PGH Illinois Freshman Showcase: Team 6 evaluation

At this year's Illinois Freshman Showcase camp, we saw some of the best up-and-coming talent in the state of Illinois for the class of 2030. Players were given the afternoon to showcase their skills in 3x3 and 5x5 matchups; largely paired up with players whom they haven't played with before. Here's a recap of Team 6, and how they performed at this Sunday's event; listed in alphabetical order.    Eva brought a tremendous level of skill and talent to her team on Sunday. She has great situational awareness, with awesome ball-handling skills. She runs the point well, and is an excellent passer; with an ability to work the ball out of a trapping defense.   She was one of the best passers I watched on Sunday. And maybe one of the best deep ball shooters as well. She has a great stroke from deep, and is a constant threat to bury a 3-pointer. She's got a great step-back, and can bury a shot right in the face of her defender.   Her footwork is pristine, showing off a few broken ankles in her wake. She was a very creative shot-taker, and just manages to find ways to create separation between her and the defender.   Eva has a lot going for her, and is a player to watch as she develops these next few years.     Reagan has a strong ability to drive to the hoop well, and finishes through heavy pressure. She possesses a nice spin move in the lane, and can score in the paint. But she's also got a nice 3-point stroke if you leave her open from distance.   Reagan does well in finding teammates when she's under heavy pressure. And she does a terrific job of getting to the basket off the dribble. Once she gets a head of steam built up, she can cause problems in the lane.     Addison proved to be a lethal scoring threat for her team, dropping in 9 points on four field goals in her second game of the day.   Addison does really well with a drive and pump-fake in the lane. She'll kill you with her jab step, and has strong lefty layup skills.   On Sunday she played on the best 3x3 team, which shows an ability to adapt quickly to new teammates in a new environment.   Offensively, Brown has a good floater on the baseline, and is crafty on a fast break. I watched her use a clever reverse layup to beat a trailing defender when she had a fast break opportunity.     Brooklyn may be a few inches shorter than much of her competition, but she has a wide skillset to level the playing field. She has a knack for hitting floaters in the paint over players who are 4-5 inches taller than her, and is absolutely unafraid to drive the lane against post players.   Brooklyn showed off a great pump fake on her way to the basket, and seems to possess an innate ability to draw fouls. She scored 4 points on free throws during her team's second game on Sunday.   Brooklyn tells me that driving the lane is her best skill, and she's improved a lot in creating shots against taller defenders.     Ava really stood out to me as one of the gutsiest and hardest working players that I saw on the court on Sunday. She is absolutely tough as nails, and has a nose for the basketball.   She has nice length that allows her to corral rebounds, and when she grabs a board, she is hard to stop on the way to a putback.   Ava has nice handles on the perimeter, but she is a constant threat to put her head down and drive right into the heart of the defense. She made a couple of 3-pointers in her final game of the day, and has shot-making abilities at all 3 levels.   I was amazed at times how it felt like Ava was in multiple places at once. She has such hustle and grind that you feel like you're playing against a team with 6 players on the floor.     Nora is a classic gym rat, putting up shots in between games and doing whatever she can to get better. She's an excellent shot-maker, who scored 8 points in her final game of the day. And with her size, she has some serious upside.   Nora has great handles and makes some nice drives to the hoop, with an ability to make shots through contact. She has good body control when she gets the ball down low, but more than most 5'10" players of her age, she can also bring the ball up the floor comfortably.   Nora says that she can play all 3 levels well, and her best attributes might be her passing and court vision.     Evie was absolutely one of the most exceptionally talented players on the floor on Sunday. She has talent and toughness, with an ability to score at all 3 levels.   Evie has great ball control. She can handle the ball well, with the talent to dish the ball to her teammates, but also can connect on an open shot on the outside if you leave her free.   Evie has great length for her age, and she uses it well to be a major shot disruptor. She fights hard for rebounds, boxing out right after a shot is taken. And she capitalizes on a ton of putbacks.   She has moves on the perimeter, and moves in the post. One of the rare players who, as a freshman, already has a great spin move in the paint, but can kill you from the outside if you doubt her shooting skills.   Evie dropped 16 points on her opponents in her final game of the weekend. And she'll be a constant double-double threat at the high school level.     Alissa is a gritty and tough player, who will bring a solid skillset to her high school career. She's a vicious defender, who can lock down an opposing ballhandler.   Alissa will bring a tenacious work ethic to whatever team she's playing on, and has some major upside as a scoring threat.   And Alissa has no shortage of confidence in shooting the ball. She tells me that she's always been a shooter, and that shooting the 3 is her best skill.     Zoe has a game that translates well on both sides of the ball. She has active hands on defense, and can force the opponent into a turnover. But offensively she has great ball-handling skills, controlling the tempo when her team is in transition. And she can finish at the hoop, even under heavy pressure.   Zoe seems to have a high basketball IQ, and even in an environment with lots of new teammates, she brings a steadying presence that makes her a trustworthy leader for the rest of her team.   Zoe has excellent court vision, and is very self-possessed when she has the ball in her hands. She says that she likes to shoot the ball, but she's been working a lot on her defense.

At this year's Illinois Freshman Showcase camp, we saw some of the best up-and-coming talent in the state of Illinois for the class of 2030. Players were given the afternoon to showcase their skills in 3x3 and 5x5 matchups; largely paired up with players whom they haven't played with before. Here's a recap of Team 6, and how they performed at this Sunday's event; listed in alphabetical order.