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The 10th Annual EST Fall Showcase… SERIES

empirestatetakeover
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DATES & SITES (all Sundays)

How Many Sessions?
It was all about the 570 at last year’s Fall Showcase. Here, Cora Castellani attacks the rim with Chrissy Jacklinski (left) and Molly Walsh (right) defending. Riverfront Sports plays host once again in 2024 – the second leg of the Fall Showcase Series hits Scranton on 9/29.

Year 10 of Empire State Takeover… time to take something that’s been around since Year 1 and bring it to another level.

The Fall Showcase – first held in October 2015 at Skidmore – is the original EST one-day showcase. Times have changed since that first event that featured approximately two dozen players. The EST coverage region has expanded exponentially and over 500 event participants have moved on to play at all levels of college basketball.

The landscape of grassroots basketball has also changed in that time. Now less of a defined non-scholastic season and more of a ‘ball never stops’ calendar, families find themselves traveling more & more for all sorts of basketball options. By the time we get to fall, many want to pump the brakes and cut down on the miles for a bit. I hear that loud & clear. With that…

EST Fall Showcase is now the EST Fall Showcase Series. I want to get eyes on more players from all corners of the extended coverage region while providing more convenient exposure & visibility opportunities. So in coming weeks, I’ll be traveling to host showcases in all three points of what’s become the EST event triangle. First up is Western New York, as SUNY Brockport plays host to Showcase #1 on September 15. Northeast PA takes center stage two weeks later, as Riverfront Sports in Scranton, PA – the home of Fall Showcase events since 2020 – holds it down on September 29. The Showcase Series finishes in my home area of the Capital District, as an Albany area site TBA in coming days hosts the final event on October 13.

Athletes can choose to attend one or multiple showcase events. Compete local for the convenience, hit the road to expand your horizons around different players and in front of different coaches, or do some of both. Registration for all sessions is taken on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Event format includes various settings of play with minimal down time to provide athletes different opportunities to compete & show their abilities. 3v3 play allows participants to get into a rhythm, provide a different look, and maximize touches & “in-game reps”. There will also be a long stretch of traditional structured 5v5 run, with rosters geared to be competitive for all participants. In addition, all athletes will have the opportunity to get a dedicated skill session. In Brockport, that’ll be with current college basketball coaches. In Scranton & Albany, it’s the renowned Mark Williams and his Team Footprintz organization, one of the premier skill development specialists in the Northeast.

Since the inception of Empire State Takeover – beginning with the inaugural Summer League in 2015 – EST events have grown into one of the premier opportunities in the Northeast to gain visibility & exposure to collegiate programs and other valuable outlets on a player’s journey, including regional/national evaluators and media. The Summer Kickoff annually features talent for all ‘next levels’, from those receiving attention from the highest end of Division I to others working to get on a few Division III radars. More than 500 ‘ESTers’ have moved on to compete at the collegiate level, and several have taken it a step further by playing professionally overseas. With that, the event is always well-attended by college coaches, with dozens often across the baselines or sidelines – even a few that played in EST events when they were in high school. In order to “showcase”, you need to be able to “show” someone. EST events provide that outlet in a major way, and this will be no different!

Event days are some of my favorite days of the year, and I’m really looking forward to hitting everywhere in Fall 2024 with the Fall Showcase Series. Registration & payment links are at the top of the page, and a registered player list (updated daily or as time allows) is directly below. Hope to see you in the gym somewhere over the next few weeks!

Even the alphas have some fun with it sometimes. Molly Mescall, Mallory Heise, and Emily McDonald just wanted a post-event pic… Loren Green had something to say about it. The 4 Western New York standouts, all D1 offered or committed, led the charge at April’s WNY Warm-Up. EST events return to the Rochester area on 9/15 with the Fall Showcase Series starting at SUNY Brockport.

REGISTERED PLAYER LIST for remaining ALBANY session (updated periodically)

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