First Impressions From The Freshman Showcase

The 2026 Prep Hoops Illinois Freshman Showcase brought a talented group of prospects to Supreme Courts in Aurora on Sunday. A full day of competition was held to get an early look at the class of 2030. Throughout the day there were plenty of players who showed their skill in a variety of ways. After a full 4 hours worth of games, we will breakdown an initial list of prospects who delivered strong performances. Throughout the next two weeks, we will be going through full team evaluations as well.    Jones is a highly instinctive guard who consistently plays with his head on a swivel with the ball in his hands. He does an excellent job of reading the floor whether in transition or in the ½ court setting. His constant ability to apply pressure on defenses were shown off of defensive rebounds or outlets to get it out and go to create opportunities for his couple bigs he was playing along side with or wings who were filling the lanes. Jones downhill attacking mode from hesitations or dribble drive action allows him to draw help and either finish through traffic or deliver timely reads to teammates. His playmaking and court vision stood out as top-tier attributes out of the whole showcase today which provides him a strong overall feel and understanding of the game.     A crafty and tough left handed lead point guard. Steen was one of the few 2031s playing today in the Freshman Showcase. He impressed with his quick handle, overall awareness, and ability to make plays. Comfortable going to either hand for finishing purposes. Defensively he will pick up past half court at times to apply pressure and has a nose to guard. As a facilitator, Steen finds tough angles to get to the rim and convert off the glass. He utilized a tough nifty scoop up and under for a conversion that showed his ability to adjust with a quick feel. Shooting wise he also displayed a solid perimeter stroke. Ceiling should continue to rise for the young guard.     Baurer showed a strong understanding of the game and played to his role using his size and physicality throughout the day. He converts through contact to finish plays and competes consistently to outwork his opponent. Off the ball in the ½ court setting he moves well to openings for scoring opportunities or to widen the floor out for guards to take advantage of. In the transition game, Baurer runs the floor hard as well to help capitalize for break buckets. Offensively he also provides rebounding attributes for second chance opportunities and showed some craftiness off the bounce with a drive and spin move to finish from short range. In his early career he has a matured understanding and will be another asset to add to the talented Bennet 2030 class.     From the forward position, Cooper displayed a strong floor vision with poise and patience on the catch. He worked from block to elbows efficiently while drawing help and then finding open teammates with kick outs, drop offs, or passes to hit back door cutters. Cooper scored it from all 3 levels in the team's last game of the day connecting on a spot up 3 and a smooth turnaround fadeaway from 15 feet. He showed good IQ throughout on both sides of the ball not forcing the equation and playing team basketball. His selfless mentality provides a strong impact through multiple phases.     Purvis provides plus length and a strong motor at the wing spot who makes an impact on both ends of the floor. He shows reliable spot up shooting ability that included knocking down multiple 3's throughout today. On BLOB actions, he cuts hard to open gaps and has a solid IQ and understanding of where to be at on the floor. Purvis converted on some tough finishes on the interior as well which shows he can provide tangibles inside and out offensively. On the defensive end, his anticipation and length affected shooters on the perimeter and in the passing lanes. His two way activity provides an intriguing foundation to continue to build upon.

The 2026 Prep Hoops Illinois Freshman Showcase brought a talented group of prospects to Supreme Courts in Aurora on Sunday. A full day of competition was held to get an early look at the class of 2030. Throughout the day there were plenty of players who showed their skill in a variety of ways. After a full 4 hours worth of games, we will breakdown an initial list of prospects who delivered strong performances. Throughout the next two weeks, we will be going through full team evaluations as well.