Florida Freshman Showcase: More Notable Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Hoops has done it again, hosting another successful event in the sunshine state while providing a platform for rising student-athletes to showcase their skills. The PH Florida Freshman Showcase was hosted in Longwood, FL on Saturday where prospects demonstrated their skills and competed with and against their peers. Let's get into Drew's Part I breakdown of top performers throughout this event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Josiah Gillard | G | 2028 | Lake Minneola | @hoopdreamselite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We knew a little about this kid heading into the tournament and it was good to finally get eyes on him in person. Standing around 6-0, Gillard finished as one of my top standout guards to compete at the Florida Freshman Showcase this weekend. He's a ball handler who can initiate the offense with scoring or creating to find open teammates. He was sometimes on and off but when he locked in there was no doubt about offensive IQ. Excited to see Gillard take his game to the next level.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2195027' first='Jaydon' last='Shannon'] | G | 2028 | Winthrop College Prep | @JaydonShannon</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I had Shannon circled on my must watch list after watching him hit consistently from behind the arc in just warm ups. He ended up leaving the Florida Freshman Showcase as one of the higher IQ guards who displayed overall skills of shooting ability, passing, and solid defensive effort. Shannon is already equipped with a decent 6-0 frame with good strength and speed to build on.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2194663' first='Steven' last='Carter'] | CG | 2028 | Bradford | @StevenCCarter23</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When you leave the PH Florida Showcase with highlights worth of effort plays, you deserve a spot on the standout list. This kid gave his all this weekend competing against his peers while displaying his versatility in impacting the game. He can score the rock whether he's moving without the ball or hitting a pull up jump shot. It's the consistent want to rebound, defend, and vocal leadership which stood out for Carter this weekend.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sajae Andrews | G | 2028 | Southeast | @Sajae_andrews</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saja was one of the better small guards who displayed a good jump shot but even better hustle, vocal leadership, talking on defense, and consistently running the floor this weekend at the PH Freshman Showcase.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2527379' first='James' last='Ratteree'] | G | 2028 | Bartow | @JamesRatteree4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Polk County rising guard prospect is now on my list after making some noise this weekend at the PH Florida Freshman Showcase. Ratteree was another solid overall guard who could finish storing around the rim and provide solid defense. It was higher ability to create in 1v1 situations that caught my eye. He has an entire highlight film worth of iso plays where he cooks and gets to the rim with ease. Watch out for his scoring bag to continue to develop.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2143117' first='Noah' last='Whisler'] | G | 2028 | @whisler_noah</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There has to be a Dimer badge guard who shows off the old school passing skills at these types of tournaments and 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2143117' first='Noah' last='Whisler'] finished this weekend at the PH Florida Freshman Showcase as one of the better passing guards to compete. Whisler had full court assists and other dimes where he created to find open teammates. Just check the film as Whisler also has a highlight worth of notable assist.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2525251' first='Yasin' last='Rizvi'] | G | 2028&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Small guards need love and [player_tooltip player_id='2525251' first='Yasin' last='Rizvi'] was one of my favorites to compete this weekend at the PH Florida Freshman Showcase. This kid was all heart and skills as he proved to be one of the better prospects to push the floor while showing off notable finishes at the rim. He's a true point guard who can find open teammates or create with a solid handle to initiate the offense. Keep an eye on this kid as he seems determined to develop. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Henry “CJ” Thomas | G | 2028 | Orlando Christian Prep | @CJizzle_19</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thomas was a prospect who likely played out of position this weekend because of his 6-3 frame but finished as one of my top standouts because of his consistent effort on both ends of the floor throughout the day.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->