PGH Illinois Freshman Showcase: Top up-and-comers

At this year's Freshman Showcase, many of the class of 2030 athletes were playing in their very first event for Prep Girls Hoops. And for some it was their first time playing in an event outside of their school teams. In this article, I'll break down some of the top players we saw from the incoming freshman class. These are some of the best young players to watch for as they play their first high school basketball in a few months.    Evie was one of the most exceptional players I saw on Sunday. She's already got impressive height for her age, and she uses it to her advantage.   Evie plays well at all 3 levels. She has a fantastic spin move in the paint and can dominate the post when she needs to. She has nice ball control and can pull up for a middy. And she can jump out and connect on a 3-pointer when she needs to.   Evie dropped 16 points in her final game of the Sunday showcase, pouring in 7 field goals along the way. And once she starts playing high school ball, she will be a consistant double-double threat. She boxes out quickly after the shot and can connect on a tough putback.   Evie's also a defensive enforcer. Her length allows her to be a shot disruptor, and gives an edge for pulling in rebounds. And she refuses to leave the ballhandler alone when she's on D.   Evie has the talent to see some serious minutes in her 9th grade season.     Eva was one of the best distributors that I saw at Sunday's event. She already displays some elite passing skills, and has a high basketball IQ for a 9th grader.   But Eva's talent is on full display when she's shooting the ball. She has a great stroke from deep, and is a constant threat to bury a 3-pointer. She can hit it when she's open, or she can put on a devastating pump fake, and drill a shot right in her defender's face.   Eva is a very creative shot-taker, and she consistently finds ways to create space and get herself open. Her footwork is already elite, and I watched her deliver a vicious step-back that broke her defender's ankles in her last game of the day.     Ava was probably the toughest player I saw on the court on Sunday. She's got major grit in her DNA, and plays like she has something to prove.   Ava told me that she wants to show people that someone from even a smaller school like Galena High School can make some noise, and she's doing that already.   Ava has a nose for the ball, and always seems to be getting in on rebounds. She'll be a double-double threat at the prep level, and seems unafraid to drive the ball against anyone.   Ava has 3-point shooting abilities, but she is hard to stop once she gets up a head of steam and starts going at the hoop.   Even if Ava isn't always her team's highest scoring player, this is the type of athlete that coaches would want all of their players to model themselves after.     Abigail Hernandez was one of the standout players for her team on Sunday, playing well from start to finish on both ends of the court.   Abigail is a terrific defender, who has a knack for jumping passing lanes. And she can finish what she starts; securing a steal and taking it herself for a layup.   Abigail shows no hesitation on pulling up for an open 3-pointer. And when she isn't scoring, she makes terrific passes-even under heavy pressure.     Addison showed some nice scoring ability during her time on the floor on Sunday. She can kill you with her jab step, and has a great floater on the baseline.   Addison played on the best 3x3 team out of 24 squads put together at the event. She has nice lefty layup skills, and can get crafty on a fast break; going with a reversal to avoid a trailing defender.   Addison tells me that she's at her best when she's facilitating, or when she can drive to the hoop and create a shot.     Brenna showed an amazing amount of toughness and grit in her game. She absolutely never gives up on a play-fighting for position, and staying locked into her defensive assignment.   Brenna has some nice offensive playmaking skills. She's very evasiv when she's getting to the basket, with an ability to weave through the defense. And even when she doesn't have the ball in her hands, she always manages to find a way to get open.     Nora has the size and toughness to be an immediate scoring threat once she starts playing high school hoops. She dropped 8 points on four field goals in her final game of the weekend, and was constantly getting up shots in between her games.   Nora seems like an incredibly hard worker, who's crafted a well-balanced attack on both sides of the floor. She's got great body control when she's playing down low, but has the handles to bring the ball up the court on her own. And she never loses focus of her defensive assignment.

At this year's Freshman Showcase, many of the class of 2030 athletes were playing in their very first event for Prep Girls Hoops. And for some it was their first time playing in an event outside of their school teams. In this article, I'll break down some of the top players we saw from the incoming freshman class. These are some of the best young players to watch for as they play their first high school basketball in a few months.