The Dream Showcase Junior Performers

Here are some standout juniors from The Dream Showcase on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr Day at Federal Way High School. I caught six games on the day starting off with a close game between 4A Davis and 3A Seattle Prep. You can check out more recaps from the showcase here: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2024/01/the-dream-showcase-sophomore-performers/">Sophomore Performers</a>, <a href="https://prephoops.com/2024/01/the-dream-showcase-senior-performers/">Senior Performers</a>.   [player_tooltip player_id='1450999' first='Cesar' last='Hernandez'] | Davis   The junior guard has been outstanding this season and has his moves down to a tee, brushing off defenders and creating space with ease. I've noticed he's all but perfected his behind-the-back dribble pull-up from just inside the arc and he poured in the points Monday, going for 22 against Seattle Prep. With his ball control and patience, he's able to play at his speed and get to his spots. He's also been a great decision-maker all season and Davis even put the 6-foot-1 guard at the high post of the zone for a bit where he found back door cutters and shooters on the wings.   [player_tooltip player_id='1485543' first='Beckham' last='King'] | Seattle Prep   King shot the ball extremely well from the floor, though most of his makes came from pretty far away from the hoop. He took a lot of contested jumpers and proved he's not easily bothered by tight coverage, shooting a really efficient mark from outside the paint. He did look like he struggled a bit with contact going to the hoop early on and then settled into some quick pulls from outside that kept on falling.   [player_tooltip player_id='1631540' first='Nirvaan' last='Misra'] | Seattle Prep   He is a pure shooter and was knocking down shots no matter where he was on the floor. 3-pointers, mid-range pull-ups and fadeaways, everything was falling for Misra against Davis and he caught fire toward the end of the first half by finding a lot of good looks and space working off the ball. He has good pace and a smooth stroke and just seemed to have the touch all game long.   [player_tooltip player_id='1251215' first='Alex' last='Elston'] | Eastside Catholic   Elston had a scrappy little game against Richland. He always plays hard on defense and was solid on the ball again Monday, but he also has some really good body control and focus at the rim to finish while under pressure and contorting his body in different ways to avoid shot blockers. He also did a great job shifting the ball high or low when splitting defenders on drives to avoid swipes and get to the hoop.   [player_tooltip player_id='1450980' first='Martin' last='Kaupanger'] | Annie Wright   Kaupanager has been a very solid two-way player this season and it's not just with the highlight plays either. Monday, he took the task of guarding [player_tooltip player_id='1450989' first='Beckett' last='Currie'] for a portion of their game and was able to keep Currie bottled up. But Kaupanger's growth this season has been about polishing up his game and it's worked. He's been one of the most consistently effective players I've seen this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1450983' first='Jeremiah' last='Harshman'] | Annie Wright   While Camas struggled to find space and a rhythm against the Gators' defense, Harshman led the offense in a controlled attack that got shots where they wanted and dictated the pace of the game. He was highly effective but kept the game simple. He took what was available, ran a crisp offense, and was opportunistic in transition.   [player_tooltip player_id='1450989' first='Beckett' last='Currie'] | Camas   Currie struggled to get anything going for much of the game as did the rest of his team, but he wasn't deterred by the early struggles or the scoreboard and kept at it until shots started to fall. After failing to score in the first half, Currie took off in the third, hitting two threes in a row and finishing the quarter with 12 points. He put together a solid second half and showed how quickly he can get going.   [player_tooltip player_id='1696695' first='Nick' last='Schanno'] | Seattle Prep   Schanno had a solid game, converting buckets near the rim, snatching down a few big rebounds, and also dished out a couple of assists to guys slashing underneath. He does good work around the paint and his activity and movement allowed him to find space to make plays.   [player_tooltip player_id='1850311' first='Saxon' last='Niles'] | Federal Way   Niles is an interesting forward with some length and athletic ability but what stood out Monday was his ability to seal deep in the paint, make some timely moves from block to block, and find space inside to attack from. He made the most of a few catches right in front of the hoop and finished right over the top of defenders.

Here are some standout juniors from The Dream Showcase on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr Day at Federal Way High School. I caught six games on the day starting off with a close game between 4A Davis and 3A Seattle Prep. You can check out more recaps from the showcase here: Sophomore Performers, Senior Performers.