely a difference maker out there on the court for whatever team he is playing on. On Sunday, Chestnut showed that he has the motor and determination to become really solid at this game. He isn't a player that the ball sticks too but understands when he is suppose to be aggressive. To a coach, one of the best types of players you can have is someone who produces without the ball in their hands, that's Chestnut after what I saw on Sunday.   #230 - Drake Gersema - 5'10 - PG - Marshalltown High School   Drake Gersema is going to have a chance to be a standout at Marshalltown High School over the next 4 years. Gersema is a shifty point guard with fundamental footwork and an eye for passing. He can handle with both hands and finds a lot of holes that most don't see out there on the floor in real time. He is the type of point guard that could handle bringing up the ball against a full court press for an entire game and you don't have to worry that he is going to get tired, leading to bad choices late. Defensively, it's much of the same. He is a player that can pick up in the full court for a whole game and create some havoc throughout. I have a feeling we are going to hear this name a lot over the next few high school seasons but we will just have to wait and see.   #240 - [player_tooltip player_id='2199094' first='Jaden' last='Houser'] - 6'0 - SF - Johnston High School   [player_tooltip player_id='2199094' first='Jaden' last='Houser'] has a lot of athleticism and a high motor. He is the type of player that you need to be brave enough to try and take a charge against once he gets down hill, or else it's going to be an easy bucket for himself. On Sunday his game was smooth, strong, and very respectable. He displayed glimpses of some really strong takes to the rim, while finishing throughout contact on a consistent basis with either hand. He already stands at a good size for his age, as long as his game expands over the next few years, he is going to be an individual to put up some big numbers at the varsity level.   #242 - [player_tooltip player_id='2125403' first='Sam' last='Ralston'] - 6'0 - PG/SG - Dowling Catholic High School   As each player develops their game and gets older, they start to see what they are naturally good at or where they naturally excel in the game. Players start to get known for their "thing" they do best on the court. As it pertains to [player_tooltip player_id='2125403' first='Sam' last='Ralston'], he is a good overall player in many aspects but he is a catch-&-shoot killer, when it comes to shooting the ball. It's his best ability in my opinion at the moment. Ralston knows to get down the floor in a hurry so that he can get set for a three point look on a consistent basis. If he isn't doing that, he can also handle as the point guard and distribute at a high rate or take his defender off of the dribble. This is another player with decent size for his age. If he can keep his shot consist and grow simultaneously, he could be a lights-out shooter over his next 4 years at D.C.   #259 - Tim Yanga - 6'1 - CG/SF - Clear Lake High School   Tim Yanga showed me that he has a bright future on the court on Sunday. Yanga is an interesting prospect with a lot of room to grow but on occasions throughout a contest, he will burst out and show a really impressive skill move, leading to an easy basket for himself. Yanga has respectable height for his age at 6'1, while being decently coordinated. He has a soft touch at the rim for efficient finishes and works hard on both sides of the floor. Not to mention, that his sneaky length gets a good amount of tips/deflections on defense and that leads to his/his teams offense. Development will be crucial over the next few years for Yanga but he can do it and when he does, he will stand out.   #262 - Kellen Martin - 6'0 - CG - Xavier High School   One of the most efficient players that I had the chance of scouting and coaching during this showcase was Kellen Martin. Martin is a 6 foot guard who can play the 1, 2, or 3 on the floor. He has a decent handle, nice vision, and awesome touch on the basketball. If he beats you to the rim, it's tough to stop him with the way he can spin the ball off of the backboard. On a number of occasions on Sunday Martin did this to make a tough finish through traffic. Overall, his game was fundamental and efficient, everything a coach loves to see out there.   #263 - Max George - 6'3 - SG - Johnston High School   When Max George is feeling it, he is feeling it. I can personally attest to this as George hit 5 three-pointers in the second half of one of his games, to come back and help his team win over mine by a narrow margin. George is lengthy and plays like it. He understands to take smaller players into the post and score easy buckets compared to when he should step out to the three-point line. This is another player where development over the next few years is going to be a major key for him. If he can grow physically and tighten up his consistency while shooting jump shots, he is going to be a tough player to defend in space. No other way to put it.

Competing at the 2023 IA Freshman Showcase were 60+ players, separated into 8 different teams. As well as being a scout in the building for the day, I was also a coach on Court 1. I had the privilege of coaching Team 6 a handful of times throughout the day, giving me a good idea as to what each player excels at individually and what they need to work on moving forward. I will be listing each player by their jersey number assigned at the event (for video purposes if someone wants to look back on BallerTV), name, current height, current position, & high school they will be attending this fall. Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!