PHI Freshman Showcase: Parham’s Under the Radar Stars

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I took a different approach to the <strong>Prep Hoops Freshman Showcase</strong>. I choose to write about the under-the-radar talent that stepped on the court Saturday morning. In a gym filled with talent these are the players who played just as well as the top guys.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2538631' first='Grant' last='Smith'] - Lyons Township 6'4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grant was a late addition to the camp. He's a mobile wing player who can handle it on fastbreaks and can score inside and out. Smith has a textbook-looking shot on the perimeter and a soft touch in the lane. Had a nice spin move in the lane and he put some English on the shot to score the bucket. Uses his mobility and length to disrupt shots on defense. He has a huge upside.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2531961' first='Amarion' last='Smith-Holley'] - Peoria Richwoods 5'11</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dominated his first game. He's skilled with the ball and showed many moves off the bounce. Was smooth in the lane with finishes in various ways. Smith-Holley shot the ball with consistency and looked like he could add more range to the shot. He used his length on defense to grab boards and deflect passes in his area. One of the top guards in the class.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2366141' first='Owen' last='Towne'] - OPRF 6'2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Towne was consistent with play in the game I watched. He's a long wing player who stayed involved in most of the plays. Owen is good on the glass and scores off the dribble in tight spaces. He has a nose for the ball and finds ways to make plays. Can be effective on defense with his length grabbing boards and when he sits down on ball handlers.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2532002' first='Jeremiah' last='Toney'] - St. Laurence 6'0</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Toney caught my eye because of how hard he played on both sides of the ball. He is athletic and tough on the glass. Jeremiah had some good one-on-one steals on guys that he scored himself. Was very surprised when he went up top and blocked a shot that many thought was out of his reach.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2531995' first='Ezenwa' last='Nwagwu'] - St. Rita 5'11</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ezenwa is a slick ball handler who had defenders on skates in the first game. He's equipped with long arms for a guard. Kept hitting guys with crossovers when getting to the cup to score. He shot the ball sporadically from three. Has a good change of pace in his game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2411585' first='Bilguun' last=''] Ankhbayr - Stevenson 6'3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A skilled guard who is crafty off the bounce. Bilgunn scored with layups and mid-range jump shots. His change of pace off the dribble is so nasty that he froze some guys when he looked to get downhill. Has an unlimited motor on the court he was constantly moving when off the ball. Looked good slashing and finishing in the lane over taller rim protection.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2396333' first='Sean' last='Souter'] - Payton 5'11</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sean is a special floor general. He plays the game one step ahead of others. Some of his passes when getting into the paint were right on the money. Souter was competitive on both sides of the ball. He tallied several steals and assists in the game I caught. An excellent facilitator who can double as a scorer.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2404001' first='Cristian' last='Benavides'] - St. Francis 6'1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cristian was on fire from the perimeter. He showed flashes in the 3 on 3 games, but flourished in 5 on 5. He's a shooter with range but is deceptively smooth from mid-range. If teams close out hard on Benavides he can score in the paint with teardrops and floaters.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bonhuer Balita - Lycee Francais De Chicago&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A physical 6'4 wing player who bodied players at the rim throughout the day. Balita is nimble on his feet and will make athletic plays from time to time. He is strong but can get up vertically also as he made two dunks in the game I watched. As a player on the perimeter Bonhuer took a few attempts from three that look good on the release. He made maybe two of the handful he shot. I believe he will be an asset down the line because players who are versatile like him and rebound at the rate he does become hot commodities.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2369871' first='Sam' last='Lyons'] - Brother Rice 6'2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sam is smooth scorer who can get it done from all three levels. He showed a deep range on his shot to start. As the game became more competitive he got to the rim on straight-lined drives to score and was fouled. Lyons also moved the ball well as he started to get more attention from the defense. He drove and kicked the ball to players for open shots. Sam has the skill to contribute on the varsity level.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->