Prep Hoops MI Freshman Showcase: Team 8 Standouts

In a showcase setting, it is sometimes difficult to stand out, especially without dominating the ball. In my opinion, the following four players did so.    If I had to give out a 3v3 MVP award, it would for sure go to Kellen. I've heard about his high-level shooting ability all summer, which I did see throughout the day, but I was most impressed with his skills around the basket. Despite being one of the smallest players on Sunday, he routinely found himself getting easy looks by using immaculate footwork and playing off of two feet. I distinctly remember him scoring on an up and under against a taller defender on back-to-back possessions. Oftentimes, extremely talented offensive players seem to take defense off, not Paul. I went through the whole camp thinking he was one of the best players in the gym. Then, I got home and figured out he's going into 8th grade this year. The state should be on notice for [player_tooltip player_id='2540345' first='Kellen' last='Paul'], who will undoubtedly end up near the top of the 2029 class.     Oh man, O'Mara was the most impressive big man I saw between BOTH the Freshman and Sophomore showcases this past weekend. A true athlete, Max is extremely physical on the interior and rebounds extremely well. I find it increasingly rare nowadays to find bigs who seek out and thrive with contact. There were multiple times throughout the day where he was diving out of bounds to save long rebounds and loose balls. After finding out he plays lacrosse, I can see the parallels in how well he moves without the basketball on offense and makes quick decisions when he has it. Furthermore, Max is constantly cutting and finding himself wide open. Like his brother, O'Mara should be a fun player to watch over the next 4 years at Grand Blanc.     A teammate of Kellen on the Storms' 14u team, as well as 3v3 Sunday, Farmer also stood out throughout the day. Already over 6' tall, Logan uses his length to get clean looks over defenders. An above average shooter, he also showed the ability to attack the basket as well. Might favorite skill of his, however, is how consistently he passes the ball up the floor. Too many HS players want to dribble across half themselves, not Farmer. This skill not only gets him easy assists, but also allows his team to get into offense quicker. It will be interesting to see how Farmer's role plays out for a loaded Pewamo-Westphalia squad who should be one of the best teams in the Lansing area, regardless of division.     Unfamiliar with Lou's game before Sunday, I came to my own conclusion that he's above average at so many facets of the game. He competes on defense, crashes the glass, can score & distribute, and has a great overall feel for the game. There's not much a coach can ask for in a basketball player. However, my favorite skill that Gressett possesses is his on-court communication. I noticed in particular that he does a great job of talking to his teammates throughout the game. This is challenging for upperclassmen to do, let alone an incoming freshman. It will be fun to watch him progress in the midst of a loaded Muskegon program.

In a showcase setting, it is sometimes difficult to stand out, especially without dominating the ball. In my opinion, the following four players did so.