PGH Midwest Extravaganza: Morning Movers (17U)

The PGH Midwest Extravaganza kicked off early this morning for a 2-day tournament in the Chicagoland Area. During those two days I am stationed to provide coverage from the Centre Of Elgin location. At this location this morning we saw some intense battles, insane shooting displays, and a lot of passion left out on the floor. Below I am going to mention some players that stood out during their early morning contests on Saturday, enjoy.

Kailee Thiel (2024) – Rice Basketball Academy 2024

Kailee Thiel “jumps off the screen” when you walk by and watch her team compete. A player that stands at around 6’2 with some real athleticism and coordination, showed that she can be a versatile piece to any team out there this morning. She understands her role, works hard on both sides of the floor, can switch to defend a guard in situations, and is big enough to score against almost everyone she faces in the post. Today I watched Thiel record 4/5 blocks in one half as she understands to stay down on a guard driving to the hoop because of her size advantage. Thiel impressed today. There is no doubt about that.

Daya Philips (2027) – Iowa Battlers 2026

Daya Philips is going to receive a write up after this weekend about her overall play but let me just tell you now, this girl is special. A player who has been competing at the 2024 age level and dominating most of the competition that’s put in front of her. Her handle, her vision, her dribbling ability, is all varsity level ready right now and she is only in 8th grade. She had multiple players on skates today in her contests, especially this morning in her teams big win against Illinois Elite 2024 National. I can’t wait to see how she progresses over the next few season as she gets into high school.

Katelyn Stechschutle (2024) – 419 Select 2024

Katelyn Stechschutle was a stand out this morning in her teams contest. A player that is an interesting prospect out of the Ohio did a lot of good things in her game. She was strong with the ball, understood when to take it to the basket, and really let the game come to her. Her physicality and length are a nice advantage she has over most of her competition when she is going down-hill, toward the rim. This 419 Select 2024 team has some real hoopers. A group that plays as a unit and they really showed that off this morning. I’m excited to see what they can bring to the table on Sunday after going 2-0 today.

Kaitlyn Parker Kaitlyn Parker 5'9" | CG Downers Grove North | 2024 State IL (2024) – IL Game Time 2024

Kaitlyn Parker Kaitlyn Parker 5'9" | CG Downers Grove North | 2024 State IL is a bucket. Let’s just start off with that. On multiple occasions this morning I saw Parker score with ease over her opponent. Not to mention that she was scoring on all three levels on the floor at a consistent rate and getting others involved whenever she could. This 2024 Illinois Game Time team is made up of a lot of pieces. A good amount of 2024’s, some 2025’s and a couple 2026’s in total on the roster. They have been working hard and leaving everything they possibly can out on the floor each game. There is not much more you could ask for as their coach.

Danielle Brooks Danielle Brooks 5'7" | PG Kenwood | 2026 State IL (2026) – Chicago Hoops Express 2024 (1)

Danielle Brooks Danielle Brooks 5'7" | PG Kenwood | 2026 State IL has a lot of hype around her name and for good reason. The 2026 point guard starts for this CHE 2024 team and runs the show. She is the point guard who makes good choices with the ball in her hands and hits open shots whenever the opportunity presents itself. On Saturday morning she led her team to a big victory with herself at the point. She handles, distributed, and scored when she needs to. Not to meant that she helped create several turnovers in her teams press, leading to buckets for herself or her team in transition. Tomorrow I’m expecting the same play out of Brooks. We will see if it’ll be enough to coast her team to an undefeated record overall for the weekend.