Jeff McDonald Showcase: New Names Show Out

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In its fourth year. The Jeff McDonald Memorial Showcase presented a competitive and weather adjusted four game slate. While some established stars from Northern Michigan and beyond showed up and played to their reputations. Some new names also stepped up and performed well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Following are five that caught my eye on this frigid Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2835843' first='Chaos' last='Davis'] 5-10 2027 Manistee (pictured) </strong>Davis got to slow start against the host squad. However, came alive late to make it interesting at the end. Isn't very tall, but I wouldn't call him a small point guard. Has a thick upper body and a solid all-around frame. Drives hard to the basket and has plenty of strength to finish through contact. Manistee ran a bunch of old school high post sets. This allowed to catch off of curls with a head of steam. Not too many are keeping from the basket if you spot him a step. Played mostly off the ball on Saturday. I've seen the point guard skills and ball distribution ability with Harwood Midwest in the spring/summer. Finished with 18 points in the loss. If he continues to improve, could have a big senior year next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kyle Himes Jr 6-1 2028 Ludington </strong>The sophomore stepped up in major way as his older backcourt partners got off to a slow start. Also played primarily out of the high post as the Orioles were without one of their top players who usually plays in this area. Held up well physically in the post against a big Elk Rapids frontline (see below) Nothing about his game said sophomore. Was confident and decisive. Wasn't timid and did not wait for the game to come to him. Led his squad in scoring most of the way. Appeared to step back late and allowed the upperclassmen to take over. Sill finished with 20 points in the overtime come from behind victory. This wing has a bright future for the Orioles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2848423' first='Caden' last='Schlicker'] 6-6 2027 Elk Rapids </strong>After graduating an advanced "country strong" big last year. The Elks have another in the fold in their deep and talented 2027 class. Schlicker was a presence at the rim defensively and forced Ludington to the perimeter early. Has a bulky frame, but also long arms that help on the defensive end. Showed a soft touch around the basket. Will need to get quicker and more assertive offensively to take the next step in his development. But there is a lot to work with already.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Antonio Rivas 6-1 2028 Paw Paw </strong>Had arguably the highlight of the event. a half court buzzer beating three at the end of the first quarter. Still seems to be figuring out his role with Red Wolves. Understandable as he was recently elevated. Despite this, the talent was readily apparent. Super quick and confident with the ball in his hands. Competed hard on the defensive end. Long arms aid him on the side of the court. Has a lot of potential and plays in a program that has a pretty good recent record of developing guards. A player to watch in the Kalamazoo area for the 2028 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bray Turner-Smith 6-0 2029 Midland </strong>Down some key players on Saturday. The Chemics were overmatched by a strong Petoskey. Despite this Turner-Smith showed decent long-term potential. Started along with fellow freshman <strong>Madden Shepardson.</strong> When he was given space, showed scoring creativity. Had a nice bucket on a reverse pivot after stopping on a dime to shake a defender. Good ball handler who got to his spots on the perimeter. Once he got there struggled, with the size and physicality of his opponents. Got frustrated at times and that didn't help. However, this is a very young player who was competing in a lopsided game. If he continues to develop; mainly in strength and quickness, this could be another name to watch in Michigan's deep and geographically diverse 2029 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->