End of Summer Showcase: 2021 sleepers

This Labor Day weekend I attended Gerry Freitas Arizona End of Summer Showcase at Inspire Courts in Gilbert, AZ. The event had 36 teams from the West Coast as far up as Washington. Specifically he had 15 from CA, 10 teams from AZ, 5 from Washington, 3 from Las Vegas, 2 from New Mexico and 1 from Colorado in the 16 and 17U divisions.   Here were some 2021 sleepers I watched: [player_tooltip player_id="680249" first="Dillon" last="Wilhite"] Cathedral Catholic (Gamepoint 17 Elite) -A true low post 5-man has advanced post footwork. He has a polished hook shot with either hand and an impressive drop step. He is extremely patient in the paint and doesn’t rush his moves. He uses his frame/body to box out for rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id="680217" first="AJ" last="Burgin"] San Diego (Gamepoint 17 Elite) -A physical two-way guard is very active on defense. He plays the passing lanes and is a very good offensive rebounder. His lateral quickness, length and size helps him contest every single shot attempt. His versatility defending the 1-3 makes him attractive for the next level. Offensively, he makes good reads and has a consistent catch-3. He can pull-up from mid-range plus is shifty in the open court and can hesitate to get into the paint and score through contact with his strong frame. I was impressed how much he sprinted on offense and defense regardless of the score. [player_tooltip player_id="1018516" first="Josiah" last="Sanders"] South Mountain (Team Zona) -A thick 4-man can play inside or out. He can play with his back to the basket a little, but loves facing up from mid to the 3pt line. He rebounds well in his area and is extremely strong. He isn’t a well known player but will make an impact this season. My first time seeing him live and I was impressed. A true sleeper in 6A. [player_tooltip player_id="843750" first="Liam" last="Hanenburg"] Lynden (WA) (Seattle Select) -A huge kid has a nice touch with either hand plus boxes out well to rebound the ball. He keeps the ball high and is a strong two-handed rebounder. He can seal his man and score it and but he is strictly an old school center defending other true 5-men. [player_tooltip player_id="809715" first="Kieran" last="Carr"] Arcadia (Zone-6) -A quick triggered shooter is expanding his game. He is best off the catch from the 3pt line but is starting to put the ball on the floor better than ever. He also can make plays for his teammates and take the ball into the lane and takes a bump and can score it through contact. [player_tooltip player_id="703853" first="Jose" last="Miguel"] (Heritage Maricopa) (Firestorm) -A super long and skilled wing forward is tough and skilled. He rebounds well in his area and is an active player throughout a game. He can make catch 3’s plus rise up and hit from mid-range. He is smart passer with an unselfish game making good reads throughout a game. [player_tooltip player_id="941627" first="Jackson" last="Leyba"] (Deer Valley) (Firestorm) -A tough and gritty scoring guard. He has a thicker build and decent handle to get into the teeth of the defense to score it. He can use the floater and uses either hand well. He can shoot it from mid to the 3pt line but is best closest to the rim. He is smart passer and plays tough on the ball defensively. [player_tooltip player_id="1045442" first="Nate" last="Williams"] Cactus Shadows (Zone-6) (Pictured) -A long and skinny shooter will have a breakout year for the Falcons. He was one of the more consistent shooters of the event and moves without the ball to set up. He has good court awareness and is deceptively quick to get into the lane. He can finish off layups with either hand and his mind works. [player_tooltip player_id="1045443" first="Cody" last="Blumenthal"] Catalina Foothills (So AZ Elite Ballers) -An old school true PG runs the offense to perfection. He is smart off the pick and roll and he is a good post entry passer. He can hit the 3 plus uses his quickness to get towards the basket and then uses the floater. He is tough to take a charge and is scrappy on the ball defensively. [player_tooltip player_id="1045525" first="Rashid" last="Smith"] Arcadia (Zone-6) -The lefty can get hot in a blink of an eye. He has a smooth jumper plus he can use his speed in the lane to score it on layups or floaters. He is a pretty good passer and has a nice handle in the open court. [player_tooltip player_id="1045540" first="Drey" last="Sherwood"] Casteel (Zone-6) -A cerebral combo guard is a smart floor general but he can fill it up! He has a clean stroke from the 3pt line and gets it out of his hands quickly. He is undersized but plays hard, smart and he can be leaned on by the Colts.