Prep Hoops Oregon Freshman Showcase – Top Performers Second Team

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Sunday the first-ever PrepHoops Oregon Freshman Showcase took place at the Beaverton Hoop YMCA and many of the top in-state players and beyond from the Class of 2027 took the court to compete against one another in some very spirited competition. We had the opportunity to watch all of the action from start to finish, and after conferring with a number of other observers in attendance have come up with our All-Camp Teams – six members each on the First and Second Team. Today, we wrap things up with the Second Team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>All-Freshman Showcase Second Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2124993' first='Rogen' last='Brown'] (2027 Mountainside)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With good size for a freshman guard and well-rounded scoring tools, Brown caught our eye as an established offensive threat with the ability to blossom into a phenomenal all-around player. Standing at 6-foot-1, Brown was one of the tallest players on his team at the event, but he did plenty of ball-handling as a shifty, perimeter-focused player. The future Maverick is smooth with the ball in his hands and possesses a number of go-to dribble combinations, but what stood out most was his ability to shoot the ball. Brown drilled several three-pointers thanks to his ability to create space off the dribble. In one-on-one scenarios, he had a chance to thrive as one of the event's most notable perimeter scorers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2132794' first='Logan' last='Baertsch-Kovalchik'] (2027 Lakeridge)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Baerstch-Kovalchick was a leading presence as the showcase, using his vocality to stand out on the defensive end while proving himself as one of the smartest players on the offensive end as well. The incoming freshman plays with great feel with the ball in his hands, which makes him a standout playmaker alongside his ability to score both inside and out. The future Pacer additionally possesses good physical tools for a freshman as a lanky 6-foot-1 guard, and his upside as both a primary facilitator and primary scorer is apparent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2026056' first='Varryk' last='Hardges'] (2027 Grant)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Hardges was sidelined early at the showcase due to an ankle injury, he was able to make his presence felt regardless thanks to his explosive athleticism and efficient finishing. Hardges was easily one of the springiest players at the event, using his standout leaping ability and quickness to make several plays in transition. Additionally, Hardges has great length at 6-foot-2 and just enough ball handling to get to the rim with relative ease. Before he was sidelined, Hardges went for 23 points in a single game, using his lightning quick first step to slide by defenders and get to the cup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2132795' first='Malachi' last='Garlington'] (2027 Central Catholic)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Garlington showed tremendous promise as a wing scorer at the showcase, using a well-developed handle and decent explosiveness to score a variety of buckets for his squad. Garlington is smooth on the ball and displayed the ability to knock down shots from varying ranges. Whenever Team Four seemed to be in a drought, Darlington would come through with a bucket, making several strong drives to the basket with either hand. Where the rising freshman shined the most, though, was losing defenders off the dribble.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2132783' first='Damian' last='Olvera'] (2027 West Linn)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At 6-foot-4, Olvera was one of the most physically dominant forces of the day, using his sheer size and strength inside to vacuum numerous rebounds and second-chance buckets. Furthermore, Olvera displayed notable leadership skills and maturity at the showcase, helping lead Team Three to an unbeaten day. As a larger player, Olvera is very coordinated and able to knock down shots from mid range consistently. Additionally, the future Lion has great touch and awareness around the rim, and he makes smart decisions with the ball, making him an obvious big man to watch in the class of 2027.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2134770' first='Elijah' last='Gabriel'] (2027 South Eugene)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gabriel came in as a bit of a mystery, being added to the roster last minute before making an obvious difference throughout the day for Team Five. Gabriel chipped in a bit of everything, using his obvious length at 6-foot-2 to finish a variety of difficult shots inside. The incoming freshman was an astoundingly efficient scorer, taking only high percentage looks and finishing well through traffic. On the defensive end, Gabriel displayed the ability to cause havoc with his long arms and disruptive energy. While he didn't produce any high-flying highlight plays, Gabriel did all of the little things correctly and proved himself as an impact player on both ends.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->