Showcase Standouts: Tips to Get You Seen

I have hopped off the plane and hit the ground running! After touching down from another season playing in Melbourne, Australia, I was so excited to dive back into grassroots hoops here in the States — starting with Prep Girls Hoops' “The Expo” event in Omaha, Nebraska.    Following a great day of skillwork, situation breakdowns, 3v3 and 5v5 competition, a few observations stood out to me that I want to share — trends in today's game that I have noticed across the globe Down Under as well as back home in the USA. Though the summer live period is over there is still plenty of opportunity to use these notes to help showcase your game (not to mention high school hoops will be here before we know it).    Want to be a step ahead the next time you hit the floor? Want to stand out? Check out my top five takeaways from the PGH Omaha Expo, as well as the players who caught my eye in the process.   Use the space that's given to you. When your teammate is stuck or your offense is stagnant on a possession, the answer isn't always to run toward the ball for a screen or pass. If you think about it, a half court is a LOT of space — so use it. Flare away, set a down screen for a teammate, flash to the basket, or step to the ball and free yourself up with a back cut. There are so many ways to create driving and passing lanes when you are unpredictable and use space!    [player_tooltip player_id='1311871' first='Kallyn' last='Kassebaum'] really stood out with her ability to create space, as well as attack space. Kassebaum is a lengthy guard that slashed past defenders left and right on Sunday. Cutting and driving alike, I liked that she used her size to stretch the floor and create opportunities to score. She also attacked space while grabbing offensive rebounds — if you don't get a body on Kassebaum, she's beating you to the rim.    Be detailed on your screens. A well-angled screen is the difference between a stop and a score, so make sure you are setting your teammate up for success by getting in the defender's way — don't screen air. Once you set a good screen, separate. If you are holding your screen for too long, not rolling, or drifting into no-man's land after your screen, you aren't giving your team the best opportunity to score.    One of my favorite screeners from Sunday's showcase was [player_tooltip player_id='1044837' first='Leslie' last='Garcia'], out of Lincoln Southeast High School. She head-hunted on screens and impressed me with her ability to seal. She's an instant mismatch against smaller guards, and used that to her advantage all day while initiating contact on hard rolls to the basket. I really enjoyed watching her play on Sunday.    Have patience. I can't tell you how many times I thought to myself, “Wait for the screen!” this weekend. Basketball is a fast game, but there are times where you absolutely need to slow the game down on purpose. Waiting for your teammate to get set and make contact with your defender is one of those moments — you'll be thanking yourself with the open shot that follows.    I thought [player_tooltip player_id='1315421' first='Lily' last='Hansmeier'] really did well finding angles and utilizing screens at The Expo — she's got a great attitude, was cool under pressure, and made good decisions throughout each scrimmage. She's a coach on the floor and really tried taking in new information and using it this week.    Make decisions off of two feet. We worked on a finishing drill at The Expo that involved decision-making on the move, and right away I noticed which players carried what they learned into their scrimmages. If you are driving and have a defender on your hip, that's an indicator that you need to finish with a jump stop. Jump stopping in the lane (or anywhere else on the floor) gives you the best opportunity to A) absorb contact B) dish to a teammate and C) fake someone out. Throw in a two-foot finish in your next game and I guarantee those watching will appreciate your poise.    [player_tooltip player_id='880906' first='Kalyn' last='Scamman'] excelled at the rim off of two feet at The Expo. She has explosiveness and skillset to get to the rim combined with the composure to make plays off of a jump stop. She found herself wide open at the basket a number of times with a simple ball [player_tooltip player_id='902895' first='fake' last=''], and makes contested layups look breezy. I can tell Scamman plays the game at a different pace and this leads her to making high-IQ decisions time and time again.    Be physical. This doesn't just mean bodying someone full-court on defense — in every aspect of the game young players need to welcome contact and use it to their advantage more. From hitting bodies on screens, to holding a defender off with a seal, to initiating contact on a box out or stopping a driver with your body instead of reaching. All of these little examples take one or two extra steps of effort — that's it. Be the player that puts in the effort and makes contact happen.    [player_tooltip player_id='1226039' first='Alexis' last='Gutknecht'] was one of these players, and it was so fun to watch her play at The Expo. I consistently thought to myself "Big guard," as she bodied players down low and finished through fouls. This kid is a hard-nosed player that thrives through contact while having plenty of counter moves to finish with finesse. If you need a tough bucket, Gutknecht will get it done.    I am looking forward to attending the next PGH showcase in Des Moines this weekend and I encourage players to take these tips into the event — you will get noticed for it!

I have hopped off the plane and hit the ground running! After touching down from another season playing in Melbourne, Australia, I was so excited to dive back into grassroots hoops here in the States — starting with Prep Girls Hoops' “The Expo” event in Omaha, Nebraska.