New Names Who Made an Impression at the Freshman Showcase

Showcases are about more than showing up and getting a few shots up. For a lot of young players, it is an opportunity to get outside of their normal setting, compete against unfamiliar faces, and put something out there that makes evaluators want another look. Several prospects did exactly that at the Freshman Showcase. Let's take a look at some new names worth following up with.    Steinkamp is a player I was not familiar with who had some microwave scoring ability and didn't need much time to get himself going. He found gaps in transition, sprinted into open space, and did a good job coming off screens, ready to score. The jumper was probably the biggest takeaway. He showed legitimate range with a quick release that allowed him to get shots off. When opponents ran him off the line, Steinkamp looked comfortable putting it on the floor and attacking the closeout. There is some scoring punch here worth keeping an eye on.     Ehlis brought an intriguing combination of size, floor spacing, and activity to the event. He operated comfortably away from the basket and gave the offense another option by stretching the floor with his shot, but he wasn't content just hanging around the perimeter. Ehlis ran hard in transition, found his way into open areas on the court for sneaky baskets, and consistently seemed to be where the next play was developing. He had a few plays around the basket and had some clean-up finishes. He played within the flow and didn't need the ball to be effective.     Sepulveda was one of those guys whose value showed up the more you watched him. Some guys needed to score to feel involved, and he was doing all of the little things. He competed defensively, which pops in these kinds of settings. He stayed engaged away from the ball and did some of the dirty work. I particularly liked the screens he set. They weren't token screens just to go through the motion; he made contact and created legitimate separation for guards to turn the corner or get clean looks. Sepulveda embraced his role, played with consistent effort, and found ways to help his group without needing the offense centered around him.     It took a bit for Rose to get going, but once he did, he started to piece together plays in a row. That's when he stood out. He competed, played hard, and showed that he has some shooting range when his feet were underneath him. There were flashes, although I wanted him to be a bit more assertive and for him to impose his will. Rose showed a potential floor-spacing element, and now it's about becoming more aggressive, not only as a scorer but also making sure he plays within the flow of the offense. Every team needs a 3&D, and he shows signs of becoming that.     Bernard came out and had himself a day! He was one of the better scorers at the event, especially in the 5-on-5 portion of the day, as he was scoring in iso and couldn't be slowed down. He has a good feel for the game, knows where to be on the floor, pushes the ball in transition, and also showed up on the boards as well. He showed his scoring versatility without being shot-hungry. There was a natural feel to how he operated. Bernard made the extra pass when it was available, filled open space, and routinely put himself in position to make the next play. The combination of it all made him one of the more interesting new names I came away wanting to track as I know he'll be a name that sticks.     Kalel showed some natural scoring instincts and wasn't afraid to go create something for himself. He stayed aggressive hunting his spots, used ball screens to create separation, and looked comfortable operating with the ball in his hands. What stood out was that there appeared to be some method behind his aggression. He attacked early on, defenses tried to cut that off, and he scored from outside a bit. He's still developing, but there are some tools here that could turn him into a quality scoring guard as he gets more reps. Certainly on the radar now.

Showcases are about more than showing up and getting a few shots up. For a lot of young players, it is an opportunity to get outside of their normal setting, compete against unfamiliar faces, and put something out there that makes evaluators want another look. Several prospects did exactly that at the Freshman Showcase. Let's take a look at some new names worth following up with.