All-Kansas PGH Top 250 Expo Team

Approximately 80 players gathered at Okun Fieldhouse, Shawnee, Kansas, for the first ever PGH Top 250 Exposure Event to be held in Kansas.  Players from four states drawn from 2021 to 2024 classes were assigned to teams and showed their game to college coaches watching in person and via <a href="https://www.ballertv.com/">BallerTV</a>.  Fellow Kansas scout Joel Webb and I got together afterward, compared notes, and produced our All-Kansas PGH Top 250 Expo Team. [caption id="attachment_208944" align="alignright" width="151"]<img class=" wp-image-208944" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/Aubree-Dawson-Wichita-East-2022-PGH-Top-250-KS-Oct-2022-300x279.jpg" alt="" width="151" height="140" /> Wichita East 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="191199" first="Aubree" last="Dawson"] soars over a defender on a jumper at the Kansas PGH Top 250 Expo, October 2020. Photo by Robert Kelly.[/caption]<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124980" first="Asia" last="Dawson"], 5’6", PG, Wichita East, 2022</strong> -- This #30 ranked Dawson showed speed, handles, and defensive quicks.  She also absolutely destroyed another candidate for this team and shut down a highly regarded 2024 in a "welcome to high school basketball" fashion so that made the decision fairly easy. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="191199" first="Aubree" last="Dawson"], 5’6", PG/SG, Wichita East, 2022</strong> -- This #76 ranked also showed speed, handles, and some serious hops on her jumper.  A quick defender, maybe even a full tick stronger than her sister above. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="93977" first="Raegan" last="Halliday"], 5’7", PG, Olathe South, 2022</strong> -- The <strong>#10</strong> ranked Kansas 2022 showed off her motor, her willingness to battle opposing ball handlers on the wing and bigs in the paint with equal ferocity, and her ability to bury the three or an unlucky opponent off the bounce.  She was fast, energetic, physical, and had a smile on her face the entire event.  Great IQ and half- to 3/4-ct passing strength and accuracy. [caption id="attachment_208892" align="alignleft" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-208892" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/Breakaway-Aubrie-Kierscht-Salina-Central-2023-chased-by-Amiah-Simmons-Osawatomie-2021-PGH-Top-250-KS-Oct-2020-300x170.jpg" alt="[player_tooltip player_id=" width="300" height="170" /> On a break away Salina Central 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="23467" first="Aubrie" last="Kierscht"] is chased by Osawatomie 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="91929" first="Amiah" last="Simmons"] at October, 2020, PGH Top 250 Expo. Photo by Robert Kelly.[/caption]<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124999" first="Gaby" last="Henderson-Artis"], 5’10", SG/SF, Bishop Miege, 2022</strong> -- Currently ranked <strong>#44</strong> among Kansas’ ’22s, Henderson-Artis at times was the dominant presence on the floor.  Long and fast, she showed good hands on defense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23467" first="Aubrie" last="Kierscht"], 5’7", SG, Salina Central, 2022</strong> -- The <strong>#9</strong> ranked Kansas 2022 had to have someone on her the moment she stepped foot on the floor because she was absolutely deadly from the perimeter.  She also would bury opponents off the bounce and leave them in the dust in transition.  With her quick hands and feet, she also terrorized ball handlers on the other end.  Kierscht also is a terrific passer, exemplified by a using a quick bounce pass between two defenders to hit her screener sliding to the basket. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="164504" first="Trinniti" last="Matthews"], 5’11", SF, Francis Howell Central (MO), 2022</strong> -- The <strong>#22</strong> ranked Missouri 2022 had one of the strongest events of any player in attendance.  High IQ with strong handles and the ability to score from anywhere, Matthews used high ball screens to devastating effect including against other all-Kansas Expo Team members.  Matthews was equally adept getting to the basket off the stationary dribble or off the catch due to a very quick first step. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="127285" first="McKayla" last="Miller"], 6’0", CG, Cimarron, 2023</strong> -- It took most of a game to find her rhythm but once the <strong>#6</strong> ranked Kansas 2023 got into it she put her handles to use several times going end-to-end off the rebound and otherwise going at, over, through, and around defenders.  Slim and lanky after growing five inches in the past year, Miller used her point guard handles to great effect.  Athletic enough to skillfully elevate for tip-ins, her improving elevation on rebounds helped her pull her share away from everyone.  There is a reason why she has picked up a couple D II offers over the summer. <strong>Eva Ongoongotau, 5’11", SG/SF, Pleasant Grove (UT), 2021</strong> --  The multi-talented Ongoongotau, from the non-PGH covered state of Utah, was tough all around.  Defensively quick, is also able to deal with smaller and quick defenders well.  Very solid around the basket with good hands and good face-up game.  Moves well without the ball and uses high screens effectively to create lanes to the basket. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91929" first="Amiah" last="Simmons"], 5’8", PG, Osawatomie, 2021</strong> -- The <strong>#4</strong> point guard and <strong>#18</strong> overall 2021 showed off her speed and athleticism.  One great moment for her was running down the swift Aubrie Kirscht (see picture above). A good shooter and ball defender, she played hard and handled and finished well in traffic. [caption id="attachment_208923" align="alignright" width="151"]<img class=" wp-image-208923" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/Evelyn-Vazquez-Piper-2021-battles-a-rebounder-Top-250-Oct-2020-300x283.jpg" alt="" width="151" height="142" /> Piper 2021 PG [player_tooltip player_id="123467" first="Evelyn" last="Vazquez"], white, battles a rebounder at the Kansas PGH Top 250 Expo, October 2020. Photo by Robert Kelly.[/caption]<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="47064" first="Kennedy" last="Taylor"], 6’2", C, Shawnee Mission Northwest, 2021</strong> -- Taylor, the <strong>#</strong>2 ranked player in the 2021 class, was rarely physically challenged by the rest of the field.  Opponents either were physically stout but could not run with her, were not quite strong or quick enough to handle her inside, or were not good enough to push her hard.  The recent University of Colorado - Boulder commit also showed the interior passing ability to make quick, catchable passes to flashers and cutters that her defenders saw so poorly they did not flinch.  she also showed awareness to come from the weak side to shot block.  Does have three point range.  A shout out for pushing Taylor the hardest goes to Manhattan 2022 PF [player_tooltip player_id="93997" first="Grace" last="Dixon"].  Dixon ran well, was long enough to deny entry passes to Taylor over the top, and strong enough to compete once Taylor got the ball.  With improved interior quickness on both ends of the floor, Dixon would be a sure bet to crack the top 20 of the 2022 class. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="123467" first="Evelyn" last="Vazquez"], 5’5", PG, Piper, 2021</strong> -- The <strong>#3</strong> point guard and <strong>#17</strong> overall ranked 2021 had a great event.  Strong, quick, and smart defensively Vazquez is a transition basket waiting to happen.  Routinely she was faster with the ball than most players were without it.  And she finished with speed.  And can take a hit.  Expect Vazquez to crack the top 15 in the next refresh. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;