Hoop Mountain Fall Showcase: '24 Standouts

Here are some of the Hoop Mountain Fall Showcase standouts from the class of 2024.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-326757" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_0043-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1631680752-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="269241" first="Jasmine" last="Becotte"] - Pelham/Team Saints - 5’9’’ - SF One of the most versatile players in her class, Becotte has no issue playing the 2-4 no matter the matchup. On Saturday, she played more 2 guard than any other position and was a force.Going to the rim, Becotte is so athletic with a solid vertical leap that defenders have trouble disrupting her shot attempts at the rim. Becotte is also a game-changing defender. Her hustle is unmatched, and she is always the first player sprinting back on defense to disrupt the flow of the opposing teams’ fastbreak opportunity.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-326759" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_0040-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1631680810-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="269249" first="Payton" last="Richard"] - Rivers/Bay State Jaguars - 5’10’’ - CG Richard is one of the few guards from the ’24 class who can pull down 10 rebounds a game on a nightly basis. She scores at all three levels very efficiently and is automatic with either hand finishing at the rim. Richard also does all the little things well, especially on defense. She was one of the best help-side defenders at the showcase and was always in the proper position to make a play. Richard’s denial defense is elite, too. Her size and length bother her assignment, and Richard makes it difficult for passes to get through.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-326766" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_0049-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1631681169-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="326762" first="Margaret" last="Montplaisir"] - Portsmouth High - 5’9’’ - CG Montplaisir was a player who I saw for the first time on Saturday, and I was highly impressed from the start. She is a walking bucket who is not shy about shooting, nor should she be. Montplaisir’s outside shot is money and has the accuracy and concentration to hit contested shots as well. When she got run off the three-point line, Montplaisir proceeded to attack the basket and score relentlessly. Overall, Montplaisir was one of the biggest scoring threats of the day.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-326768" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_9892-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1631681249-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="269138" first="Devin" last="Lebrun"] - Pinkerton Academy/Team Saints - 5’8’’ - SG Saturday was the best basketball I have seen LeBrun play to date. She has always been an excellent athlete, and during the showcase, LeBrun used her athleticism to generate second-chance scoring opportunities for herself. Her confidence in her ball-handling and footwork when attacking the basket stood out. LeBrun does a good job avoiding contact and weaving around defenders in pursuit of the basket. She played under control and with a good pace as well.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-326770" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_0046-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1631681306-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="308161" first="Eliza" last="Jacob"] - Lexington/MA Huskies - 5’6’’ - SG Jacob always gives her team a good spark of energy whenever she enters the game. You have to put a body on her when shots go up because Jacob is one of her class’s best offensive rebounding guards. Jacob can make a huge impact on a game without scoring a single point from her hustle and effort alone. Jacob’s athleticism and nose for the ball garnered much attention from spectators especially considering the disadvantage she has due to her size.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-326772" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_0050-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1631681359-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="326764" first="Meghan" last="Kirck"] - Sacred Heart Academy - 5’5’’ - PG Kirck shot the ball well from the perimeter, which initially caught my attention, but her effectiveness in pick and roll sets separated her from other point guards. She comes off the screen aggressively, looking to make a play, and drops dimes to the big rolling towards the basket. Kirck led the big to the basket and put the ball only where her teammate could receive it. Kirck has a high IQ and is an excellent decision-maker at the 1. Her facilitation combined with her deadly sharpshooting make her a valuable asset on the court.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-326775" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_0047-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1631681477-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="326774" first="Hannah" last="Bernstein"] - Buckingham Browne & Nichols - 5’6’’ - CG Bernstein is a player to keep your eyes on because she is a sneaky, good facilitator. It does not jump out at you at first, but the longer you watch her play, you see that she consistently makes the right pass. Bernstein is also not careless with the basketball, making her a trustworthy option to orchestrate the offense. I also thought she defended at a high level. Bernstein showed excellent lateral quickness and cut off the ball-handler’s angles more often than not.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-326777" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_0036-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1631681537-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="292681" first="Jadyn" last="Brenneman"] - New Fairfield High - 5’4’’ - PG Brenneman’s defense was electric on Saturday. She doesn’t give the ball handler any breathing room, and she will pick anyone up full court and stay in front of them. Brenneman is a well-conditioned athlete who could play 5 games straight with no problem. She played with a ton of energy nonstop and made her opponents very uncomfortable when she guarded them. Brenneman’s leaping ability is unreal. When she explodes into the paint and attempts a floater, the hangtime Brenneman gets is mind-blowing. Even at her size, she finds ways to get her shot off amongst the rim-protecting forwards successfully.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-326779" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_0052-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1631681642-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="184048" first="Alanna" last="Phillipo"] - Marianapolis/MA Huskies - 5’10’’ - CG Phillipo played like a top 10 player on Saturday. On both sides of the ball, she made a loud statement. The Hoop Mountain Showcase was the best I have seen Phillipo shoot. She was consistently hitting threes, and when isolated on the wing, it was an automatic mismatch. Phillipo’s upper body strength is too much for any defender one on one, and she had a field day on the wing. On defense, Phillipo was all over the place, disrupting passing lanes and creating turnover opportunities that she turned into easy transition baskets. All-around, Phillipo was ridiculous and gave everyone a dose of how she could take over the game in multiple ways.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-326781" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/IMG_0051-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1631681696-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="326763" first="Alana" last="Cudmore"] - Milbury - 5’5’’ - PG Cudmore has the most shooting range of all the showcase participants. Her non-hesitant, fluid motion from deep was eye-popping, and she hit a couple of three-pointers that made your jaw drop. I found it impressive that someone at Cudmore’s stature and age had that kind of marksmanship from long-range. I didn’t see anyone on Saturday besides Cudmore who was willing to pull the trigger from well beyond the arc and connect on shots.