Passion Driven Showcase: 2027 Top Performers

The PGH Carolinas Freshman Showcase is Aug. 30 and the Expo takes place on Sep. 6! Use the discount code Carolinas26PGH25OFF for 25% off registration!   The 2026 grassroots season may be in the books, but one can expect for the region's best and brightest prospects to be in search of any tune-up they can find prior to the start of the high school season in November.   One of those tune-ups would arrive in the form of the second annual Passion Driven Showcase which once again emanated from the Pearl Moore Basketball Center in Florence.    We at Prep Girls Hoops were on hand once again for the festivities in the Pee Dee as we were last season. One can expect for this season's graduating class to make its presence felt at any event between now and March. The Passion Driven Showcase was no exception.     Birch is already one of the best players in South Carolina – but she is also arguably the most motivated. Following two state near-misses at the Sumter County Civic Center, Birch is determined to make 2026-27 the year for her and her SCISA 4A Northwood Academy assembling. Even with the attention Birch attracts from defenses, she still will find a way to make a play – whether that is with finding a lane to the rim or by making a pass. Veteran instincts and leadership skills are also plentiful with Birch. She was part of the All-Tournament team for this year's Passion Driven Showcase. When one mentions 2027s poised to conclude their high school careers with an exclamation point, Birch is more than worthy of being in that conversation.      Doze off on defense against Dozier and she will make said dozing defender pay. This is especially the case when she has the rock in her hands behind the 3-point line as she is very likely to take – and make – attempts from distance. She recently completed her final AAU season where she ran with [program_tooltip program_id='715412' first='SC' last='Eagles'] on the Under Armour circuit. That prowess from deep also helps when earning opportunities at the free throw line as proficient 3-point shooters are usually the last players an opposing team wants to foul. Dozier would compete in 26 contests last season under the tutelage of coach Jordan Leath at 5A River Bluff.      Shaw's Kingstree team is in an interesting spot as the 2026-27 season looms as the Blazers will be dropping from 2A to 1A when the classification is set to feature two playoff divisions (similar to how 5A was the last couple of seasons). She has the build of a big but possesses the athleticism, 3-point shooting ability and rim-attacking capabilities of a guard. Following her final AAU season where she ran with FBC Bouncenation, Shaw – who already became the first in Kingstree history to reach the 1,000-point plateau – is hoping her swan song season in Blazers threads is one to remember.      Freeman's solid play at this year's Passion Driven Showcase not only earned her a spot on the All-Tournament Team, but it earned her a second offer – one courtesy of Voorhees. She already had one offer from Denmark Tech as part of her resume. By putting her speed and agility to good use, she understands how to attack and finish strong at the rim against even the strongest of defenses. And as a defender, she is a consistent threat to create additional offensive possessions. Freeman averaged 9.9 points, 3.6 steals, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game last season. Her Gray Collegiate team is set to move up from 4A to 5A this upcoming season.

The PGH Carolinas Freshman Showcase is Aug. 30 and the Expo takes place on Sep. 6! Use the discount code Carolinas26PGH25OFF for 25% off registration!