Players who separated themselves at the Freshman Showcase

Getting out and competing is ultimately what a showcase is supposed to be about. You get unfamiliar matchups, different teammates and a chance to show what translates when there isn't much familiarity to lean on. Plenty of players had good stretches at the Freshman Showcase, but this group separated itself over the course of the day. Some took over with scoring, others brought versatility or two-way production, but these were the names that consistently found their way into my notebook and made the strongest impressions.    Manns Davis showed he could be dangerous as a scorer, and he specifically had it going from deep at the showcase. He was not standing around waiting for the ball to find him. He worked to get himself open, relocated into open spots, and demanded the ball and made defenders account for where he was on the floor. I also liked what happened when the defense started reacting to him. Manns Davis recognized the extra attention, drew defenders his direction, and was willing to make the extra pass to an open teammate rather than forcing his own look, and that is not something you always see at showcases. That ability to create some gravity with his shooting while still playing unselfishly gave his offense another layer, and he's a very solid player that I am sure we'll hear about moving forward.     West brought some serious athletic pop to the floor and had stretches where his physical tools simply looked different. He was one of the few players who were able to dunk and was the most athletic player at the event. He was aggressive in 3-on-3, and when he got over to 5s, he shot the ball well, rebounded, and played above the rim, but his explosiveness was most noticeable when he had a runway to the basket. West got downhill quickly and finished at the rim. His athleticism wasn't only defensively either, he's a player who I feel can play some varsity minutes this upcoming season due to his defensive instincts as well. He hustled, covered ground, defended multiple positions, and had some standout plays on that end of the floor as well. Solid player with a ton to work with.     Lirtzman is a player we've only seen play up so it was great to see him with his age group, and he has plenty of areas that you enjoy. He checked a lot of boxes throughout the day, but what really stood out was how he was breaking defenders down off the dribble as a 1-on-1 scorer, how he got the defense moving with his handle, and he also made his move and went. There wasn't a ton of playing around with the ball. There was a particularly sharp crossover that showed the separation he can create. He can shoot it, as well, and looks natural out there. Lirtzman plays both on and off-ball and can be effective as a cutter who spaces it, a playmaker who gets the offense going, and we saw him produce a ton of scoring opportunities for his team at the showcase. He seems to be a complete guard whose game translates. Solid day for him.     Anderson would've made my 1st-Team All-Freshman team if we did, with how he performed on the day, and he was dominant for stretches and firmly put himself among my top three performers at the event. He had the size and athleticism to play above the rim, but also showed considerably more around the basket than simply being a dunker. Anderson scored over his shoulder, used up-and-under moves, backed defenders down, and finished through traffic. He could also put it on the floor and even stepped outside to show some three-point range. Defensively, his length was constantly in the picture. He kept his hands high, contested shots, and erased opportunities around the rim. He was a matchup nightmare, and with how he performed at the event, I would not be surprised if he played a ton this upcoming season. Really liked my first impression of Aidan.     Axtell had as strong an argument as anyone for the best player in the gym, and this was my first time seeing him play. He was a monster during 3-on-3, where I truly don't know if there was a player there that could stop him, and then backed it up once the showcase transitioned to 5-on-5. At 6'5 with strength and length, Axtell imposed his will inside, but what separated him was how many different ways he could score. He faced up, worked with his back to the basket, scored over his shoulder, and showed the ability to stretch things out with his jumper. There was real three-level potential on display. Most impressive, he didn't force too much. He was unselfish and knew when to take over. Axtell consistently took what was available and finished at an extremely efficient rate, and is a player who I cannot wait to see how it looks against varsity competition. I want to see him continue to add to an already impressive game. Can't wait to see him duplicate that performance.     Vidow is a player we did not know heading into the event, but was one my favorite players on the day. He's natural and plays at his own pace and quietly checks every single box. He stood out as a scorer who knew exactly what he was on the floor to do. He was assertive when opportunities came and didn't hesitate to shoot if he had a good look. He was knocking down the 3-ball, found ways to keep getting shots ip despite the defense collapsing, and when he got run off the 3-point line he got inside and started hitting middies. I liked how he used his longer, slender frame to continue finding ways to score and gave the defense something to worry about when he found room to get to where he wanted on the floor. I certainly want to see him play with the same effort defensively and start finding teammates as defenses try to take him out of games, but he made his mark in this one.     I've been wanting to see Taylor play, and the two things that immediately stood out for me was his feel and tempo. Taylor controls the pace, plays at his own rate, and wasn't sped up at all throughout the event. He calls for the screen and uses it, he's probing the defense and makes smart reads. He made moves on his guy, read the second line of defenders, and kept finding the open man. He was one of the better passers on the day, and it was great to see him in that role because that's what he'll be at Rangeview. He started scoring after getting settled and had a solid moment where he and another player were going at it. That's when we wanted to see him start hunting his offense a bit more as he gets to where he wants on the floor, and we want to see him reward himself after countering and creating so much space. Taylor will certainly be a player we write about a ton throughout his career, and this was a solid outing for him where he got to prove himself.

Getting out and competing is ultimately what a showcase is supposed to be about. You get unfamiliar matchups, different teammates and a chance to show what translates when there isn't much familiarity to lean on. Plenty of players had good stretches at the Freshman Showcase, but this group separated itself over the course of the day. Some took over with scoring, others brought versatility or two-way production, but these were the names that consistently found their way into my notebook and made the strongest impressions.