PGH Freshman Showcase Texas: MVPs
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Prep Girls Hoops held one of their freshman showcases in Carrollton, TX this past Saturday. The energy in the gym was top notch and anyone in attendance was blessed to see high quality ball from an awesome group of hoopers.…
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Continue ReadingPrep Girls Hoops held one of their freshman showcases in Carrollton, TX this past Saturday. The energy in the gym was top notch and anyone in attendance was blessed to see high quality ball from an awesome group of hoopers. So many players to talk about and discuss, and I can guarantee that you will see some of these girls at high level collegiate programs one day. I will release a number of articles on the event but I would like to start off with my Most Valuable Players from the showcase. Lets get it…
Courtland Cloud Courtland Cloud 6'0" | SF St Pius | 2027 State TX
Courtland Cloud Courtland Cloud 6'0" | SF St Pius | 2027 State TX
She walks the walk, AND talks the talk. Cloud is a very swaggy player that simply puts the ball in the rim at all costs. Has incredible length and athleticism and unlike some players her age, she gets the job done at both ends of the court. Was able to take over in a couple of different games scoring consecutive buckets on several occasions. Able to guard every spot on the court, giving post players a hard time with her timing and leaping ability and frustrating guards with suffocating on-ball defense. Should make some noise on the varsity level as a freshman and will be hanging on the rim very soon. Mark my words.
Wrigley has one of the highest motors I’ve ever seen in a 9th grade hooper. A well-rounded player that sped the game up when she needed to, but also controlled the pace for her team at times. Has a knack for getting to the rim which often leads to her drawing fouls and is great at getting downhill off of ball screens. One of the leading rebounders on her team when I got to see her and that says a lot seeing that she mainly played the 1 and 2 spots. Knocked down a good number of open threes and showed good leadership on the court AND from the bench. Her team mainly won by large margins but when an opponent would begin to close the gap, or her team struggled to score, she quickly took it upon herself to takeover.
Highlights
Lilah Mauck
Lilah Mauck
Lilah has a relentless style of play. A good sturdy frame standing at 5’11, you would think Lilah would be a textbook post player. Not the case at all. She has a number of skills that allow her to pretty much play any position she needs to and spent a good amount of time as the primary ball handler for her squad. Anytime I see a player with size, that can also penetrate off the dribble and set teammates up for buckets I usually start to pass their name around to the connections I have. A rare player type especially for a 9th grader that you dont see too often. Mauck scored on the low block, driving to the cup, jumpers from mid-range, and was solid from the free throw line. Understands how to use her body defensively and anyone trying to rebound up against her, I wish you luck. You’ll need it. When asked what position she prefers to play she answered, “Whatever it takes to win.”
Kiylah Long-Sattarphai
Kiylah Long-Sattarphai
When I first saw Kiylah play, my first thought was “Shes a defensive specialist.” Anytime someone comes into her space in the lane its a BLOCK PARTY in the town of SWAT CITY! Although she is a juggernaut on defense, her skill set is definitely not limited to that. Drives the lane not only determined to draw contact but to also finish through it. Has a great ball fake to compliment her power dribble move down low and several times she scored with consecutive, unanswered buckets. Very long and athletic and understands what I like to call “game flow” Her timing with shot blocking gets an A+ grade from me and she makes finishing at the rim look easy.
Faith Etienne
Faith Etienne
Wingspan…check, athleticism…check, competitive edge…check. Faith has the physical build and basketball tools to become a high-level recruit one day. While I was watching her, she would display a part of her game that I needed to take notes on. Shortly after, she would show another completely different dynamic in her game. And that’s pretty much how the afternoon went for me as far as evaluating Etienne. She constantly surprised me with all of the different things she was able to do successfully out there and got me up out of my seat several times. Has a smooth jumper, found open teammates all day long, crashed the boards with authority, and hit the paint like a seasoned high school upperclassmen. Keep an eye on this baller moving forward. Trust me.
I have never seen (in person) a freshmen with such a mature game and demeanor like Sofia’s. The way she plays the game from the PG spot was unlike any other player at the showcase and she constantly had me saying “Whaaaaaat!?” from the sideline. Her vision in the open court was truly a sight to see and the way she was able to break defenses down in the half-court reminded me of a 4 year varsity level player. Sofia is a true floor general and has the ideal basketball IQ that coaches look for in PGs. Calling for ball screens (and using them correctly), waiving her teammates in the direction to throw back door cuts, textbook use of the crossover and jab-step, and knowing where to be when she played off the ball. All signs that this hooper is ready to take her game to the varsity level NOW. Lets not forget that she can knock down the long ball with the best of them. I’m super excited to see where her game takes her. If you get a chance to see her play in person, just remember, you heard all of this here first.