Young Guns Who Represented at the Reps on Reps Showcase

The 2030 class and younger represented themselves extremely well at the Reps on Reps Showcase. These emerging stars attacked the rim, scored in bunches, and impressed with their ball skills, defensive effort, shooting ability, and basketball IQ. There is plenty of development ahead, but this young group showed that the future is already taking shape.    [player_tooltip player_id='1136118' first='Reah' last='Saunders'] was not only one of the top performers in the 2030 class and younger group, but arguably one of the top performers of the entire day. Saunders' game is very advanced and at times, playing against her peers almost seemed unfair. Her speed was undeniable as she pushed the tempo, ran the offense, and consistently got downhill to the rim. What stood out even more was her ability to attack equally well going right or left, making her extremely difficult to stop. Defensively, Saunders was a pest. She pressured the ball, jumped passing lanes, got steals, and turned them into layups all day long. For such a young prospect, her combination of speed, command, two-way impact, basketball IQ, leadership, and advanced feel for the game made a major statemen and the MVP of the Reps on Reps showcase.       [player_tooltip player_id='1312287' first='Freda' last='Stamper'] was arguably the best young forward in the building and one of the top five players I saw throughout the entire event. Stamper's versatile skill set is what really stood out. She showed the ability to stretch the floor with her perimeter game, while also attacking and finishing effectively at the rim. She scored in the paint from a variety of angles, including several impressive reverse finishes around the basket. Stamper also ran the floor extremely well, handled the ball in transition, and was comfortable putting it on the floor within the half-court offense. What may have been most impressive was how polished she looked. She played under control, rarely appeared rushed, and consistently made plays within the flow of the game. For a young forward, Stamper already possesses an impressive combination of size, versatility, ball skills, scoring ability, and poise.     [player_tooltip player_id='1867066' first='Bella' last='Carbert'] was one of the top young athletes in the building, and her ability to score at all three levels made her a strong top-10 candidate among everyone I watched at the event. Carbert is smooth with the basketball, but what separates her is her ability to get downhill and finish at the rim with creativity. She can maneuver around defenders, change angles, and find different ways to finish once she gets into the paint. Her impact was also evident defensively. Carbert defended the ball well, showing quick feet and the lateral movement needed to keep opposing guards from consistently getting downhill. With her combination of athleticism, scoring versatility, creativity, and two-way ability, Carbert was a definite standout and appears poised for a major year.     [player_tooltip player_id='1136121' first='Charlee' last='Matos'] was another young prospect who stood out, and her ability to shoot the basketball from virtually anywhere on the court separates her from most players her age. Matos has the kind of range that can make you say, “No, no, no…good shot.” That speaks to the confidence she has in her jumper and her willingness to pull up from well beyond the normal shooting areas on the floor at anytime. She showed that she is more than just a perimeter shooter, however. Matos also attacked the basket and finished at the rim, where she displayed her athleticism and leaping ability. She rebounds extremely well from the guard position and is especially effective at turning those rebounds into immediate scoring opportunities. With her deep shooting range, confidence, athleticism, rebounding ability, and scoring instincts, Matos was one of the best young guards I watched at the event.     [player_tooltip player_id='1867765' first='MJ' last='Cole'] was one of the biggest surprises of the event. Her ability to consistently get downhill and finish around the basket was impressive all day long. Cole repeatedly attacked from the left side and showed creativity as a finisher, using her right hand on underhand scoop finishes to score underneath the arms of defenders. It wasn't just one time-she went back to that move four or five times and it became routine after a while. She also showed that defenders couldn't simply back off, knocking down the outside jumper when given space. Cole played with confidence, and just like last season, she has the ability to make things happen on the basketball court. Her combination of attacking the rim, creative finishing, perimeter shooting, and energy made her one of the more pleasant surprises at the event. Ponte Vedra is poised to make a run this upcoming season, and [player_tooltip player_id='1867765' first='MJ' last='Cole'] will be in the middle of the action.     [player_tooltip player_id='1852678' first='Autumn' last='Forney'] is one of those players who can impact a game without needing the basketball in her hands all the time. Her defense, basketball IQ, and ability to turn stops into transition opportunities consistently stood out. Forney always seems to be in the right place at the right time and doing the right things on the court. Her feel for the game was noticeable throughout the summer, and it continued at this event. She simply makes plays when she is on the floor. Defensively, Forney pressured the ball, created steals and turned many of those into points. At times she finished the play herself, and sometimes created buckets for her teammates. Forney's instinct, awareness, defensive pressure, and decision-making is rare at such an early age. Her ability to understand situations is impressive for such a young player.

The 2030 class and younger represented themselves extremely well at the Reps on Reps Showcase. These emerging stars attacked the rim, scored in bunches, and impressed with their ball skills, defensive effort, shooting ability, and basketball IQ. There is plenty of development ahead, but this young group showed that the future is already taking shape.