GameChangers: Freshman Showcase Superlatives (Part Two)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>This content series is sponsored by&nbsp;</em><a href="https://gc.com/home/football?utm_source=prepredzone&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=2022prepredzone&amp;utm_content=gamechangeroftheevent&amp;utm_term=partner"><em>GameChanger</em></a><em>&nbsp;– The Official Scorekeeping, Stats, Team Management &amp; Technology Partner of Prep Hoops.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is part two of our GameChangers from the Freshman Showcase. Once again, this will cover a wide range of players and identify what specific skill or archetype makes these players game-changers. Here are some more Superlatives for the 2027s who attended the event Saturday in Bellevue.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Hard-Hat</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Hardworking Players</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2028908' first='Isaiah' last='Kiehl'] Monroe</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kiehl drove to the hoop with a reckless abandon and was up and down the court all day. He played all out on both ends.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140820' first='James' last='Hudson'] O'Dea</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hudson was a kid looking to push the ball in transition and get to the hoop with almost every touch, consistently keeping the pressure on defenders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140840' first='Leon' last='Heilman'] Timberline</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This guy was consistently beating players down the floor and off the bounce for high-percentage looks at the rim. It started with his work on defense as a guy that hounded the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140818' first='Jack' last='Thompson'] Shorecrest</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The big man did a great job running the floor and his mobility was really encouraging to see for a kid his size.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140856' first='Ryzen' last='Nunez'] River Ridge</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nunez gets the nod here because of one game in particular where he just kept getting the ball fed to him and kept going to work scoring the rock. It seemed like almost every time down he got another touch in a dangerous spot and scored a ton of points for his squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Marathon Man</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>They Never Stopped Going</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2116694' first='Trey' last='Collier'] Lincoln (Tacoma)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He never stopped going, whether he was bouncing around to turn ballhandlers or bursting between defenders on the break, Collier was always running and working at the showcase.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140823' first='Jaxen' last='Lofton'] Silas</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lofton was another kid constantly looking to make an impact and his energy was evident. He was using every limb to defend passing lanes and ran the floor with a purpose.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140866' first='Zion' last='Stone'] O'Dea</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It wasn't his speed that caught my eye but his ability to get on the end of so many plays. Whether he was anticipating the breaks or just out-hustling guys down the floor, Stone was a key guy up and down the court for his team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140855' first='Ronnie' last='Wiggins'] Bellarmine Prep</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wiggins never seemed to tire and was easily one of the most involved players on both sides of the ball at the showcase.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Splash Bros</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>3-Point Shooters</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140826' first='Jose' last='Tijerina'] Southridge</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Southridge guard didn't find a lot of success near the rim but if you gave him space behind the arc he would punish you.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140804' first='Alex' last='Beckham'] Lake Washington</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Beckham was efficient from three and found his role early on, spotting up behind the arc and opening up lanes inside with his shooting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140809' first='Declan' last='Crawford'] Edmonds Woodway</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Crawford was excellent shooting off of the dribble and was pretty smooth with his footwork, getting into this shot quickly out of a move.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140827' first='Judah' last='Noonan'] Life Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Noonan was a hard worker off the ball and a lot of times that resulted in him getting a good look from long-range.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Visionaries</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Top Set-Up Men</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2141308' first='Devin' last='Freeman'] Lake Stevens</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He didn't just have the vision to cut up defenses with his drives, Freeman started finding passing lanes too when the defense keyed in on him and ended up making some real slick dimes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nino Moksivong</strong> O'Dea</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't know if anyone saw the floor better than Moksivong as a passer. He was able to see lanes from wherever he was on the court and really was head and shoulders above the rest as a passer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2116694' first='Trey' last='Collier'] Lincoln (Tacoma)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Collier, his vision really stood out on the defensive end as a guy who could time up dribblers to pick balls loose, or read passes before they were thrown to create a lot of turnovers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2056716' first='Marley' last='Miller'] Edmonds Woodway</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miller stood out for his shooting but he was also a threat to dice up the defense at times and made some outstanding passes through multiple defenders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jason Sandhu</strong> Fleetwood Park Secondary (CAN)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sandhu was a prodder with the ball and was able to get the attention of defenses with drives into open areas, keep the dribble alive, and then make a key pass for a bucket. He also played with great pace and was really effective as a playmaker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Quietly Getting it Done</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140844' first='Max' last='Harrity'] Bellevue</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Harrity was a super reliable playmaker who did so without turning the ball over or forcing the ball into tough spots. He had nice touch in the paint with a variety of finishes and played under control.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140806' first='Cameron' last='Walls'] Central Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He was a key figure getting the ball moving and into dangerous spots. He kept it rotating, had good entry passes inside, and was able to shift the defense with his penetration.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140817' first='Gabe' last='Kearney'] Chief Sealth</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He didn't get a lot of looks offensively but Kearney quietly got the job done on the defensive end and was able to simplify some shifty players with good feet and focus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kabir Bhangu</strong> Fleetwood Park Seconday (CAN)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He was a smaller guard who sunk some shots, made good hustle plays, and piled up some pokes and picks on defense. He also showed some smarts attacking the hoop and had a pretty good handle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2166281' first='Payton' last='Brown'] </strong>Muckleshoot Tribal School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brown showed off some good footwork to step through defenders and made some good reads passing the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140864' first='Xavier' last='Gatlin'] Lakeside</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gatlin showed off some really good flashes with his handle and had an impressive burst in and out of his initial dribble moves to get by defenders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140850' first='Orland' last='Axton'] Central Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Axton was a versatile defender who chipped in with buckets by the rim, big rebounds, and a couple of shots from mid-range.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->