Top 250 Expo: MVP and standout performers, Part 1

BRIDGEPORT - Bridgeport was the place to be for many high school basketball players around the state Saturday during the Prepgirlshoop.com's Top 250 Expo.   With coaches watching both in person and over Baller TV, the opportunity for exposure was an alluring factor. As a result, many colleges hopefuls, boys and girls, descended on The Bridge Sports Complex with exposure on their minds. Once sorted into teams, they were off and showing their abilities on four different courts where each team of roughly 9 or 10 athletes, played no fewer than five games from 11-4 p.m.   Here is the first wave of girls that stood after during competition:   Most Valuable Player: [player_tooltip player_id='342234' first='Olivia' last='Bolduc'], Spring Mills, PG, So., 5-4 - Adaptability became the name of the game once teams were established Saturday inside The Bridge Sports Complex.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/Ava-Edwards-Olivia-Bolduc-scaled-crop-1372x901-1662922934-crop-614x403-1662922950.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-497913" width="270" height="177"/></figure>   It didn't take long to see who adjusted to their new teammates, either.   Take a bow, [player_tooltip player_id='342234' first='Olivia' last='Bolduc'].   Comfortable playing with just about anyone, she took control of her group from the first moment the ball touched the point guard's hands faster than other guard. Everything on Team Liv came together in a harmonious mix of flair and pizzaz. There was nothing but her voice and gestures, early and often, making the team a premier group to watch. Her commands were heard loud and clear, and her movement and direction of her teammates was visible and demonstrative. If she were conducting a symphony that day, cues and entrances would have been on point and enthusiastic.   Perhaps only [player_tooltip player_id='496347' first='Kenna' last='Maxwell'] came close to approaching the mix of attack and comfort shown by Bolduc. And even then, there were moments she looked a bit uncomfortable, but not many.   Yet, no matter where Bolduc's teammates needed a pass or where they wanted to cut for an attack, she made sure she saw these desires and distributed the ball. Occasionally, she went on the attack herself by shooting an impressive percentage from 3 while curling down the lane, blowing past defenders and arriving at the hoop for a layup. Mostly, though, she led her team by bringing the ball up the floor and making the offense flow all afternoon. Repeatedly, despite a grueling pace of five minutes of rest in between games, her group executed and flourished. It was almost as if they were led by the fire in her heart and the tone of her voice. Everyone simply rose to the occasion when she was on the floor. Try looking for that kind of production and overall effort from any other team there and you may come up short. Bolduc's team went 5-0 and it wasn't particularly close in any contest.   If this performance is a preview of what is to come for Spring Mills opponents in the regular season, then Cardinal foes should be weary. Her teammates and her are coming for a second straight trip to Charleston, and that was certainly clear with how she played Saturday afternoon.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/Alley-Ellyson-1-517x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-386216" width="129" height="256"/></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='496329' first='Allie' last='Ellyson'], Gilmer County, PG, So., 5-2 - How did Ellyson (pictured left) handle the pressure of playing alongside perhaps the best point guard in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='342234' first='Olivia' last='Bolduc']? Pretty well, actually. Making this balance work was no easy feat, but in an effort that shouldn't surprise anyone who knows Ellyson, she ended up rising to the occasion with aplomb. In fact, there were times both of them were on the floor together and neither missed a beat. Instead, they ended up feeding off each other and their abilities to facilitate and score. You'd be hard pressed to find a more outstanding point guard duo on the afternoon. For Allie's part, she slashed and dashed her way through traffic as often the smallest player on the floor. Attacks came from all angles and passes were crisp and fast. Her understanding of the game and how to work her position with her height consistently put her in strong positions against W.Va. players who now had one year of tape on her.   [player_tooltip player_id='496349' first='Kerigan' last='Salmons'], Tolsia, SG, Sr., 5-8 - It seemed like Salmons showed off something new during each and every game. From an attacker mentality to the ability to dig deep in the later games where breaks were few and far between, she showed coaches a number of different things. During her first game, it was her shoot selection. She didn't force anything up and let the game come to her. In the second game, she took on more of a supporting role by attacking on the defensive end and hitting the boards. Featuring in the third game of the afternoon came her ability to smash those two together, they fit like they were always supposed to be a part of one and other. Finally in the closing games, she really hit it hard on the boards and defense, and by then was someone who teammates looked to for a big shot or punch in the arm.   [player_tooltip player_id='496335' first='Ella' last='Simpson'], University, W, So., 5-7 - Simpson simply wants to win more than her opponents. To underestimate her would be a very bad move, as she will simply outwork and outhustle those doubters after each and every doubt. Her latest example was prime Simpson. Placed on a team with MVP Bolduc and other top performers, her desires came out in full force on the only team to go 5-0 at the event. Over and over again, displays popped up in the form of ball fights, calling for her shots while rolling down the lane, and then hitting said shots on brilliant passes from Bolduc and with a nice touch on the outside. If anyone could have left the expo feeling better about themselves more than Simpson, that would be a tall task indeed.   [player_tooltip player_id='496333' first='Carrie' last='Rhodes'], Parkersburg South, W, Sr., 5-10 - Rhodes was a problem for opposing teams during the five games.   Plain and simple. Not only did she rebound and put shots back up, but her athleticism caused all kinds of issues for opponents.   At one point, there was simply no stopping her onslaught as she dominated games over the span of five-minute intervals. If she wasn't scoring, then she was rebounding, defending, and just being an athlete, many simply couldn't handle. Double teams failed, smaller defenders couldn't deal with her strength, and many players who got their hands on rebounds first simply couldn't keep ahold of the ball as Rhodes ripped the ball from their grasps. Trying to figure out something to slow her down wasn't much useful as she would simply switch between these skills. And sometimes she would show them off on the same possessions. Overall, Rhodes couldn't have asked for a better expo.

BRIDGEPORT - Bridgeport was the place to be for many high school basketball players around the state Saturday during the Prepgirlshoop.com's Top 250 Expo.