Mt. Rushmore: Philly Showcase Day 1

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I am spending the weekend in Philadelphia, PA, covering Select Events "Philly Showcase," where New England is represented very well. After a day filled with nonstop action, here are the 4 players that I saw whose play stood out the most. </span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="282698" first="Dennaye" last="Hinds"] - CT Supreme/St. Joseph - 6’1’’ - PF - ’22</strong> <strong>’22 PGH Rank: WL</strong> <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0173-crop-1334x876-1621082077.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-285441" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0173-crop-1334x876-1621082077-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Hinds set the tone early for CT Supreme by being a force on both ends of the floor. She is a strong, athletic forward who was dominating the interior on offense and showed the ability to put the ball on the deck and create scoring opportunities facing up. I liked her versatility on defense and that she could protect the paint but also switch out on the perimeter and stay in front of wings. The impact Hinds had on her team was apparent from the beginning of the game until the end, and her activity, especially on defense, played a massive role in CT Supreme’s success.</span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="269261" first="Orlagh" last="Gormley"] - MCW Starz/North Quincy - 5’6’’ - PG - ’24</strong> <strong>’24 PGH Rank: #8</strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-285443" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0168-crop-1430x939-1621082139-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Gormley was locked in from the opening tip, most noticeably on defense. Her on-ball defense was stellar. Gormley showed good lateral quickness, was effective digging in the post and showcased her athleticism with some highlight blocks. She forced many turnovers, which led to second-chance points for MCW generated by the playmaking of Gormley. The floor general controlled the pace of the game and, as always, facilitated at a high level, setting up her teammates with great shots. Gormley’s court vision never ceases to amaze me. She was dropping passes in tight windows all game long, and Gormley’s playmaking elevated the team as a whole. </span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="264770" first="Victoria" last="Morales"] - Lady Rivals/Proctor Academy - 5’7’’ - PG - ’22</strong> <strong>’22 PGH Rank:  #31</strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-285445" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0181-crop-1584x1040-1621082230-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Morales was filthy good on Friday and put on a show in a nail-biting win vs. BBA. Morales’s shot-creating and shot-making were eye-popping, and when she gets into a rhythm on offense, there is no stopping her. Scoring comes naturally to Morales as she was knocking down floaters off the glass and hitting three-pointers from the parking lot. What impressed me the most was her facilitating. Morales can score with the best of them. Still, when she is setting the table for her teammates, coming off pick and rolls, locating shooters, and taking care of the ball, it completely changes the complexity of the ball game, making the Rivals even more lethal than they already were. </span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="267052" first="Oluchi" last="Okananwa"] - Lady Rivals/New Hampton - 5’10’’ - CG - ’23</strong> <strong>’23 PGH Rank: #1</strong> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-285439" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/IMG_0180-crop-1527x1003-1621081851-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <span style="font-weight: 400;">I have been impressed with Okananwa over the last couple of weeks because of her elite rebounding and penetrating ability. What is scary about her now is that she consistently hit three-pointers and shot them with the utmost confidence. If there were one question to Okananwa’s game going into this showcase, it would be, "what happens when a defense cuts off her penetration and/or ability to be effective in transition?" The number of threes she hit and the degree of difficulty of her attempts is why she was the best player I saw today. Okananwa hit the game-winning shot going to the rim and finishing with her strong hand, which showed how clutch she is and her ability to create when the stakes are at their highest. However, if Okananwa was not so efficient shooting the basketball all game long for the perimeter, then perhaps that driving lane at the end of regulation does not open up? Therefore, Okananwa becoming a versatile scorer at all three levels will keep her in the best player in ’23 conversation, and her Friday performance was an example of such. </span>