Freshman Showcase: All-Showcase Teams

Austin was the most talented Freshman prospect. It's hard not to like his game and everything he brings to the table. At first look, you see a prospect with size and an athletic frame at a young age. Then you see him play. I seriously don't see any blemishes to his game. His transition play and passing in transition come to my mind first. He would board-and go then instantly pace up the court. He's moving fast and he's under control. The speed doesn't change his skill or vision on the court. Super bouncy and explosive athlete.

Schelske was able to make an impact in the paint with his 6'6” size and thick build. He got deep in the lane to get easy finishes at the rim. He also showed a decent jumper from the mid-range and extended. He was steady and active on the boards.

Sully was a rebounding machine, using his 6'6” height and long arms to pull down rebound after rebound. He's also a major shooter and shot-maker, and he showed that. He's got range and a high release that can't be contested. Can defend on the perimeter with length and is also disruptive with his size in the lane.

Wagner is becoming more and more versatile on the court. He's up to 6'5” and moves pretty well. I moved his position to power forward because is becoming more than just a back to the basket type player. He's shooting threes and attacks off the dribble from the three-point line. Still does his normal duties of controlling the paint, boarding, and finishing at the rim, of course. He was protecting the paint and clearing the boards at the Freshman Showcase.

Zak is the real deal. He quietly dominates a game with a non-flashy game, in which he uses fluidity, instincts, skill, and his bounce to make a major difference. His ability to sky and hang in the air to finish at contact at the rim comes to mind. Defensively, he moves so well that he can beat the opposing ball-handler to their desired spots on the court. He can get up and pressure the ball and not worry about getting beat of the dribble because he's confident in his fluidity.

Ryan is a top 2-3 prospect in the South Dakota 2028 class. He's up to 6'8” and his coordination and movement are improving. He was teammates with 6'6” Big Owen Schelske Owen Schelske 6'5" | C Mitchell | 2028 State SD at the showcase, and Dieleman played an interesting role. He would go long stretches of bringing the ball up and keeping the ball after he boarded it. I so bad want him to be a 7-footer. He was working on his live-game three-point shot as well. If he can develop a consistent jumper, his stock and value go up.

The lefty point guard out of North Dakota showed off his stuff. Has some explosive qualities to him, with a build made for movement on a basketball court. An elite handle on the ball and he has some flair with it. It's a quick handle though. Routinely blew past his initial defender and sliced through the defense, but was still under control. Gets after it on D with quick defensive hands. He's going for the ball and the steal.

Zimmerman was a new name to me coming into the event and he surprised. Great length at 6'4”, and he used that with his leaping ability to protect the rim and contest at the rim. He was rebounding at a high level and tracking the ball. A slightly raw prospect, but he also made some plays and shots that take skill and coordination. He's got some good upside, especially if he keeps growing and continues working on his skills consistently.

Groton Area happens to have another stud Freshman guard in Weber. The tandem will be making a ton of noise at the class A level in South Dakota in the coming years. Weber truly has a dangerous three-level scoring game in which he gets to his spots. He can hit pull-up jumpers, threes, and is effective at finishing at the hoop.

Link is a really nice guard that moves efficiently and quickly. Very fluid and can change directions and speeds efficiently. He's highly skilled, but he doesn't try and be too flashy with the ball. He was slashing with the ball and cutting without it, routinely finishing at the rim. An elite passer, feel for the game, and court vision.

Liam has a skilled and dynamic handle on the ball. Explodes off the dribble with a long and quick crossover. He needs to be guarded from all over the court because he's a major threat from beyond the line. Can create his own shot, no problem. Can handle point guard duties and get into the lane. Plays quick and competes defensively with great lateral movement.

Ziemer is an elite ball-handler and has the ball on a string. A short guard, but he makes long and quick strides when he accelerates and is at speed. He can blow by defenders. Is a surprisingly impressive at-the-rim finisher. Can finish some tough buckets. A super-bouncy and sudden point guard. A great rebounding guard for his size.

Plamp has some solid length, and he was slashing through traffic and finishing in the lane very often. Handles the ball too high and loose, but he got to where he needed to get to score. Very high efficiency from the field.

Kutey lives off of his elite ball-handling repertoire and ability to breakdown his on-ball defender. He gets in the teeth of the defense and is assertive attacking, but he also dishes off for buckets with skilled passes. Defensively, he's aggressive attacking the ball-handler and is going after the ball and steals. Has shot-making abilities, and difficult ones.

Cooper stood out so much on the court just by his effort and being everywhere, that I had him chosen for hardest worker at the showcase. And it wasn't particularly close. He wasn't just playing hard, he was also benefiting from his effort by being a playmaker on both ends. Seemed to come up with the ball often and explode into transition. Sprinted the floor and got buckets. Constantly in motion.

The lefty guard had a nice showing at the showcase. He showed skill with the ball and was aggressive going at the hoop and in a straight line. He was in attack-mode and he got deep in the paint often. Overall, a smooth game and nice skill-set to be a consistent playmaker.

Long for 6'1” with a lanky, basketball player's build. Has a smooth offensive game, with a touch on his floater and a smooth stroke from three. A good leaper that will sky up for boards on both ends.

Olson is a defensive technician with a competitive spirit and attentiveness on that end. Does a good job with his own individual matchup, while also being a team defender. Plays gaps and is in correct position. Offensively, he's a solid ball-handler, passer, and finisher, with his three needing some improvement going forward.