PGH Freshman Showcase: The best of Team 6.

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 6.      Of all the players I watched, Keating had one of the top 5 signature plays of the day. She tracked down an errant transition pass in the corner and in one motion went behind her back and Euro-stepped into a feathery soft floater. She also displayed great vision using her eyes to shift defenders in transition, allowing her to drop pinpoint passes to her teammates for easy scoring opportunities. Along with her crafty ball handling, Keating can also shoot it from outside making her a legitimate three-level threat.     Peters has a lot of tools in her bag and once she locks in, she will be a force to be reckoned with. Samira seems to float when she's getting up and down the court, and as much as she attacks the paint, she's looking to advance the ball just the same. On defense, Peters was one of a few players that I witnessed pick up full court which in turn led to transition buckets from the pressure she was putting on the ball causing errant passes. She gained valuable varsity experience last season at Columbia Heights and will look to expand upon that this upcoming campaign.     Players like Olson are a teammate's dream. Being able to consistently knock down open jump shots once a teammate has drawn the defense is invaluable. Olson did this on a regular basis during the day and seemed to really enjoy her time on the court. I'm not sure what the future holds at Southwest Christian this upcoming season, but having shooters who can stretch the defense is a huge advantage for a team. Tightening up her ball-handling and on-ball defense will make it tough to keep her off the floor with the way she shoots it from outside.     Bastyr plays with no fear. She had no problem venturing among the trees no matter the outcome and the determined look on her face was refreshing. Her team ran into a buzz when they faced the [player_tooltip player_id='433933' first='Chloe' last='Johnson'] led Team 1, but that didn't deter her from working hard and attacking the basket time and time again. You have to respect that mindset. With New Prague graduating seven players from last year's squad, there could be nice opportunities head for Bastyr if she continues to improve her outside shot and plays with that same vigor.     The Legacy Christian Academy product is a shooter by trade, but doesn't settle. She has a quick release and shoots with extreme confidence. Shooters shoot and Sarah didn't let a few misses deter her. She just found another way to get it done. When defenders closed out, she would throw a great ball fake and make her way to the rim. On the defensive side of the ball, she moves her feet and gets her hands in the passing lane causing deflections and untimely passes. The double-figure scorer and 3-point marksman from last year's successful high school season will look to take another giant step this year and we're here for it.       There isn't a ton of size in the 2028 class, but one thing the class does have is shooters. Raymond is no exception. The 5'8 guard out of Rogers is very savvy. She moves well with or without the ball and is a knock-down shooter. She's strong and very coordinated which was evident on one play in particular when she hit the defense with a punch dribble step-back 3 that hit nothing but the bottom of the net. Raymond didn't force the action from the outside, opting to attack the basket when the defense overplayed. Tons of upside here.     Just look at that smile. You could tell by her demeaner that Izzy truly appreciated the opportunity to be at the Showcase and compete against her contemporaries. Johnson is a unicorn as she uses her 6-foot frame in a multitude of ways to contribute on the court. She can put the ball on the deck, shoot it from outside and be a playmaker as well. On the other side of the ball, Johnson did a great job on contesting and blocking shots without fouling. Like everyone else in her class, she'll need to continue to get stronger and improve her skillset, but not everyone else has her length and IQ.

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 6.