Prep Hoops Iowa Freshman Showcase: Tony's First Team All-Showcase

The second annual Prep Hoops Iowa Freshman Showcase took place in Des Moines on Sunday afternoon, with around 70 incoming freshmen and eighth graders taking the floor. Healey Hill and I were in attendance throughout the event taking notes on every player in attendance, and we'll have a slew of coverage coming throughout the next week. I was primarily responsible for covering Teams 1, 2, 5, and 6, while Healey handled 3, 4, 7, and 8. These are the five best players that I saw from the event.    Nagel (pictured) was the best player that I saw throughout the afternoon. Standing 6-5 and armed with the ball-handling and shot creation of a guard, he was dominant as a three-level scorer who uses his frame to his advantage against smaller defenders. He took the smaller guys onto the block and bullied them for buckets, and he took bigger, slower-footed defenders out on the perimeter and drove by them. In addition to his playmaking off the bounce, he showed that he can knock down shots from the arc off both the dribble and the catch, as well as a nice feel for the game, knowing when to attack and when to set his teammates up. And while he was absolutely fantastic on the offensive end, he was perhaps even more impressive defensively, moving his feet extremely well side-to-side against quicker guards and rotating over as a help defender and rim protector. An all-around dominant two-way showing for the 6-5 combo forward from Muscatine.     On the other end of the size spectrum is Shimp, a 5-7 lead guard from Central DeWitt who was also exceptional on both ends of the floor. He was outstanding in ball screen actions on the offensive end, showing the ability to create plays off the bounce for himself and his teammates. He reads the defense well and knows when to turn the corner and attack, when to step behind the screen and showcase his shooting stroke, and when to drive and get the defense to collapse before finding an open teammate. He does a great job utilizing his smaller frame to gain leverage on his man on both ends of the floor, using his strong lower body well. He has really quick hands and feet on the defensive end, routinely picking opposing ball-handlers clean and turning defense into quick, easy ooffense.     Carter was one of the standout performers in 5-on-5 action, proving to be nearly impossible to keep out of the paint. A quick lead guard with great handles and a sudden burst of a first step, he does a nice job changing speeds and keeping his defender off balance with his ability to not only change up the speed he's playing with, but also changing directions without losing any of that speed. His pace and feel for the game were among the best in the gym throughout the afternoon. Once he gets to the bucket, he has great body control, able to contort himself to take some of the contact and still finish through it. On the rare instances where a defender was able to keep him out of the paint, he just splashed 3-after-3 in their faces instead.     Heller is a 6-7 big man from Cedar Rapids Kennedy who may be one of the players who has the highest long-term potential of any player in the gym on Sunday afternoon. He already has really good size and runs the floor extremely well. He showcased great hands, routinely making tough catches both in traffic around the rim and when he was running the floor hard in transition. He finishes well through contact around the bucket with either hand, does a nice job keeping the ball high on post touches and after pulling down rebounds, and showed good footwork. He's a good roll-man in ball screen actions, setting hard, legal screens and making himself big and visible on the roll.     Another Kennedy Cougar who stood out on Sunday afternoon, Canty was one of a handful of eighth graders in attendance, but that didn't stop him from being one of the best players on the floor. He has a fantastic first step that he uses to blow by defenders, and when he gets into the teeth of the defense he has great footwork that he uses to sidestep defenders and finish. Like Shimp and Carter, he plays with good pace and can change speeds and directions in the blink of an eye. He has great vision and is a gifted passer who does a great job setting his teammates up. He's a high-level shooter off both the dribble and the catch, with a smooth, high-arching shot and picturesque form. As he continues to grow, both physically and mentally, he could be one of the top guards in the state.

The second annual Prep Hoops Iowa Freshman Showcase took place in Des Moines on Sunday afternoon, with around 70 incoming freshmen and eighth graders taking the floor. Healey Hill and I were in attendance throughout the event taking notes on every player in attendance, and we'll have a slew of coverage coming throughout the next week. I was primarily responsible for covering Teams 1, 2, 5, and 6, while Healey handled 3, 4, 7, and 8. These are the five best players that I saw from the event.