PGH Indiana Week 6 Player of the Week Spotlight: Madison Layden (2020)

The winner of the player of the week voting for week 6 of the high school season is Madison Layden of Northwestern. Layden received 44,255 votes on the poll, good for 72.27% of the total vote. She scored 25 points vs. Hamilton Heights and followed it up with a 29 points and 11 rebound performance vs. Taylor.

Northwestern is off to a hot start this season and are the front runners to repeat as 3A state champions. Their only two losses this year have come to teams from Ohio in a tournament. Layden is a big part of their success but you can’t overlook the other pieces that Northwestern has on the squad. Kendall Bostic, a Michigan State commit, is a junior as well. Stephanie Burns, a senior, among others are key facets to the Northwestern attack.

Layden is currently committed to Purdue, and quite frankly, there is nothing that the 6’1 wing can’t do on the basketball court. She can score at all three levels and is very versatile. Layden can handle the ball for you and do other things on the perimeter that 6’1 girls really can’t do. Very savvy with the ball and I think that she is going to be a great addition to Purdue for four years. I talked her season, her commitment, among other things below with the Prep Girls Hoops Indiana Week 6 Player of the Week.

How do you think your season, both individually and team-wise, is going so far this season?
The season is off to a good start. We have played a lot of good teams so far, and they have pushed us to get better. Individually, I try as hard as I can every game to do what I can to help our team be successful. 

What are you working on the most right now with your game?
I have been working on creating off the dribble for myself and others.

You guys are kind of running through your schedule right now, how are you keeping your focus in these games so that you don’t lose focus come tournament time?
No matter who we play we try to play with the same level of intensity and take one game at a time. We have a focus every game of something that we can improve on as a team.

You’re currently committed to Purdue, how was the recruiting process for you?
The recruiting process was definitely stressful at times with the amount of calls and text messages. I appreciated all the interest that the schools were showing in me, but I felt that Purdue was the perfect fit.

You’re just a junior, what are you hoping to accomplish over the next year and a half at Northwestern?
Our expectations are high and we are hoping to have a good tournament run.