Mt. Rushmore: Ball Never Lies Showcase

<span style="font-weight: 400;">On Saturday, I went to Providence, Rhode Island, to watch the Ball Never Lies Showcase. Featuring elite talent from the ’’22 class down to the ’27 class, this event did not disappoint, resulting in highly competitive and fun games. After watching these athletes perform with their respective AAU teams all spring, it was cool to see them paired up with players they wouldn’t usually compete with. Many players stood out from the day, but none more than the four mentioned below, in my opinion. </span> &nbsp; <b>[player_tooltip player_id="278583" first="Summer" last="Warren"] - Lady Rivals/Thayer - 6’0’’ - PF/SF - ’26</b> <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/06/27006704_Unknown-crop-1477x970-1624759819.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-301925" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/06/27006704_Unknown-crop-1477x970-1624759819-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">I could tell Warren was going to have a big day from the opening tip of the first game. She looked engaged, focused, and locked in from the jump, and it seemed every time she touched the ball, a positive play was the result. I have seen Warren play many times this spring, but Saturday, she took her game to another level. Warren’s footwork in the post combined with her soft touch around the basket was the recipe for an automatic 2 points. Her ability to put the ball on the deck and finish strong at the rim, along with her good court vision, gave me a glimpse of how good of an all-around player she is now and can be in the future. </span> https://x.com/BashHoopsNE/status/1408807218657513474 <b>[player_tooltip player_id="269241" first="Jasmine" last="Becotte"] - BDS/Pelham - 5’10’’ - SF - ’24</b> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-301927" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/06/27006736_Unknown-crop-1191x782-1624759869-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <b>’24 Rank: #50</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">I have always been a Becotte fan because she can do a little bit of everything and is willing to do so. She will defend positions 1-5 no matter what the matchup is. If you want her to play off the ball or want Becotte initiating the offense, whatever the team needs, you can bet Becotte will be the player to step up to the task. She garnered a lot of buzz throughout the gym with how hard she works on both sides of the ball and relentless slashing. Becotte got to the basket with ease and showed how efficient she is from the mid-range. She has always been a tenacious rebounder, and her effort on the offensive glass did not go unnoticed. Constantly following her shot and obtaining second chance opportunities throughout the day was Becotte’s calling card. </span> https://x.com/BecotteJasmine/status/1408860661917040647 <b>[player_tooltip player_id="295250" first="Kiki" last="Fossbender"] - CP Elite/Hopkinton - 5’9’’ - CG - ’22</b> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-301929" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/06/27006720_Unknown-crop-1239x814-1624759913-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <b>’22 Rank: #98</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">I have not had the chance to see Fossbender this spring because she has been out due to injury, and she left as good a first impression as anyone could. She did most of her damage in the mid-range and established herself as one of the best pull-up jump shooters in the gym. Fossbender scored at will and was unstoppable when going to her left. She asserted herself on offense and demanded the ball every trip down the floor because she knew not a single person could slow her down. Fossbender has three-point range as well and does not hesitate to shoot them. After one of her huge scoring games, she told me that this showcase was one of her first competitive basketball runs, so she doesn’t feel in basketball shape yet. If what I witnessed was a rusty [player_tooltip player_id="295250" first="Kiki" last="Fossbender"], teams should be shaking in their boots when she gets in her groove. </span> https://x.com/BashHoopsNE/status/1408815207300861954 <b>[player_tooltip player_id="266519" first="Ava" last="Winterburn"] - Team Saints/Goffstown - 6’2’’ - SF - ’23</b> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-301931" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/06/27006752_Unknown-crop-1121x736-1624759980-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <b>’23 Rank: #23</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Winterburn dominated both sides of the ball, and her performance was by far the best I have seen from her this spring. I was impressed mainly by her shooting efficiency. Winterburn’s three-point shot has improved a lot since the beginning of the season, and she looks more confident when firing from behind the arc. Her mid-range game stood out as she has turned into a very skilled face-up and post player. No one had an answer for Winterburn the whole day. Her size and athleticism were too much to handle, and Winterburn took full advantage of it. She is becoming one of the more premier two-way forwards in the 23 class. Winterburn’s development has been staggering, and she should be on everyone’s watchlist this summer.</span> https://x.com/BashHoopsNE/status/1408837210061824001