Stock Boosters from the Sophomore ID Camp

Showcases give prospects a chance to get out, compete, and add something new to their evaluation. You don't have to dominate every possession to improve your stock. Sometimes, it's showing another layer to your game or proving a skill translates against different competition. These prospects took advantage of the opportunity this past weekend and left the gym with their stock moving in the right direction.    I went back and rewatched the event in its entirety, and Cruz might've been the top guard at the event on 2nd watch. He was decisive, he made plays for others and found a great balance of when to score but also find teammates, he was deceptive as he used the PnR and snaked it for drives but kept the defense guessing, and he looked confident with the ball. There were stretches where he was in a groove, and I feel as if he came to the event to prove a point. He changed pace well and broke defenders down with his handle. Cruz made a couple of 3-pointers and held his own defensively. It was a balanced attack but a stock-boosting day for sure, and we've seen more of it lately. His next step is just taking over an alpha mentality where he wants to go at a player each time down the floor, command and direct the offense, and prove that same point each time out. Big time weekend for his stock for me personally.     Fornes had some impressive moments throughout the day, particularly during 3-on-3, where his size was overwhelming, and they decided to spam him on the block. He was a matchup problem and was aggressive in that portion of the day. He cooled off a bit as we got into the 5-on-5 with a different team that didn't feed him the entire time and still found ways to pop. At 6'7, he can rebound in traffic and play around the basket. He moves well, runs the floor, and catches it, and he had a few tough finishes through traffic. There were some difficult makes mixed in, including one-legged shots that showed his touch and confidence. I also liked seeing him demand the basketball and want opportunities to score. The next step is consistency. When everything was clicking, Fornes looked like a prospect with a pretty intriguing two-way ceiling, and we want to see more of that as he should be a name that pops for his HS this year. Solid day for him that will boost his stock.     Ray put together one of the better guard performances of the day once he settled into his rhythm. What stood out was that nothing was forced; he was just trying to pick his spots. Early on, he navigated the offense and consistently recognized when the defense opened up a teammate, delivering the kick-out instead of forcing his own look. Then his scoring started to come. Ray got to his mid-range pull-up, knocked down threes, and showed a decisive first step that allowed him to blow by defenders and score without making things complicated. He looked to be at his best when he was playing instinctively and in rhythm, and once he found that flow, he was difficult to slow down as he scored at will. We want to see more of that and him being a pest defensively as Frederick has some solid guards over there making some noise.     We've seen Leasure play a few times now, and what stands out to me about his game is that it's adaptable. We've seen him change it up a few times depending on what the game allows, and while this was a showcase setting, he helped his team look organized, get out and run some plays, and brought calmness to the team. While plenty of guys wanted to grab it and immediately race the other direction, Leasure slowed things down enough to actually initiate offense and get everyone into the right spots. He played with good feel, ran the floor when opportunities were there, and converted his chances around the basket. There wasn't much forcing from him but he did have a couple of face ISO baskets where he scored and made things happen. He's a high-IQ guard who seemed to understand what each play needed, and things generally operated smoothly when he was involved. He'll be a player who plays a ton this upcoming season, and this was him seeing where he fared alongside the class's other top players. Solid day for him.     Fulcher kept standing out as a prospect that I need more eyes on when watching the event. Every time I looked up, he seemed to be scoring, creating something for a teammate or making another productive play, and he did it while sharing the floor with one of the day's leading scorers. His confidence with the ball stood out, especially when defenders applied pressure. Fulcher got his body in front of defenders, shielded them off, and created clean finishing angles. He was also one of the better passers I watched, consistently seeing plays develop and delivering the ball on time. He had a good bounce to his game, he was running the break and had a few transition finishes, he saw the floor well, and he's under control the whole time. We did not know too much about him heading into the event, but he's a player who's firmly on our radar now.

Showcases give prospects a chance to get out, compete, and add something new to their evaluation. You don't have to dominate every possession to improve your stock. Sometimes, it's showing another layer to your game or proving a skill translates against different competition. These prospects took advantage of the opportunity this past weekend and left the gym with their stock moving in the right direction.