Live Period Preview: Boston Showstoppers

On Thursday, I popped my head into the Roxbury Boys and Girls club to check out the Boston Showstoppers, who are getting prepared for a busy July. Starting next week with the Premier Basketball Super 64 Tournament in Mansfield, Texas, this talented group is ready to make some noise this summer. Loaded with talent up and down the roster, here are a few players to look out for this month. https://x.com/BashHoopsNE/status/1410686402157764609 Backcourt:   [player_tooltip player_id="263838" first="Emelia" last="O’Gilvie"] - Boston Latin - 5’7’’ - PG - ’22 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-304555" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/06/IMG_0316-crop-964x633-1625333042-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> ’22 Rank: #34 What stood out to me most about O’Gilvie during the practice was her rebounding. She constantly crashes the glass on the defensive end and fights to get the ball. As soon as she comes down with the ball, O’Gilvie’s eyes immediately look up the court, and the Showstoppers are off to the races. I like that O’Gilvie is that active on the glass because the bigs can get a head start with their rim runs, knowing that O’Gilvie will hit them in transition for easy layups. If not, she will go coast to coast and score with ease. What cannot be overlooked is how efficient O’Gilvie is from the field. She has good shot selection and is one of the best finishers at the rim. https://x.com/BashHoopsNE/status/1410705163673870339 [player_tooltip player_id="266711" first="Chayil" last="Mauristhene"] - Noble & Greenough - 5’7’’ - CG - ’23 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-304553" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/27269504_Unknown-crop-1874x1231-1625332751-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> ’23 Rank: #11 I can write a book about how superior Mauristhene is on defense. She is arguably the best defender in the ’23 class; when you combine her speed and quickness with her IQ and instincts, Mauristhene can completely erase any offensive player out of the equation. What I didn’t realize about Mauristhene that I noticed during the practice is how excellent a ball-handler she is. She has one of the quickest crossovers and first steps I have seen while staying under control at all times. The comfort Maurithene shows handling the ball and facilitating can make her be a de facto point guard for the Showstoppers. With her getting in the lane effortlessly and drawing the defense, Mauristhene can make a living kicking out to shooters or dumping the ball down to the bigs. https://x.com/ErnestMauris/status/1394355058255581184 Frontcourt:   [player_tooltip player_id="263798" first="Sophia" last="Fontaine"] - Proctor Academy - 6’2’’ - PF - ’22 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-304558" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/27269472_Unknown-crop-1280x841-1625333144-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> ’22 Rank: #13 There is no answer for Fontaine when she seals you in the post. She gets a wide base and as low as possible on the block, making it near impossible to deny her the ball. When she and [player_tooltip player_id="184002" first="Chinenye" last="Odenigbo"] are on the same page, they are one of the best 4/5 1-2 punches you will see. This is because Fontaine is so good in the high post. She is a shooting threat from 15 feet and also an excellent passer from that area. Fontaine threads the needle beautifully into the post; and overall, she is one of the best passing bigs in the ’22 class. https://x.com/elliot_fontaine/status/1408405526761902084 [player_tooltip player_id="184002" first="Chinenye" last="Odenigbo"] - Noble & Greenough - 6’6’’ - C - ’23 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-304561" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/27269440_Unknown-crop-1639x1076-1625333193-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> ’23 Rank: #9 Towards the latter half of practice, something got under Odenigbo’s skin, and she morphed into the most dominant force on the court. I do not know what was said or done to make her play with that level of energy but Odenigbo elevated her game 10 notches from that moment. It seemed like every time she touched the ball on offense, it was an easy bucket or a drawn foul. She is a proficient free throw shooter as well; so, even if you resort to fouling her, she will bury two free throws. On defense, when Odenigbo is locked in like she was, there is no one better at patrolling the paint. She was so active flying around, wreaking havoc, and limited the production around the hoop.   [player_tooltip player_id="287352" first="Yedidya" last="Lubunga"] - Cathedral - 5’10’’ - SF - ’23 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-304564" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/27269744_Unknown-crop-1544x1014-1625333264-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> ’23 Rank: WL Lubunga is one of the best athletes on the Showstoppers. Her athleticism allows her to defend multiple positions, and she does a good job of being active and keeping her assignment in front of her. Lubunga runs the floor well and is a major threat in transition. What was most noticeable was that she is developing her shooting off the bounce. She connected on a mid-range pull-up multiple times, which is a nice compliment to her jaw-dropping vertical and speed. Lubunga is a valuable glue piece for the Showstoppers because she will do all the dirty work and does not need the ball in her hands to be impactful.   [player_tooltip player_id="289652" first="Natalia" last="Hyman"] - Weston - 5’10’’ - SF/PF - ’22 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-304567" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/27269456_Unknown-crop-1287x845-1625333310-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> ’22 Rank: WL Hyman impressed me with how consistent she could score in the paint contested. She was the only player to challenge [player_tooltip player_id="184002" first="Chinenye" last="Odenigbo"] down low and convert frequently. Hyman may be undersized to play on the block, but she is tough as nails and always makes an aggressive move towards the basket. I liked how she is not afraid and does not get intimidated because a bigger forward is covering her. She popped on my radar after an excellent weekend at the GymRats Showcase in Albany a couple of months back. She continues to give the Showstoppers valuable minutes at the forward position.   Sleeper:   [player_tooltip player_id="287235" first="Jasmine" last="Day-Cox"] - O’Bryant - 5’6’’ - CG - ’24 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-304570" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/07/27269792_Unknown-crop-1204x791-1625333360-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> ’24 Rank: #97 Day-Cox’s endless motor is the first thing that sticks out when you watch her play. During the scrimmage at the end of practice, her energy and effort ignited big scoring plays on the break. Seeing her turn her defense into offense so consistently makes her a candidate for a player who can have a breakout summer. She is not a big guard, but she makes up for it with athleticism. When Day-Cox is aggressive on offense, she can get to the basket at will and finish strong over anyone. I have a feeling Day-Cox’s stock will increase a lot this month.