PGH Live Council Bluffs: David’s Saturday Best
After a Friday night start, teams piled into the Iowa West Fieldhouse on Saturday with the intention to make a mark on the rest of the field. I was tasked with covering teams from Nebraska and Kansas, which had some…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAfter a Friday night start, teams piled into the Iowa West Fieldhouse on Saturday with the intention to make a mark on the rest of the field. I was tasked with covering teams from Nebraska and Kansas, which had some talented young players who put on a show for the crowds in attendance. We are going to dive into the players that caught my attention and left Saturday with a Top Performer mention.
KaMyra Barber KaMyra Barber 5'9" | PG Wichita Heights | 2025 State KS | Kansas Bluejays 2023 | Guard | 5’8″ | Class of 2025
One of the most talented players I saw on the day, Barber played very well on both sides of the ball. Offensively she is gifted, taking players off the dribble, shooting from deep and even posting up a player then hitting a turnaround on a contested shot. She makes things happen with the ball in her hands and gives her team confidence that if they get a stop, they will get a score on the other end. On the defensive side, Barber and her entire team were scrappy and put a ton of pressure on ball handlers. Barber was surely one of the cream of the crop on Saturday.
https://mobile.twitter.com/barber_kamyra
SaMiyah Ellis SaMiyah Ellis 5'8" | PG Wichita Heights | 2025 State KS | Kansas Bluejays 2023 | Guard | 5’7″ | Class of 2025
Ellis had a great second half in their first game of the day and showed off her range hitting multiple threes and jump shots. Ellis does a great job keeping her defender in front of her and creating fast break opportunities off of turnovers. Ellis can handle the rock but is in her bag when she is spotting up and knocking down jumpers. She is a threat and has to be accounted for on any spot of the floor. Ellis proved to be one to watch on Saturday.
https://mobile.twitter.com/samiyahellis25
Stephie Solumu | Kansas Bluejays 2023 | Forward | 6’0″ | Class of 2024
Some of the best championship teams have a player like Draymond Green or Dennis Rodman, Solumu is that kind of player for the Bluejays. Solumu is a fantastic defender who knows how to get big and stand straight up to challenge shots, and most importantly not foul, while also cleaning the glass with chase down rebounds. She knows how to use her body to set picks or get position in the painted area. Offensively, she maybe underrated as she had fantastic takes off the dribble with smooth inside layups. Solumu was one of my favorite players to watch on Saturday because of all the little things that go unnoticed to some.
Kaliya Fulton | NorthSouth Basketball 2024 | Guard | 5’7″ | Class of 2025
Fulton was another star on the day. She might of had the best handles of any guard that I watched, dropping one player on a crossover step back. She can also put the ball in the basket. NorthSouth offense goes as Fulton goes. She can take players off the dribble and shoot with a high percentage from beyond the arc. Fulton is definitely worth the watch and can flat out get buckets.
Reagan Palmer | Omaha Supreme 2025 | Forward | 5’11” | Class of 2025
Playing a long BC Denver team, Palmer came up huge by out hustling opponents to the ball and taking the offense right to the bigs of Denver. Palmer positioned herself well in the painted area, which led to multiple high percentage buckets, and initiated contact getting multiple whistles blown in her favor. She did an excellent job of knocking down her free throws and had the defense collapsing on her every time she got the bal, as she posed a threat to score. Palmer brought her hard hat and lunch pail today, putting in the work!
Taylee Wharton | Omaha Supreme 2025 | Guard | 5’5″ | Class of 2025
Wharton was aggressive on the offensive end today and made teams pay. She has an automatic shooting stroke and with Palmer playing well down low, it created open looks for her to knock down. Even though she is small in stature she is not afraid to take the ball to the rim and can score in multiple ways. Wharton cannot be left unattended and teams will be playing her more attention on Sunday.
SaMiya McGlory | NorthSouth Basketball 2027 | Guard | 5’6″ | Class of 2027
McGlory was a sniper in the afternoon game I caught. She did an spectacular job of finding the open space on the floor and making opponents pay for giving her too much space. McGlory hit multiple threes in the second half of the game and helped stretch the lead to an insurmountable one against the Colorado opponent. She can really dial it up and should occupy a defender at all times.
Kae’Lean Emmot | NorthSouth Basketball 2027 | Guard | 5’7″ | Class of 2027
Emmot brimmed confidence on the court. Anytime she touched the ball it was instant attack mode. Her mentality is not only to score the basketball but she wants to make her defender loom bad in doing so. Some may call it the “Mamba mentality”. She has the ability to take her opponents off the dribble and makes it look easy getting in the painted area for a high percentage shot. Emmot will need to continue to develop her finishing moves and playing through contact but has the mindset and skillset to be an elite player.