Earned Not Given: Next Wave

The [program_tooltip program_id='713173' first='Wood' last='Elite'] Top 50 Earned Not Given Showcase was open to players in the classes from 2031-2027 and more than one of the young guns stepped their game and held their own with kids 3-4 years older than them. It takes a lot of courage and commitment to barely be a freshman or younger and come compete with some of the best players in the state. These player not only showed up, but stood out with their play.    Junko played the point guard position with toughness and a solid fundamental base on the offensive end. She is a strong kid for her age and used that power to hold off defenders when handling the ball and create and finish through contact. Vicka had one very nice And One play on the break where she was able to finish with her right hand before being knocked to the ground. Defensively, she did a nice job covering her assigned player throughout the day applying good ball pressure.     Londyn is a player I was familiar with coming into the showcase as she played and played well in the PGH Peach Games event in the Spring and also attended the PGH Freshman Showcase more recently. She is a crafty guard with the basketball in her hands with the ability to break down most defenders off the bounce. Those same quick feet allowed her to cause turnovers on the defensive end as well, including one play where Londyn picked the pocket of the ball handler, beat everyone else down the court, and calmy laid the ball in. She has shot the ball very well in the events I have seen her play as well making her a threat to score inside and out.     Brooklyn stood out at the Prep Girls Hoops Georgia Freshman Showcase about a month ago with her size, length, and very good athleticism. Couple all that with the high motor and great effort she plays with and you have a very good prospect in the 2030 class. She shoots the ball well from deep and finishes well with both hands at the basket. Everything is there for her to be a top 20-top 30 player in her class in a couple years. The potential is there for her to be ranked even higher. She will be counted on to produce at a high level for Whitewater who went 8-19 a year ago. Like all freshman in that situation there will be highs and lows, but the experience gained from a lot of early playing time should serve her well down the road.     This was the second showcase I have seen Melvin at and it was more of the same. For a young player, she handles the ball utilizing quick, effective dribbling combinations to get her shot off. The shot itself is a very consistent from both the midrange and beyond the three-point line. Lorelai always plays hard and usually will get at least one basket sprinting out in transition beating her defender on the break. She rebounds the ball well and can defend multiple positions. Coming into a team that went 0-24 last season, I expect her to play early and often for Coach Dani Wright and Houston County. She has a chance to be the best player on the roster the next four years and finish with a very productive high school career.     If you were just a casual onlooker and didn't have a player packet, then no one would blame if you thought Ryleigh was at least two years older watching her play. She stood out in the skills portion using shot fakes and the triple threat position effectively to create the space needed to score and her dribbling combinations were compact, quick and had the same desired result. She shot the ball well during the skills portion of the showcase also, when I watched her most closely. No doubt about it, Haywood has a very bright future in this game!     Ramos was another player at the showcase who spectators would have had absolutely no clue was one of the younger players at camp. Her size alone, height and wingspan, are very good for a guard her age. During three-on-three competition Ramos slashed her way to the basket multiple times creating opportunities for herself and teammates to score. While she was most effective driving and cutting to the basket, Aliyah also shot the ball well from the perimeter during that period. She has very good athleticism which she used to grab multiple rebounds and play good, solid defense on the perimeter.     Strange was nifty with the dribble which created enough space for her to get shots off from the perimeter in combination with her quick release. Strange was one a small group of players from the Volunteer state and the trip served her well. She was quick with the dribble pushing the ball up the court in transition where she did a nice job keeping her head up and seeing her options on the floor. As the primary ball handler for a lot of the day, she got the ball on time and target efficiently and effectively putting her teammates in good positions to score the basketball. On defense, Tory used her quick hands and feet to keep the ball in front of her while also handling her help responsibilities well.

The Wood Elite Top 50 Earned Not Given Showcase was open to players in the classes from 2031-2027 and more than one of the young guns stepped their game and held their own with kids 3-4 years older than them. It takes a lot of courage and commitment to barely be a freshman or younger and come compete with some of the best players in the state. These player not only showed up, but stood out with their play.