The 5 Hardest Playing Guys I Saw at Propurform Team Weekend

Showcases and camps are admittedly tough. While coaches and directors can implore kids to play their hardest, these kids play TONS of games and are sometimes too tired to compete. That's why I'm always looking for the kids who are able to play with effort and competitiveness even when the stakes are a bit lower.   Important note: I was only in attendance for Saturday's games. Additionally, there were multiple games going on at once, so it was difficult to keep track of everyone. With that being said, below are the five hardest playing guys I saw at the Propurform Team Development and Evaluation Weekend.    August was the hardest playing guy I saw on Saturday. The 6-foot-4 rising junior slides his feet extraordinarily well on defense and fights his behind off in the paint for rebounds and contests—when you combine his size and athleticism with his ability and willingness to make multiple efforts, he's quite a versatile defensive player. He talks at all times on defense and sprints the floor no matter what the score is or whether he's touching the ball on the offensive end. He hit the game tying three in one of Brimmer's early matchups, and he could definitely be a nice 3 and D piece for Brimmer this season. In a showcase environment where many players were content to slack off and play isolation basketball, August proved that he has excellent mental toughness and competitiveness. Kid is awesome.     Fitzgibbon is a true 6-foot-4 and has the physical profile of a scholarship player. The rising senior shot the ball extremely well from the mid range on Saturday—he consistently got one step inside the arc and elevated for looks above the defense—but he also showcased some really excellent athleticism and touch at the rim with both hands. Defensively, he took pride in his defensive assignments and was extremely physical all day. Fitzgibbons should be a key player for Brimmer and May this season and just joined Team Sims for their remaining UA Rise sessions, where he should provide important production on both ends. If Fitzgibbon shoots the ball well from three this season (which I could see happening with improved confidence), he will definitely get scholarship looks.     Washington clearly had something to prove on Saturday. The 6-foot-3 combo-guard attacked with a head of steam all day and competed consistently on both ends. He made a host of extremely difficult layups at the rim with lots of contact, and he rebounded the ball extremely well for his size on both ends. He plays with great strength and toughness, and there's an edge and chip on his shoulder at all times. Washington didn't get discouraged watching other players slack off—he just played harder and took it to them time and time again—and it resulted in an extremely productive day for the rising junior.     This was my first time seeing Colson in person, and I like him a lot. The 5-foot-10 point guard certainly lacks size, but he has all of the intangible qualities you need if you're going to be undersized. He slides his feet extremely well and does a phenomenal job walling up against bigger guards, and he has great hands and toughness. Offensively, he's a relentless rim attacker and takes contact quite well at the rim. For a guard his size, he finishes the ball effortlessly, but he also makes really heady reads once he touches the paint. Colson will have a good chance at starting for Darrow this season and should see his recruitment pick up immensely if he's able to secure that spot.     This is nothing new, but TJ Allen plays with great intensity and competitiveness no matter where, who, or when he's playing. The 6-foot-1 guard plays with an immense chip on his shoulder and takes every defensive assignment as an opportunity to prove that you can't score on him (and very few people can consistently). Offensively, he never lets the defense rest by constantly attacking holes in the defense and launching himself towards helpless rim protectors at the hoop—he's an and-one machine. Allen plays so hard and shines in environments where others take possessions off. There's no “too cool for school” vibe with him, which is a coach's dream.

Showcases and camps are admittedly tough. While coaches and directors can implore kids to play their hardest, these kids play TONS of games and are sometimes too tired to compete. That's why I'm always looking for the kids who are able to play with effort and competitiveness even when the stakes are a bit lower.