PGH Freshman Showcase: The best of Team 5

More than 100 prospects put their skills on display Sunday at the third annual Prep Girls Hoops Minnesota Freshman Showcase. The talented field at Hopkins High School was divided into 12 teams chosen at random by the super-secret (but less than perfect) PGH algorithm. The squads weren't exactly even, but our focus was on the individual performances rather than game outcomes or team play. We're analyzing players on a team-by-team basis. Here are the top performers from Team 5.    The floor general from Sauk Centre was all gas no breaks at the Freshman Showcase this past weekend. Determan has a nice strong build which helped her stay under control and ward off defenders while getting into the paint with relative ease. She pushed pace and looked for open teammates and was a pest on defense. While Determan wasn't in the mix last season for a very successful Sauk Centre squad, she will make it very hard to keep her off the floor this season if she continues to improve and put in the work.     I got my first glimpse at MacNabb during the 3v3 portion of the Showcase and what caught my eye immediately was her shooting ability. During the day, she continued to get to her spot knocking down long-range bombs when she was able to get her feet set. When the outside shots weren't falling, she moved well without the ball and was able to get out in transition for some easy buckets, including an impressive left-hand scoop under duress. Continuing to work on her ball-handling and moves off the bounce, coupled with her shooting ability, will without question keep MacNabb in the mix over the next few years.     The 5'9 guard did a lot of things well during the Freshman Showcase. Lima was very selective of when to attack the basket looking her own offense, and when to set up a teammate for an open look when she drew the defense. When she grabbed a defensive board, Allie's eyes were up the court immediately looking to advance the ball, a simple, but very unutilized skill lost on a lot of players right now. Shots are hard to come by in events like this, but when they opportunity presented itself, Lima knocked them down from the outside with poise and confidence.     Oudekerk made her presence felt on the boards on both sides of the ball. She plays with a motor that doesn't stop, consistently beating opponents to the glass for put-backs and second-chance opportunities for her team. She's a heady player that quickly recognized when she had a mismatch and would dive to the basket looking to take advantage of the situation. Albert Lea graduated four seniors last season, and have a pretty young group coming back, and with the struggles they faced last year there should be some opportunity for Oudekerk to compete for playing time if she continues to work hard and improve on her skill set.     The diminutive Reckelberg out of Becker is a pass-first guard who looks to push pace and keep the ball moving. The Showcase was no different. Reckelberg doesn't over dribble and put the ball right where it needed to be for her teammates to be able to make things happen. She also did a good job of rebounding her position and nothing is better than a point guard grabbing a board with the ability to push it up the court for easy buckets. Several times she was the recipient of said pass and attacked the basket leading to lay-ups and trips to the charity stripe. Becker has been very good at churning out high-level guards and Reckelberg has already started earning good varsity minutes.     Ecker made her money at the Showcase by staying active on the boards and by showing an uncanny ability to be be able to make tough catches in traffic and finish around the rim. When the opportunity came, Ecker was able to put the ball on the deck and finish at the rim with either hand. As much as she likes playing on the perimeter, when a smaller defender would switch on to her, Amelia didn't settle, she headed right to the block. Now whether the guards got her ball was one thing, but having the presence of mind to take advantage of the mismatch was impressive.     These are always tough events for bigs to showcase their skills with the pesky guards dominating the ball. Bell got off to a relatively slow start, going sometimes four or five possessions without touching the ball, but once she settled in, she was good to go. Towering at 6'1", she is a load in the paint. There was no getting around her block out once she made contact. She snatched boards with vigor, and flicked outlet passes ahead with ease, to get things going for her squad. When she couldn't get the rock around the basket, she stepped out and showed her long-range shooting ability. There's nothing but upside here and we can't wait to see her put it all together.

More than 100 prospects put their skills on display Sunday at the third annual Prep Girls Hoops Minnesota Freshman Showcase. The talented field at Hopkins High School was divided into 12 teams chosen at random by the super-secret (but less than perfect) PGH algorithm. The squads weren't exactly even, but our focus was on the individual performances rather than game outcomes or team play. We're analyzing players on a team-by-team basis. Here are the top performers from Team 5.