Day 1 Standouts at the NJ Showcase

Sandwiched between the April and May live periods, the New Jersey Showcase (hosted by Hoop Group) is a great event in South Jersey, right outside Philadelphia. Teams from the Tri-State area come to battle and impress, with prospects ranging from D1-D3 level talent all under one roof. Yours truly is on-site, pen and notebook in hand, scouting some terrific hoopers and jotting down everything I see. My head was on a swivel from morning til evening on Saturday as I bounced around all five courts. These eight players stood out to me as the day's very best:   [player_tooltip player_id='651478' first='Tatum' last='Sharpe'] | [program_tooltip program_id='714654' first='NJ' last='Shoreshots']   Tatum's length proved problematic for opponents today. On offense, she floated around the court and got to the rim at will. Big, quick strides made it tough for defenders to keep up with her. And even when they could, her length and ability to finish over them at a high level was truly deflating. She showed off disciplined footwork in the paint and a very pretty step-through. She used every bit of her 5'10" frame to win the battle on the boards against players taller and bouncier than her because of her relentless pursuit of the ball and fearlessness on the glass.   [player_tooltip player_id='600914' first='Amber' last='Wooding'] | AUF Lady Hawks   Amber was a blur out there today and if you blinked, you missed her! An absolute speed demon, she darted downhill in transition and made things happen for her team. Whether it was attacking the rim or dishing it out, she made plays and ran the point with confidence and poise. Her electric rim-running was even more impressive because of her ability to finish with either hand efficiently. Not only did Amber push the pace on offense, but she also kept active hand and applied some great ball pressure up near the half-court.   [player_tooltip player_id='414407' first='Leah' last='Crosby'] | United NJ   One of the most athletic players at the event, Leah brought her A game with her to Pitman! Long and lean, she used all of her 6'1" frame to wreak havoc on both ends of the floor. She got buckets in paint and down in the low post using impressive footwork and an array of moves, from backing down defenders, to spinning to the hoop, to a gorgeous step-through move. Her face-up game was effective and is quickly developing into a dangerous weapon. A tenacious defender, Leah commits to the assignment and gives it 110%! She blocked quite a few shots today and altered/deflected a bunch more! VERSATILITY is the name of her game.   [player_tooltip player_id='789185' first='Angelina' last='Rose Pena'] | Mid-Atlantic Heat   At just around 6'0" tall, Angelina has ample size with impressive versatility to match. She delivered backdoor feeds from the high post, set tough screens and used her body to box-out and crash the glass for big rebounds. She blocked a handful of shots, including a huge rejection as time expired, with a booming THUD that could be heard several courts over! On offense, she popped 3's from the corner and top of the key and did work in the low block. Angelina played blue-collar defense, got on the floor, dove and scrapped for loose balls. Tremendous effort today!   [player_tooltip player_id='333317' first='Olivia' last='Shaughnessy'] | [program_tooltip program_id='714654' first='NJ' last='Shoreshots']   Liv put in work today against the Riverside Hawks. She took care of the ball and evaded the defense well, zipping down the court as she dribbled with her head up, scanning for open teammates. Her vision was on full display as she dished out memorable dimes and delivered well-timed and perfectly-placed post-entry passes to Gandy & Mackenzie inside. She played with a lot of patience and didn't get ahead of herself on set plays or get lost in rotations.   Claire McKee | Lady Runnin Rebels   Standing 5'11" (and with impressive reach), Claire made her presence felt on both sides of the ball today. She stood firm and was strong boxing opponents out and did a great job protecting the rim. She anticipated quite well, deflecting passes and doing her best to disrupt set plays. Her athleticism really shined through the way she maintained high energy throughout and ran the floor just as hard in the second half as she did in the first. On offense, her forte seemed to be anywhere from 12-15 feet out, as she sank those mid-range jumpers at a high volume.   [player_tooltip player_id='651482' first='Callie' last='Decker'] | [program_tooltip program_id='714654' first='NJ' last='Shoreshots']   Callie's confidence was the first thing I noticed about her game today. She carried herself like she was one of the best players on the floor and like she belonged. Well, she was and she did! She pushed the pace and delivered sharp look-ahead passes in transition, showing off her vision and timing. She wasn't afraid to split defenders on the drive either, with strong takes to the basket and a solid conversion rate. Defensively, she moved well laterally to stay in front of the ball-handler and apply bothersome pressure.   Regan Przepioski | Mid-Atlantic Magic   It was Regan's off-ball play that stood out to me today. At 5'10" and with a strong, sturdy base, she did a fantastic job setting rock solid screens in the high post and curling off pick-and-roll action. She banged with the bigs for rebounds and was never rattled or fazed; strong weakside rebounding. Her rotations on defense were quick and effective. The Magic just kept racking up win after win today and Regan's tenacity had a lot to do with their winning ways.

Sandwiched between the April and May live periods, the New Jersey Showcase (hosted by Hoop Group) is a great event in South Jersey, right outside Philadelphia. Teams from the Tri-State area come to battle and impress, with prospects ranging from D1-D3 level talent all under one roof. Yours truly is on-site, pen and notebook in hand, scouting some terrific hoopers and jotting down everything I see. My head was on a swivel from morning til evening on Saturday as I bounced around all five courts. These eight players stood out to me as the day's very best: