Philly Showcase Notes & Standouts, "The Future" Edition (Part I - 2024 & younger)

So much to say, this recap is getting split into multiple parts.

What was initially scheduled as the return of the Atlantic City Showcase had to pivot due to New Jersey COVID-related youth sports restrictions. Lucky for thousands of basketball players & people like myself, Select Events Basketball had the contingency plan handled. The bump was the same, but the setting was an hour northwest in the heart of Philadelphia. 

There were 27 game slots over three days & much more than 27 teams that I wanted to see (maybe I should hire someone), so I didn't get a chance to catch everyone... but I thankfully saw my share. That included plenty of time watching younger age divisions, particularly at the 8th & 9th grade levels, so the first post is dedicated to some of the names you'll be hearing at the high school level for years to come. A few standouts & notable performances that I had a chance to see from individuals in the 2024 class or below (players listed in alphabetical order):

*** This list mainly centers around players from what I consider my primary coverage region - the state of New York north of NYC, western New England, & northern PA - though it doesn't consist entirely of players from those regions. I cover the game because of programs/individuals participating from those regions, but don't solely pay attention to them during the game. A disclaimer in case you're new to EST! ***

4TH ANNUAL EST SUMMER KICKOFF: Full Info W/ Registration Links

4TH ANNUAL EST SUMMER KICKOFF

Site: Accelerate Sports Complex; Whitesboro, NY (Utica area)

Date: Friday, June 4, 2021

Time: 2 sessions (5-7 PM & 7:30-9:30 PM); first-come, first-serve, approximately 60 athletes per session (SOLD OUT)

Cost: $75

For: Classes of 2022-24 (current 9th-11th graders)

Registration Form (completed & submitted online): SOLD OUT... reach out directly regarding waiting list spots

PayPal payment link ($78 if PayPal due to service charge): https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=H6SB6E3CWLF78

The EST Summer Kickoff was one of the many COVID basketball casualties of 2020. It was a pause instead of a stop though, as perhaps the most sought after EST high school event is back in full force at a new location after a one-year hiatus. 

This will be the first EST event ever held in my old stomping grounds, the Mohawk Valley. It's taking place at the three-court Accelerate Sports Complex in Whitesboro, NY, just outside of the city of Utica. It'll be held on Friday night, June 4, and this will be a TWO SESSION EVENT, with Session 1 running from 5-7 PM & Session 2 following at approximately 7:30-9:30 PM. The session preference is "athlete's choice" on a first-come, first-serve basis.

As usual with the Friday night Summer Kickoff, sessions are focused solely on the competition aspect of the showcase. It'll start with an extended stretch of 3v3 play to not only allow participants to get into a rhythm & provide a different look, but also to maximize "in-game reps" for all players. Many attending college coaches have noted the 3v3 play to start as very beneficial in the evaluation process. The even will then break into more traditional 5v5 run for the duration of the session, with rosters geared to be competitive for all participants.

This has traditionally been as well-attended by college coaches as any EST event, if not the most attended event. The last time around with the Summer Kickoff - pre-pandemic, back in 2019 - 57 coaches walked through the door. 57 coaches, approximately 120 players... a player-to-coach ration of approximately 2:1, and more like 1:1 if you just count the 60 players in each session. This is the sort of meaningful exposure that EST aims to provide and what everyone aims to receive when putting money into a showcase. In order to "showcase", you need to be able to "show" someone. The Summer Kickoff has provided that in a major way, and this year will be no different!

Everything will also be accessible to college coaches via game film in days directly following, as all 3v3 & 5v5 play gets recorded - so in this case, the entire event. This has proven to be particularly valuable since the COVID emergence & paid dividends from an exposure standpoint at the last high school event, the Fall Showcase in November. Although the event wasn't heavily attended in person due to travel restrictions/freezes on college campuses, 58 collegiate programs subscribed to game film & information. That included all NCAA levels from Division I to Division III (including Big East, Atlantic 10, America East, MAAC, & NEC programs at the D1 ranks) along with NJCAA (junior college) D2 & D3 schools. Events have also traditionally been well-covered by other basketball media besides just myself, another valuable resource in the process.

The usual COVID restrictions will be in place for this event. That includes sterilizing basketballs, utilizing a separate walkway in the multi-use Accelerate facility, structuring the event to limit unnecessary back-and-forth foot traffic, and mask-wearing for all participants. Also, there will be a facility-imposed restriction of one spectator per player in attendance.

In its relatively short history, approximately 140 EST Summer Kickoff participants have moved on to play at the collegiate level, including 29 that are playing or currently committed to Division I programs & another 31 at the D2 ranks. Those participants, along with the several dozen that moved on to play at D3 programs, are at schools stretching from New York to California. The total number of EST "alumni" that have moved on to play college basketball is now approaching 300. Strong, recruitable talent & college coach attendance go hand in hand. Not only is the event an opportunity for exposure, it's a great barometer & chance to compete with & against some of the extended region's premier talent.

The Summer Kickoff sold out in both 2018 & 2019, and last year's only EST event, the Fall Showcase, sold out two sessions in UNDER A WEEK. I FULLY ANTICIPATE THIS EVENT SELLING OUT! Event days are some of my favorite days of the year, and I'm really looking forward to the return of this one. Registration & payment links are at the top of the page, and a registered player list (updated daily, or at least as often as I can get to it) will be posted directly below. Hope to see you at Accelerate on June 4!

REGISTERED PLAYER LIST (updated as time allows)

Carly Atty (5'5", 2022)

Kate Baylor (6'0", 2022)

Taylor Benjamin (5'8", 2022)

Tamia Brown (5'9", 2022)

Kayleigh Bryant (5'10", 2022)

Kayla Campbell (5'10", 2022)

Marissa Campbell (5'10", 2022)

Kaelah Carter (5'7", 2022)

Emma Cohen (5'8", 2022)

Rachel Cohen (5'6", 2022)

Eleonore Collins (5'11", 2022)

Stasia Epler (5'8", 2022)

Emily Evans (5'7", 2022)

Ella Fadale (5'6", 2022)

Sage Fanelli (5'7", 2022)

Hannah Ferguson (5'9", 2022)

Lauren Filien (6'1", 2022)

Gracie Gardner (6'1", 2022)

Morgan Giancaterino (5'9", 2022)

Kaia Goode (5'3", 2022)

Brenna Graber (5'9", 2022)

Kaia Henderson (5'6", 2022)

Mackenzie Hess (5'3", 2022)

Madison Hoy (5'11", 2022)

Cecelia Lapertosa (6'1", 2022)

Ashlyn Marron (6'0", 2022)

Karlee Nims (5'11", 2022)

Hannah Pcola (5'6", 2022)

Gretchen Perine (5'3", 2022)

Jackie Piddock (5'9", 2022)

Tanner Poissant (5'6", 2022)

Tessa Schuey (5'5", 2022)

Carly Scott (5'2", 2022)

Kyla Smith (5'5", 2022)

Danielle Strauf (5'10", 2022)

Morgan Tompkins (5'11", 2022)

Macie Trimarchi (5'10", 2022)

Jalea Abrams (5'9", 2023)

Grace Alexander (5'3", 2023)

Kavashia Archie (5'7", 2023)

Sophie Auer (5'8", 2023)

Quinn Benchley (5'9", 2023)

Kathleen Birmingham (5'10", 2023)

Sophie Bissaillon (5'10", 2023)

Molly Boek (6'0", 2023)

Janay Brantley (5'11", 2023)

Ella Chandler (6'0", 2023)

Jaidyn Chest (5'4", 2023)

Natasha Chudy (6'2", 2023)

Natalee Collins (5'11", 2023)

Aislynn Dixon (5'7", 2023)

Alyssa Dobson (5'5", 2023)

Meghan Ellis (5'10", 2023)

Caroline Entwistle (5'6", 2023)

Kassidy Flayter (5'10", 2023)

Isabella Franchi (5'8", 2023)

Lily Funk (5'11", 2023)

Armanie Gordon (5'8", 2023)

Caydence Hadley (6'1", 2023)

Sydney Hart (5'9", 2023)

Sara Hotaling (5'6", 2023)

Rachel Kamrowski (5'4", 2023)

Kaylee Krysztof (5'8", 2023)

Lauren LaFountain (5'4", 2023)

Mia Little (5'2", 2023)

Jazlynn Logan (5'7", 2023)

Trista Lukaszewski (5'10", 2023)

Joleen Lusk (6'1", 2023)

Paige Manchester (6'1", 2023)

Kate McDonough (6'2", 2023)

Amya McLeod (5'6", 2023)

Schuylar Nolan (5'4", 2023)

Kaelynn O'Brien (5'5", 2023)

Lauren Patnode (6'0", 2023)

Ava Pearson (5'5", 2023)

Megan Perrine (6'0", 2023)

Sydney Postell (5'10", 2023)

Bella Pucci (5'7", 2023)

Meagan Schuermann (5'9", 2023)

Isabella Seeberger (5'6", 2023)

Kaia Singleton (5'6", 2023)

Clara Strack (6'4", 2023)

Amarah Streiff (5'10", 2023)

Meghan Trapper (5'11", 2023)

Jayla Tyler (5'9", 2023)

Hannah VanDerzee (5'9", 2023)

Alaejah Wallace (5'5", 2023)

Kennedy Westbrook (5'5", 2023)

Helena Willis (5'6", 2023)

Carlie Young (5'9", 2023)

Kendall Abraham (5'6", 2024)

Mia Ada (5'8", 2024)

Brianna Barr (6'1", 2024)

Sophia Bonnell (5'5", 2024)

Katie Boyd (5'6", 2024)

Natalie Bush (5'7", 2024)

Sierra Carter (5'7", 2024)

Kieonna Christmas (6'0", 2024)

Ellie Clearwater (5'6", 2024)

Sydney Delisle (5'2", 2024)

Cloey Dopp (5'8", 2024)

Desiree DuBois (5'10", 2024)

Sophia Escalante (5'4", 2024)

Adriana Fontana (5'7", 2024)

Ava Gallup (5'11", 2024)

Makana Gardner (6'3", 2024)

Madison Hart (5'4", 2024)

Taylor Holohan (5'10", 2024)

Allison Kehoe (5'9", 2024)

Lena Lipani (5'11", 2024)

Gabrielle Martin (5'10", 2024)

Kaylee Marvin (6'0", 2024)

Alex Moses (5'8", 2024)

Emily Mountain (5'8", 2024)

Mackenzie Owens (5'8", 2024)

Alyssa Romano (5'5", 2024)

Aniya Rowe (5'8", 2024)

Hailey Shalor (5'6", 2024)

Marisa Smith (6'1", 2024)

Abby Stuart (5'6", 2024)

Gabby Stuart (5'6", 2024)

Leah Thompson (5'10", 2024)

Jade Wallace (6'0", 2024)

Mariah Watkins (6'0", 2024)

Julia Whelan (5'10", 2024)

Klarissa Goode (5'6")

Mallory Heise (5'7")

Amaia Jackson (5'8")

Emma Phelan (5'6")