PGH Freshman Showcase: Team 5 and 6 glue players

Not every player who made an impression at the Prep Girls Hoops Freshman Showcase did it by dominating the gym. Some stood out with a timely bucket, a strong defensive stretch, their activity on the glass, or simply by showing flashes of what they could become. On Sunday at Maple Grove Middle School these players found different ways to impact the action and gave us plenty of reasons to keep their names on the radar.    You could feel the confidence Humburg brought to the floor from the moment she stepped between the lines. She didn't back down from anyone, challenged on the glass, and consistently found ways to make her presence felt on both ends. Defensively, Humburg was active and disruptive. Madelyn got her hands on multiple passes, creating deflections that turned into fast-break opportunities. On the offensive end, she played with that same assertiveness. When she saw an opening, she put her head down, attacked the rim, and made the defense deal with her. While the opportunities were limited, she also showed a nice touch from the outside, giving you a glimpse of another dimension to her offensive game. More than anything, I liked the confidence she played with. There was no hesitation in her approach — she competed, trusted her ability, and wasn't afraid to make things happen. The Blue Earth prospect has plenty of ability, but what may be even more encouraging is how committed she appears to maximizing it. Humburg plays like someone who believes in her game, and that confidence was evident throughout the day.     The Roseville guard had one of the most explosive first steps I saw all day. She consistently showed the ability to get a defender on her hip and turn the corner, but what impressed me just as much was what happened after she created that advantage. Once she got past the initial defender, she rarely seemed rushed. More times than not, she made the right basketball play, whether that meant continuing to the rim and creating an opportunity for herself or recognizing the help and finding an open teammate. She brought that same energy to the defensive end, competing and applying pressure without taking possessions off. What stood out most was how natural everything looked. There wasn't a lot of wasted movement or hesitation to her game. She played with an effortless quality, trusting her first step, reacting to what the defense gave her, and making plays within the flow of the game. The explosiveness catches your attention, but her ability to make the right play after creating an advantage is what made her stand out.     The 5'10" guard out of New Prague, who also suits up for the [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'], brings a nice combination of size, activity, and athleticism to the floor. She rebounds the ball well from the guard position and runs the floor with purpose, consistently looking to put pressure on the defense rather than settling for the first available shot. Around the basket, she proved to be a strong finisher. She used her size and strength well, attacked with intent, and showed a willingness to get all the way to the rim instead of bailing the defense out with contested shots from the perimeter. Defensively, her instincts stood out. Brynnley showed almost cat-like reflexes at times, anticipating passes and jumping into passing lanes to create turnovers and transition opportunities. Once the ball changed hands, she was ready to get out and run. There's a lot to like about a 5'10" guard who rebounds, runs the floor, attacks the basket, and has the instincts to create havoc defensively. She brought an aggressive, active approach on both ends of the floor.     Frank was another player who didn't try to force the issue. She allowed the game to come to her, stayed active, moved the ball, and as the day progressed, she just seemed to find herself in the right place at the right time. That wasn't by accident. Her willingness to move without the ball consistently put her in position to be rewarded with easy opportunities around the basket. Whether it was cutting into open space or simply making herself available, Frank showed a good understanding of how to impact the offense without needing the ball in her hands. She also showed that defenders have to respect her away from the basket, knocking down shots from the outside when opportunities presented themselves. The Mounds View guard brought that same activity to the defensive end, where she competed and stayed engaged. One of the things I enjoyed most about watching Frank was that she genuinely seemed to enjoy being on the court. She competed, played within herself, and found ways to contribute on both ends. Sometimes the game rewards the players who simply keep moving, keep competing, and put themselves in the right spots. Frank seemed to find those spots more and more as the day went on.     What stood out about Prom was that every time I looked up, she was somewhere around the defensive glass causing havoc. At 5'7", she wasn't always going to win those battles against the taller players and more times than not, they eventually came away with the rebound. But she made sure it was no walk in the park. There were a couple of possessions where I caught the smirk on her face after coming up just short for a board. I loved that because it never discouraged her. She simply turned around and went right back into the mix on the next opportunity. That type of competitiveness and willingness to battle players with a size advantage stood out. Offensively, it took Prom a little while to find her flow, which can happen in a showcase setting. What impressed me was that she didn't allow that to dictate her energy or effort in other areas of the game. She kept competing, stayed active, and found other ways to make her presence felt. I'm looking forward to catching Prom again over the winter. Something tells me the 5'7" guard has a few more tricks in her bag that we didn't get a chance to see.     Magnuson is your quintessential glue player. She can do a little bit of everything, but what stood out most was her willingness to sacrifice parts of her game for the betterment of the team. She moved the ball when necessary, crashed the boards, defended, and stayed within the flow of the offense while still taking advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves. That was evident within the first few possessions of 5-on-5 play. When she recognized an advantage in the post, she went right to work, hitting her defender with a nice up-and-under move for the bucket. She showed a good feel for when to facilitate and when to be aggressive. Magnuson made the long trip from Surrey, North Dakota and didn't disappoint. The [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] guard is as tough as they come, bringing an unselfish approach, versatility, and a willingness to do the little things that impact winning.

Not every player who made an impression at the Prep Girls Hoops Freshman Showcase did it by dominating the gym. Some stood out with a timely bucket, a strong defensive stretch, their activity on the glass, or simply by showing flashes of what they could become. On Sunday at Maple Grove Middle School these players found different ways to impact the action and gave us plenty of reasons to keep their names on the radar.