The 2020 Future 50 Camp and Showcase, held at Strafford Sports Center on Sunday August 16th, was a huge success and overall a great experience for the players and their respective families! We saw a lot of great players from the area do their thing, with a good portion of the games being very competitive, particularly on the high school side. And now, we get to write about each of the players.

Here, we take a look at some of the older players on the boys side. This will be one of several parts we will be publishing over the coming days. The players for the most part are listed in order of the numbers they were assigned at the camp.

Zayne Gale, 2021 Galena, 6’5 – Gale is an excellent inside-out offensive player who can step out to the three point line and knock ’em down and can also post up when matchups call for it. Very long athlete who makes a lot of things happen because of his length, a force on the boards and can alter or block shots. Not selfish on the offensive end and is a very willing passer and the consummate teammate who has a winning attitude. 

Miller Long, 2022 College Heights, 6’2– Long has very good offensive skills. He’s a sharpshooter from outside but he can also put the ball on the floor and pull up for a shot or go all the way to the rim and finish with contact. At 6’2” he was able to go into the post defensively and guard bigger guys with his physicality. 

Blake Shanks, 2022 Willard, 5’11 – Shanks is a very good athlete who does the little things that help a team be successful and win. He is strong and quick enough to defend all types of players and is willing and able to fight for rebounds on both ends. Also very adept at playing off the ball, moving well and finding the gaps in the defense.

Cruz Marquez, 2022 Southwest, 5’10 – Marquez has a very polished offensive game for a player with only two years of high school ball. He is a threat to score the second he gets the ball, no matter where he is on the court, and he makes it look easy, despite his size. He can make shots that most other players wouldn’t even attempt. Start with his 3 point shot… on the catch and shoot, he is deadly accurate and gets his shot off quickly. Then there is his pull up jumper… he elevates well and has an arsenal of quick dribble moves to create the space to get it off. And finally, he is very crafty on how he finishes around the basket and draws contact. Also has a very good step back shot from three point territory on in. He was one of the best scorers in the area during his sophomore season, with at least one 40+ point game, and it’s easy to see why. Defensively he is also a competitor and great at reading passing lanes. Watch what he does these last two years…

Luke Ash, 2023 Stoutland, 5’9 – Ash is a great competitor who hates to lose. The word “scrappy” comes to mind when you watch him play. Can handle the ball very well and doesn’t turn it over often. Has many different shots that he can create with his quickness and when he is on he can fill the score sheet up in a hurry. He will be putting up big numbers in Stoutland these next three seasons.

Kaleb Groesbeck, 2022 Miller, 6’0– Groesbeck is a very good athlete with a great motor who does a lot of the things that don’t show up in the box score that coaches love. Great on ball defender who keeps his man in front of him and can come over from the help side with his length and affect shots. Also a great rebounder. 

Brock Franklin, 2023 Neosho, 5’8 – What Franklin lacks in height he makes up for with his tenacity and energy. Describes as a “coaches dream” for the way he plays the game. He is strong, tough, and a very good defender who can frustrate opponents. Makes a lot of things happen on that end of the floor. Offensively he takes care of the ball and sets his teammates up in places they can succeed. Also showed a nice mid range pull up shot. We’re going to guess that he will be hard to keep off the court these next three years in Neosho.