PGH Freshman Showcase: Rudy's Standout Guards

The Freshman Showcase proved to be another successful Prep Girls Hoops event. I liked this event because everyone is in the same grade, so its a nice way to really gauge where each player is at in rankings. Freshman year is always a weird year because you have kids playing at all different levels. You have some kids at big schools who are playing on their freshman team or maybe playing varsity but not getting a lot of playing time verses some kids who play at small schools playing a huge role on their varsity team. There were a lot of very talented guards at the showcase on Sunday, but these five really stood out to me.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/09/Abbie-Pietila-scaled-crop-2163x1420-1663636571.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-506904" width="228" height="148"/></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='458302' first='Abbie' last='Pietila'] - Delano   The 5'7 guard is athletic, skilled and has a high basketball IQ. She proved her stock by doing it all at the showcase. She got to the rim with ease, creating contact and drawing fouls. We didn't keep count but I will say she probably went to the free throw line more then any kid in the gym. She has great moves on offense, she can shoot the rock and makes great reads. Pietila plays very unselfish and is the definition of a player everyone wants to play with. Already making a huge impact last year as an 8th grader at Delano we foresee her getting even better this year.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/09/4J3A1137-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-507232" width="236" height="157"/></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='502552' first='Sophia' last='Perry'] - Lakeville North   Perry impressed us on Sunday where she did it all for her team. The 5'10 combo guard was great at using her strength and length to get to the hoop and finish against smaller guards. On defense she played up in your face and didn't back down to anyone. The one thing I loved most about her game is her motor and her ability to play hard and play with grit down to the last second of every game. The freshman is joining a squad who made it to the 4A state tournament last year, where we predict she will make big strides this year.     <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/09/4J3A1047-scaled-crop-2260x1484-1663645748.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-507227" width="227" height="149"/></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='472446' first='Amaya' last='Penn'] - St. Croix Lutheran   Penn is considered a young vet. She has already played 2 years of varsity and is on one of the best 2026 AAU teams in the state (Minnesota Stars Hill). The first thing you notice about the guard is her speed. She was one the fastest kids in the gym on Sunday. She used her speed on both ends of the floor. On offense she beat almost every defender off the bounce, with her quick first step. On defense she used her foot speed to beat her person to the spot and get stops. Penn can also shoot the ball well from beyond the arc making her a tough kid to guard.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/09/4J3A1057.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-507229" width="241" height="161"/></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='502556' first='Jasmin' last='Heuer'] - Fall Creek (Wisconsin)   The 5'10 guard from Wisconsin was aggressive on both ends of the floor at the showcase. She was best at making a quick move and getting to the hoop, where she showed us she has plenty of moves in her bag. The best part of her game is that she sees the floor well. She pushed the ball when she needed to and made the right pass in transition.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/09/Lanelle-Wright.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-506958" width="232" height="155"/></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='252383' first='Lanelle' last='Wright'] - Minnetonka   Wright is a top five prospect in the class and played her role very well on Sunday. She was a leader both on and off the court, and you could tell her teammates were looking at her to make the decisions. She controlled the pace very well for the team, making good passes and taking her shot when she was open. The 5'8 point guard has always been a great outside shooter, at the showcase we saw her mid-range game a lot, where she used her one dribble pull up to get around her defender for a nice easy shot. We will hear the name [player_tooltip player_id='252383' first='Lanelle' last='Wright'] a lot and for a long time.

The Freshman Showcase proved to be another successful Prep Girls Hoops event. I liked this event because everyone is in the same grade, so its a nice way to really gauge where each player is at in rankings. Freshman year is always a weird year because you have kids playing at all different levels. You have some kids at big schools who are playing on their freshman team or maybe playing varsity but not getting a lot of playing time verses some kids who play at small schools playing a huge role on their varsity team. There were a lot of very talented guards at the showcase on Sunday, but these five really stood out to me.