The Exclusive: Florida 2024's & Younger Who Impressed

The Exclusive took place in the Chicagoland area this weekend as a collaboration event with Jr. All-Star for the Spring Evaluation Period. The PGH Circuit consists of 4 different regions, and they come together during the Live Periods to compete against each other. This event displayed a lot of talent from the Midwest, but we also had teams from Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, and more. As I cover the Triumph Region (Southeast), I wanted to showcase the two FL programs we had in the building: Candace Parker Hoop Dreams Elite and Miami Impact. Here were some of the young-ins who stood out to me:   Class of 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="349386" first="Leighann" last="Hanley"] | Candace Parker Hoop Dreams Elite Leighann was one of the best forwards at the event in terms of size, skill, and age. She can knock it down from 15 feet, and she has good footwork in the post with some nice moves to finish with. Leighann keeps the ball up high and uses her frame to be physical in the post against anyone. <img class=" wp-image-418370 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/leah-barnes-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="209" height="209" />[player_tooltip player_id="219928" first="Leah" last="Barnes"] | Candace Parker Hoop Dreams Elite Leah was only able to play one day, but she looked really good on Saturday. She hit her mid-range looks, created off of the dribble, and found her open teammates. Her size and length make her a really tough wing that can play against any position as one of the most versatile players in the state.     <img class=" wp-image-420538 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/IMG_0912-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="199" height="199" />[player_tooltip player_id="248300" first="Zoe" last="Sedo"] | Candace Parker Hoop Dreams Elite What Zoe lacks in size, she makes up for with energy and decision making. She does a good job of controlling the pace and handling the ball. Zoe can knock it down down from deep, get to the rim, and hit a floater or her teammate for an easy bucket. I was very impressed with how well she played against tough, Midwest competition.   [player_tooltip player_id="248298" first="Alana" last="Seward"] | Candace Parker Hoop Dreams Elite Alana is one of the toughest players to stop when she gets going downhill towards the rim. She's crafty at the basket, but she can also hit the mid-range shot. Alana is a high motor kid with good length that is going to be a serious stock riser this summer. <hr /> Class of 2025 <img class=" wp-image-420536 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/IMG_0911-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="234" height="234" />[player_tooltip player_id="249400" first="Pink" last="Sturdivant"] | Candace Parker Hoop Dreams Elite Pink plays up a grade and has no problem holding her own. She's smooth like her older sister with the rock and has a really nice floater/runner game in her arsenal. She moves well without the ball and also moves the ball well on offense. Her length and size are very good for a guard who can finish at the rim and hit the outside shot.     [player_tooltip player_id="409186" first="Holland" last="Harris"] | Candace Parker Hoop Dreams Elite Holland is one of the most intriguing players in Florida. She was a very good tennis player who transitioned to basketball just months ago. You can tell she is an elite athlete with a very good frame for a Freshman. Holland runs the floor well and has a tremendous vertical to pull down rebounds. She's raw, but she has a TON of potential if she keeps at it. <hr /> Class of 2026 <img class=" wp-image-420535 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/3901F898-9A66-4E99-A264-A70081725408-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="218" height="218" />[player_tooltip player_id="420514" first="Ava" last="Jones"] | Miami Impact There are not a ton of developed post players in the younger classes, so Ava got tested this weekend and played really well. She's a strong finisher inside with both hands and has a strong drop step with nice footwork. Ava controls the boards and allows it to clear out before her entry passes and keeps the ball up high in the post. Ava also does a good job of using her body to get position or create space around the hoop.   [player_tooltip player_id="415867" first="Hailey" last="Clements"] | Miami Impact Fresh off a State Championship run with Miami Christian, Hailey is ballin' with another powerful Miami squad. She did a very good job of handling the ball and using those handles to get to the rim. Her floater/runner game is nice and she can get it done over taller defenders with good court awareness. [player_tooltip player_id="243907" first="Ashley" last="Martinez"] | Miami Impact Ashley is a great decision maker and makes everyone around her better. She scores it at all three levels and is lethal from beyond the arc. You can tell she knows the game very well with her ability to find the open player or get in the right position to make a play on both ends of the court. She's an integral part of that nasty full-court press Miami Impact is becoming known for. [player_tooltip player_id="248681" first="Alayiah" last="Johnson"] | Candace Parker Hoop Dreams Elite This was my first time seeing Alayiah in person, and I was very impressed with her game. Her energy on defense was high, she has a lot of speed, and she's a tough hooper. Her ability to get to the rack was solid and she had some creative finishes when she got there. She has good length and a good frame for her age, too. <hr /> Class of 2027 [player_tooltip player_id="243916" first="Victoria" last="Valle"] | Miami Impact I had numerous people ask me about Victoria this weekend. I told them she has "Future WNBA Player" in her bio, so you best believe she's not playing around! She hit a couple really tough step back three's this weekend and is always finding space to get her shot off. Victoria is another Miami Impact player who makes her teammates look and play better. She puts pressure on the other team and flies all over the place on defense causing a lot of turnovers or deflections. <hr /> <hr /> The Triumph Region of the PGH Circuit will head to Nashville for the Music City Showdown next weekend. For all things Circuit, follow @PGHCircuit on Twitter and @PrepGirlsHoops on Instagram! <hr /> Brandon Fisher is a Senior Scout for Prep Girls Hoops Florida and a Regional Scout for the PGH Circuit. If you have any information on players or teams, please email Brandon at brandonpghfl@gmail.com or DM him through Twitter/Instagram at @BrandonPGHFL.