Meet the SkillCase Standouts Pt 1

SkillCase Skills Showcase by Highest Platform is a unique showcase that provides immense value to both the athletes and the college coaches in attendance. The organization and planning of Director William Jones cultivated an experience that set a precedent for how events should be done. Here are some key takeaways from Coach Jones:   College coaches need you to be able to do things that can help the team win, in ways without the basketball.   In terms of improving your shooting, it's a matter of your approach. The goal in your workouts is NOT to "get up 500 shots"; but to take ONE shot, correctly, 500 TIMES.   Everyone has heard of someone having a "deep bag", in terms of offense; I want a prospect with a defense bag; a pivoting and footwork bag; a rebounding bag; etc. skills without the ball.   If you can't do it full speed, you can't do it. So, WORK ON IT, full speed, to get there.     <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/08/20250825_170500-crop-1080x710-1756226368.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1308692" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SkillCase, August 24th, 2025.</figcaption></figure>   SkillCase challenged the girls in every essential fundamental skill area that is necessary to succeed as a college basketball player. The complexity and fast pace of the drills created an environment where college coaches could evaluate cognitive understanding and fundamental skills. The NAIA and JUCO college coaches in attendance received a comprehensive recruiting packet. Prospects wore numbered shirts, which made it easier for college coaches to identify and evaluate the prospects. This showcase provided the girls with an opportunity to showcase their recruitable qualities and receive maximum ball touches. As a scout, I felt that the event enabled me to make a thorough evaluation of the prospects by the end of the day. I will continue to support SkillCase every year, as I believe the girls gain great value from the experience. Here are six prospects who separated themselves during the skill segments and 5v5 games on Sunday.    Samara has athleticism, explosive quickness, and a compact build that give her a ton of upside as a next-level guard prospect. She was a slasher who stood out at SkillCase. Samara shifted into high gear during 1v1, got to the doorstep, and finished a tough contested layup off two feet. She separated herself in games on both ends of the court. Samara exploded through the lane on a hard drive, absorbed contact, and finished the strong and-one layup with her left hand. She drove the length of the court with her left hand and made a smooth transfer to score a euro-step layup. Samara high-pointed a defensive rebound changed hands, and took it all the way for two points. She anticipated passes to snatch steals, drained a corner three, and closed out quickly to block shots. Samara drove through a defender to score a left-handed layup and blew by with a shifty crossover dribble to score a bunny off two feet.     Spencer is a versatile forward prospect who has continued to display qualities that make her a promising next-level prospect. She had another solid day at SkillCase. Spencer was among the best in the group during the ball-handling segment. Her pace, effort, and control, while executing the splits, stood out. Spencer was one of the most accurate shooters during the drills. She made many two and three-pointers from the corners and wings. Spencer finishes high and has balanced feet when she follows through. In games, she cut backdoor to score at the rim off two feet. Spencer kept her head on a swivel under the rim and rotated quickly to make a helpside block. She finished multiple shots around the basket off two feet, including a strong offensive rebound and one. Spencer will be an exciting prospect to watch at Woodhaven this winter.     Maizee is an incoming freshman who has continued to grow on me all summer. She had a strong day at SkillCase and is clearly going to be an impactful player for Davison at the high school level. Maizee was one of the most accurate and efficient shooters during the drills. She buried many mid-range jumpers from the wings, elbows, and at the free-throw line. Maizee lifted from the corner to the wings, caught passes ready to fire, and swished many three-pointers with sound mechanics. In games, she continued to stand out. Maizee drained a triple from the corner, added another from the wing, and went by with a quick crossover to score a layup. Her skills and style are going to fit right in at Davison this winter.     The best prospects don't excel in one category; they excel in every category. That's exactly how I felt when I watched Evelyn compete during SkillCase. Her pound dribble splits were among the best in the group, and the pace/effort she used during drills all day set the standard. Evelyn's pushout dribbles and behind-the-back snap transfers were smooth. During the three lane rush, Evelyn sprinted the floor, caught passes cutting full-speed to the rim, and exploded off two feet, finishing well with both hands. Evelyn has silky smooth shooting mechanics. She caught passes balanced and fired shots with a quick release, while maintaining a fast pace as she sprinted to the different spots. Evelyn was efficient from two and three-point spots in the drills. During 1v1, Evelyn locked down opponents on defense and closed out quickly to block shots. She swished a layup after an evasive euro-step move and finished another layup off two feet after a shifty crossover dribble. Evelyn was a leader in the five-star passing drill, directing others where to throw the ball and where to move when they were confused. In games, Evelyn was an effective facilitator, scorer, and defender. She swiped the ball away to dish out an assist and stole it again, then dribbled into a three-pointer from the slot. Evelyn ended the day strong during the rebounding drill. She's checking the length, athleticism, IQ, communication, effort, and fundamental boxes to be a high-level guard. Evelyn is a prospect who looks ready to have a big day at the Freshman Showcase.     Amanda is a prospect I enjoyed seeing for the first time at SkillCase on Sunday--she's going to be an immediate impact player at the high school level. Amanda made an all-around impact during the games. She penetrated gaps with her dribble and kicked the ball out to open shooters on the perimeter. Amanda grabbed rebounds on both ends and created steals. She ran through passes, drove hard to the rim to cause a foul, buried two triples from the wing, and added another from the corner. Amanda knocked down mid-range and three-point jumpers during drills at a high rate. She's a high-effort playmaking guard that I'm excited to follow, and I expect her to be an immediate impact player at the high school level.     Ella is a guard who showed college coaches a lot to like at SkillCase. Her determination, effort, communication, and all-around impact on both ends of the court set her apart. Ella showed a second gear during 1v1, finishing a middle drive layup with a soft touch off the glass. Ella demonstrated courage and confidence by defending the opposing team's best player during games. She moved her feet, squared up, and forced difficult shots without fouling. Ella pursued rebounds like she was shot out of a cannon, grabbing multiple on the offensive end. Ella directed teammates during drills and communicated on the court. She blew by with a dribble burst and finished multiple layups with both hands. One of Ella's best plays was when she put her defender in jail during a full-court drive, then added an exclamation point with a strong and-one layup off two feet. She knocked down mid-range and three-point jumpers during games--Ella would be an excellent addition for a college program, and she'll be an important player for Davison this winter.

SkillCase Skills Showcase by Highest Platform is a unique showcase that provides immense value to both the athletes and the college coaches in attendance. The organization and planning of Director William Jones cultivated an experience that set a precedent for how events should be done. Here are some key takeaways from Coach Jones: