Freshman Showcase: Teddy’s Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a notebook from this mornings freshman showcase in Aurora. My sophomore notebook will be out in a little bit. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for player evaluations from all three events.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3687315' first='Tre' last='Johnson'] Dazzles with Potential</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not only does this bloom product tower over his opponents at 6'7", but his skills are quite impressive. Has the ball skills to out-dribble his opponents stand out and had a nice moment in his second matchup where he dribbled past his opponents for an easy layup. Before that, he dribbled right into a 3-pointer. Then added one from the corner a few minutes later. Followed by a third one off a pump-fake. Then a fourth from the other corner. The speed is also there, as he can fly up and down the floor. Getting himself some more strong buckets. His long frame allowed for more blocks, too.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dakari Simmons Takes Over</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Simmons put on quite the effort and stole the show in the second matchup I watched with him. Flashing a unique ability to blow by defenders with the ball in his hand. The creativeness is definitely there both as a dribbler and finisher. Flashing potential to score with both hands quite consistently. Even scoring off a fadeaway at one point. Defensive kills are there to complement his game. So is his physical build and frame. He definitely made the most of that with his opportunities as physicality is a must-have as you get older.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bigs Clash on teams 12 and 13</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thefourth round of matchups I covered was a clash between a pair of promising forwards. On one end, it was Guilford's big man [player_tooltip player_id='2897245' first='Mamadou' last='Baker'] winning everything on the offensive glass. Cleaning it up effectively at a high clip, while also blocking lots of shots. On the other end, there were two bigs/forwards to watch. One being Marists [player_tooltip player_id='2906394' first='DJ' last='Moore'] who flashed confidence driving to the rim and was effective with the long strides he made to the rim. Another being [player_tooltip player_id='2966991' first='Kamarion' last='Sandifer'], a 6'4" forward for [program_tooltip program_id='2452456' first='Mac' last='Irvin Fire'] and Rich Township also blocked lots of shots on the inside and was effective off the pick-and-roll. Both these guys also showed they can shoot off the dribble.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Look out for 2031 G [player_tooltip player_id='3724798' first='Davon' last='Steen']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Invited to play up this week was 2031 G [player_tooltip player_id='3724798' first='Davon' last='Steen']. The potential is definitely there with him from watching his games this afternoon. The ball-handling and shiftiness were the first aspects to stand out. I was a big fan of his crossover in particular. Started to push the pace in transition later in this matchup while also drawing a handful of fouls in the process. From a size perspective, this kid should grow quite a bit more. Could be a very exciting player in his class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2827885' first='Isaiah' last='Stewart'] is a threat with his size</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of all the bigs I covered in the freshman class, Stewart's size at 6'10 is the tallest prospect in the class. I caught him a little bit towards the end of the showcase. it was his strides up and down the floor that caught my attention early as he showed good speed for his size. Finishing a couple buckets in transition. Started to be more effective off screens later in this game. Whether it was rolling to the rim or freeing up a ball-handler, his presence resulted in the ball finding the bottom of the net on most trips down the floor. Then showcased a mid-range fadeaway floater later on. A dominant force on the boards throughout the game while also blocking tons of shots. Slides his feet well as a defender, too. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->