Texas Freshman Showcase Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I had the privilege to watch about 90 incoming freshmen display their game at the Showcase on Saturday. There was an abundance of talent out there and it was exciting to see the level of skill coming into the high school scene this year. Below are a handful of standouts that caught my attention in a big way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":2172147,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Lijah Brown","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"77248","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Boswell","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Brown has an immense amount of confidence for his age - in a good way. He had swagger but it wasn't misplaced because he knew how to back it up. He never shied away from contact and was excellent at getting in the paint and creating his own high-percentage shots. If you fouled him, you'd better secure the ball or both of his arms because if you didn't, he was finishing at the rim more times than not. His hustle on defense was impressive and his quickness enabled him to stay in front of his man and switch without missing a beat. At one point, he got into a showdown with [player_tooltip player_id='2170479' first='Alec' last='Lucas'] from Hebron and they absolutely went at it at both ends of the floor for an extended period. They challenged one another, but kept it friendly, each helping the other up when they knocked each other down through intense defensive play. It was the most fun 1-on-1 matchup I saw all day.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":2172219,"_player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"Dheshethan Thanigaivel","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"5'9u0022","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"77246","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"Jordan","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_1_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Thanigaivel does not strike you as dominant upon first glance, but that's exactly what he was on offense several times throughout the showcase. He uses his slender frame and his speed to his advantage - shifting in and out of defenders and finding his way to the paint to finish through contact. His crossover is lightning quick and he gets a solid first step on his defenders utilizing it. He had a good sense of when to hit the afterburners down the floor and when to stay put on defense. This led to several fast break buckets in transition. If he got tied up, he was effective in dishing to a streaking teammate to get points on the board regardless.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":2172314,"_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"Damian Rodriguez","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"5'6u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"77246","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"V.R. Eaton","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Rodriguez blew me away with his hustle and ability to rocket down the floor. He has a small frame currently, but he doesn't let that deter him for a second, affecting the game in a multitude of positive ways for his team. He would take on opposing players of any size or stature and go after loose balls with fervor. He's an excellent passer with the basketball IQ to know when to take it to the hoop and when to dish it out for the assist. He got after opponents on defense, creating steals and stopping them in their tracks. One of the more courageous players I saw at the showcase.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":2172419,"_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"Hudson Poe","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"6'5u0022","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"77243","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"Deer Creek","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"Team HQ","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_3_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Poe is an impressive height for his age, but that's not the only reason he was out there. He's a player you want on every team - heart and hustle, plain and simple. This guy does it all - solid box-outs, excellent rebounding, creating steals, setting picks, scoring in the paint, dominating the offensive glass. He used his size to his advantage and straight up outmuscled his defenders majority of the time. He's a great post presence that's not afraid to do the dirty work to get the W for his team and that's something you love to see in a player at this early of an age.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["2172427"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_player_featured_image":2172479,"_player_evaluations_4_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"I loved seeing how aggressive Shephard was on both ends of the floor. He didn't hesitate to bang in the paint with any defender and he led his team down the court extremely well. He's a lefty that can go either way, which leaves his defenders in absolute fits. He's a stellar defender himself and displayed his versatility throughout the showcase as a true two-way combo guard. He can stop on a dime and elevate over his defenders for high-percentage jumpers and he possesses an impressively solid frame for such a young age.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64ff4c20979c6"} /-->