PHMD Freshman Showcase: 1st Team

New readers: Use code Proia30    MVP   -The MVP showed out in a big way, taking on all comers throughout the afternoon and scoring at will versus a variety of defenders. He started off the 3on3 action with two movement 3s, then hit a sidestep and a stepback 3 to win the game on his own. In the full-court 5 on 5 action he continued to show his 3 level scoring prowess with an efficient perforance from the field. He turned down a rushed corner 3 to get into a one-dribble baseline middy, weaved through the defense 94' to score at the rim off the window, got his defender off balance with a jab into the sweep and elbow pull-up. hit a tough catch and finish through the contact in transition, had a smooth shovel pass to the big in traffic, knocked down several big 3s, and had a nice recovery to sprint back into the frame and block the 3 at the end of the quarter. His best play of the day was either when he snatched back on the downhill drive to cross over and hit the floater in front of the rim or when he hit his defender with a spin move in transition before going behind the back and just barely missing the reverse layup because of the foul. May used his scoring gravity to create well in the halfcourt and in transition, also doing a great job of drawing fouls to earn trips to the free throw line around the basket. Expect him to earn early minutes for a SFA backcourt that lost some depth this offseason.     -Easily the most athletic prospect in the showcase, McLean leveraged those gifts to serve as a dynamic force in transition and be a pesky/switchable defender. He hit a face up 3 to start out the 5 on 5 action then scored on two coast-to-coast drives after snagging the defensive rebound to finish with 1-handed spikes at the other end of the floor. He sees the floor well and is a willing passer, especially in transition when he has sucked in the defense with middle drives. Very interested to see how his game progresses as he has a very diverse skillset to start things out with at this stage in his career.     -Johnson was the best play-maker on the floor in each game he played in throughout the afternoon. He can already throw any kind of pass in the halfcourt and comes off of screens really looking to create for others even though he usually has the airspace to get off a clean look at the rim. He's a really quick downhill driving guard that gains an advantage and keeps that step on his matchup, and he is tough to stay in front of in the open court because he understands how to use your momentum against you. Good timing and feel to jump the passing lane and get it going the other way. Nice high finish off the window in transition. Walked into a 3 to keep the game tied, pretty much singlehandedly keeping his team in the game. Great push pass from the free throw line to the big at the other free throw line to give his team the game, followed by a smooth one-handed dime off the bounce to a rolling big. Although he thrives as a play-making point guard looking to get his teammates going, he can call his own number to score at a high level with or without a ball screen. His best play came on a high dribble pickup to split the double and get downhill before finishing through the contact at the rim. Should carve out a nice role for himself with the Cougars in his freshman season.     -Handles it well for a player his size, good balance and consistency on the pullup jumpers, scores it well through contact in transition. Love his vision in the open floor-- Royster understands how to let the play develop and passes his teammates open with regularity. That type of pace and feel are irregular from such a young prospect. Really good usage of his pivot and spin moves/euro steps to create open lanes to the rim and widen passing windows. Love how effortlessly he vacillates between creating for himself and teammates in the halfcourt. Think he has a ton of upside defensively as well because of how well he understands positioning and anticipating his matchup's move before they begin their momentum.     -Moody had a great all-around performance this afternoon, showing his value as a versatile guard that can contribute in several areas to help his team win basketball games. Love how quickly he processes plays in the midst of chaos, coming up with long rebounds or loose balls often before his matchup can react to score in the paint or initiate a fastbreak going back the other way. Moody opened things up with four made 3s in the 1st half then got to work on the glass, sticking two putbacks around the rim before halftime and serving as a nice secondary shot-blocker for his team. Loved his touch in the paint on 2-foot floaters or extension finishes around the defense after snagging O boards for his team. He should thrive at the HS level as a guard that can maximize his touches by moving effectively off the ball to snag rebounds, hit perimeter shots, or score easy buckets on back cuts.

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