PGH Ohio #1 2020 narrows down to five

<strong><span style="font-size: 10pt">(photo by @Str8OuttaOhioGH)</span></strong> In the latest PGH Ohio player rankings that came out back in the spring, [player_tooltip player_id="89318" first="Madeline" last="Westbeld"] (6-2 F, Kettering Fairmont HS) was a pretty simple choice as the top player in Ohio for the class of 2020. That was the easy part. For Westbeld, now comes the hard part. The Fairmont standout who can play all five positions on the floor, has narrowed her college choice down to five schools. Westbeld is currently on the road this month with Sports City U AAU club, before finishing her prep career with the Firebirds who are looking to make the trip to Columbus for a shot at the final four. Four of the schools are within five hours of the Miami Valley, and the fifth is out on the west coast. <strong>Ohio State </strong>is coming off a 14-15 season in their first season post Kelsey Mitchell, but they have reloaded and expects to be back in the Big Ten contention for the title again this season. In addition to their returning players, the Buckeyes are bringing in some heavy firepower to provide immediate help including three-time Ohio Ms. Basketball [player_tooltip player_id="32335" first="Kierstan" last="Bell"]. She would be an in-state favorite with the Buckeyes. <strong>Tennessee </strong>has a new coaching staff in place including head coach Kellie Harper. The Vols finished 19-13 last season, but only 7-9 in the SEC. Tennessee lost their opening NCAA tournament game last season to UCLA 89-77, but brings in a solid freshman group. The Vols are trying to get back to their traditional powerhouse status in womens basketball, and Westbeld would be a nice way to do that. <strong>Notre Dame </strong>would be the fan favorite since her sister was a key player in their recent national championship season. She could follow her sister and become a major impact with the Irish. Notre Dame finished last season 35-4 and advanced to the national championship game where they lost 82-81 in the final to Baylor. Irish fans would love to see her on the floor at the Joyce Center. <strong>Louisville </strong>is a traditional power and that doesn’t look to change. The Cards went 32-4 last season, and was nearly untouchable at home with a 16-1 record. They fell in the elite eight to UConn in a close seven point game. Jeff Walz always has them prepared to compete, and she would be close enough to home for family and friends to come see her. <strong>UCLA</strong> finished 22-13 last season, but had a nice tournament run with wins over Tennessee and Maryland before falling to UConn in the third round. Obviously distance isn’t a major factor since they made the top five, and Westbeld could become a nice household name in the PAC-12. &nbsp;