First Team Honors Go To These Showcase Standouts

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">This year's Freshman Showcase was one of the strongest events I've covered since joining PGH. This class has a handful of talented prospects, including some clear D1 level players already. We had a good selection of top performers throughout the event, but the players selected for First Team stood out for their consistency and impact in every 5v5 game.</h3>    Brown has continued to separate herself, whether at these showcase events or during the AAU season. Her scoring ability is there at all three levels, but what continues to stand out to me is the IQ she brings to the floor. She makes pinpoint passes, quick reads, and has a sense of riskiness to how she plays as well. You can tell a lot of basketball is being watched, and she seems to download what she sees and apply it with her own sense of creativity. She'll be entering a powerhouse program that may not need her scoring right away, so the playmaking skill she brings could be utilized early.     Dye plays the game at an aggressive pace, and if you're guarding her, you have to be able to move laterally without losing balance. She is shifty, quick, and gets to her spots in a hurry. The main thing that stood out throughout the event was her consistency as the aggressor on the floor, whether on offense or defense. She didn't pick and choose when to apply that pressure, and that made her impact feel constant. Montini hasn't had a scoring point guard with this level of skill in some years, but they will give her the structure to keep developing. As she continues to learn how to score within the flow of the game, she is going to become a major problem, and her size doesn't take away from how she plays because her pace, toughness, and skill allow her to create advantages.     This was honestly my first time seeing Beam in person, and the notes I've gotten from people over the past month all turned out to be true. This kid has a different type of motor, and it's not just a “young” motor; it's one that shows heart and a need to win every possession. Her scoring ability around the rim is where she separated herself, with strong footwork and plenty of craftiness to go with it. One play truly stood out to me and solidified her spot on this team. In a game that was coming down to the wire, she ran out of bounds and into the wall to save the ball after exhausting herself trying to keep her team in the winning column. Beam is definitely a player to know in this class and could turn some heads in year one.     There is something special about this kid, and her talent is already well beyond where some freshmen have been in this state. She is not flashy or loud, but her skill set speaks for itself. In almost every game, she had a “WOW” moment, whether it was a pinpoint pass after an impressive read or a bucket at the rim where she got through and around contact without being fazed. She was picked up full court on almost every possession she brought the ball up and never seemed frustrated by the pressure. LT has a possible top 5 prospect in its program, and she will definitely be a player to watch over the next 3-4 years. Her upside is extremely high.   FRESHMAN SHOWCASE MVP     One of the best two way players at the entire event. Ameenah has a different gear when she plays, and she never takes a possession off. The speed, aggression, and focus she plays with all stand out. There's not a ton of emotion there, but it points to the fact that winning seems to take precedence every time she suits up. Individually, she is a hard guard to stay in front of, and on the defensive end, you are not getting past half court without her causing some type of disturbance. High potential, and definitely one of the more complete players from the event.