High-IQ Prospects Who Stood Out at the Freshman Showcase

The box score only tells part of the story, especially in a showcase setting. Getting out and competing gives players a chance to show how they process the game when they're surrounded by unfamiliar teammates and playing against new competition. Who communicates? Who makes the extra pass? Who understands spacing, and where to be. Those details stood out with this group. Here are 5 players whose game went above just scoring.     Berve did a lot of things that translated not only to each game he had at the showcase, but each play. He made the game look easy on both ends. Defensively, he stayed attached to his man, navigated through screens, switched onto other guys, and communicated where he needed to be. He provided toughness, and that allowed him to score as well. He had a few downhill attacks where he used his body to shield, initiated contact, and still tried to score. He also forced a few mismatches when he had smaller players on him as well. I liked how Berve rebounded for his size and he started the break after. He's a pass-first PG who showed that he can impact the game in various ways.     Valdez was a good example of why you have to watch beyond the scoring column. I didn't see a ton of offense from him personally as far as trying to score, but when I watched the event back, it was because he was the one setting the table, setting screens after a play to free a teammate up, and pushed the pace with his passes. He went after loose balls, and that got him transition baskets. He pressured his man and wasn't scored on easily, and forced turnovers with his on-ball defense. On offense, Valdez kept the ball moving and was willing to facilitate rather than forcing shots just to get himself involved like other prospects there. He understood what his team needed, and if that stands out even in a showcase, I could only imagine how it looks for his team. Solid day for him.     Reese looked comfortable being responsible for the pace of the game. He's a smaller guard so guys tried to pressure him and be physical with him, and that was completely fine for him. He didn't seem rushed with the ball and showed some natural floor-general qualities, understanding when to organize things and when an opportunity was there to attack. Reese created looks for teammates and mixed in a nice floater when he got into the paint, giving him a counter against size around the basket. His game wasn't built around forcing difficult shots, and I don't remember him taking a bad shot on the day. He spaced the floor and there was a level of control to his game that made him interesting to watch.     Walker showed some good early understanding of how to play inside as he took over in the 3-on-3 portion of the day, and that gave him momentum for when it was time to play 5-on-5. He worked to establish position, sealed defenders, and gave guards a clear target when he had an advantage around the basket. Once the ball arrived, Walker was comfortable playing through contact and finishing rather than rushing the opportunity and also had a couple of flashes to the middle when guards were being pressured so that he could open up the floor a bit. Those may seem like simple plays, but young interior players don't always understand how much work has to happen before the catch, and he carved up space and offered a release. Walker's positioning helped create his offense and made him an effective piece around the pain,t and he finished on a few of the plays.     Goettsche showed some creativity with the basketball and played with his head up in transition. He was comfortable starting the break himself and had a couple of no-look passes that showed he was unselfish but also could break down a defense without having to score. He also knew when to keep it himself, getting downhill on multiple possessions and using some crafty up-and-under moves to finish around the basket. He had some solid finishes. Goettsche played with good pace and showed a nice feel for letting the plays develop before deciding on if he wanted to score or distribute. Solid two-way day for him.

The box score only tells part of the story, especially in a showcase setting. Getting out and competing gives players a chance to show how they process the game when they're surrounded by unfamiliar teammates and playing against new competition. Who communicates? Who makes the extra pass? Who understands spacing, and where to be. Those details stood out with this group. Here are 5 players whose game went above just scoring.