PGH Midwest Extravaganza: Day 1 – Afternoon Notes (17U)

The afternoon contests at the PGH Midwest Extravaganza may have been better than the competition in the morning and that’s no slight to the games of this morning. We had everything you can think of. More game winners, intense full court battles that drew in quiet the crowd, and just a bunch of hoopers going out there to do their thing. Below I’m going to hit you with some quick notes I took throughout the afternoon session today on some players, enjoy.

Jaliyah Kinnetz (2026) – Iowa Battlers 2026

Kinnetz is a scorer. A guard who can get to the basket off of the dribble or pull up from deep in the blink of an eye. Today all that was on full display in both of her contests. She is always looking to attack when the ball is in her hands, something you can’t see about too many who play on a 2026 team in general. With Kinnetz and the Phillip twins, these three are a monster that no team is going to want to mess with over the next few seasons. On the AAU level or high school. Talk about some hoopers, you have to talk about those three moving forward in Iowa.

Talya Tillman Talya Tillman 5'11" | SF Kenwood | 2024 State IL (2024) – Chicago Hoops Express 2024

Talya Tillman Talya Tillman 5'11" | SF Kenwood | 2024 State IL has a lot of promise. In her teams afternoon contest she was a monster on the glass on both sides of the floor while helping her CHE 2024 team to victory. She did a great job of creating space early against her opponent, moving her feet strategically, and keeping everything simple. She also played her size and used the physicality she possesses to her advantage which helped out big time. From what I saw all her coordination and touch is there, i’m sure there are some colleges who have their eyes on Talya moving into this summer.

A’leah Hodges (2024) – Rice Basketball Academy 2024

A’leah Hodges is going to be a college basketball player. Where and what level? I’m not sure as of yet but from what I saw today, she will find a home. Hodges is a smaller point guard with a shifty handle, crafty bag of offensive skill moves, and a flamethrower from deep. When I say deep, I mean deep. She is efficient in her movements and doesn’t try to do too much, making her the perfect player to run point for this group. I’ll be around to see more of Hodges tomorrow, if it was anything like today then I’m expecting some fireworks.

Emma Townsley Emma Townsley 5'7" | PG Benton | 2024 State IA (2024) – Iowa Prep 2024 Platinum

Emma Townsley Emma Townsley 5'7" | PG Benton | 2024 State IA put together a very nice game in her teams contest this afternoon. Townsley was aggressive going toward the hoop, knocked down a good amount of open shots, and walled up on defense against a very good offensive team. I had a chance to watch Townsley at state this spring in Iowa and she was fantastic. I’m happy to see that since then Townsley has stayed dedicated to the sport and tried to expand her game from the guard position. Something that is working from my point of view. This Iowa Prep 2024 team was 2-0 throughout the day on Saturday. They are hoping to compete the weekend undefeated on Sunday, leading everyone right into a beautiful Memorial Day.

Alyssa Ross & Alana Ross (2024) – Peoria Pride 2024

Usually in this situation I would never take two players, who are twins, and count them as one because they are both individual players who bring their own special skills to the floor but these twins play off each other so well that I feel like I HAVE TO mention them in the same breathe. The Ross sisters understand basketball and understand the game to a T but more-so they understand each other, which makes sense. I can’t tell you how many times I saw these two run a pick and pop play for a wide open three today. On top of that, whoever took the shot usually made it. Both of these sisters can handle full court pressure, shoot from the parking lot, and pass with the best of them. Tomorrow I am making it a priority to see this team compete again. They don’t ever give up and play through it all, something more teams should take note of out there.