PGH Freshman Showcase: Alyx’s Player Evaluations (#263-268)

<p>The PGH Freshman Showcase brought a ton of talented 2027 players to Louisville this past weekend. All four of the PGH Kentucky scouts/writers were in the building and we all walked away very impressed by this class. There's bound to be players mentioned in multiple articles by different scouts, but every player deserves to have something written about them after their showing on Saturday. When I was trying to decide how to break down these articles, I ultimately decided to turn the notes I had for each player at the event into a series of articles. I'm putting them out numerically based on jersey number, so below you will find the notes I had down for #263-268 (all of which happen to be extremely versatile players).</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jaelee Knowles</h2>   <p><strong>5'10 | Forward | Frederick Douglass HS | [program_tooltip program_id='715742' first='Dana' last='Evans Elite']</strong></p>   <p>#263 - Very tough in the post. Made strong moves and is a good finisher on both sides of the rim. Really versatile and clearly able to play & guard multiple positions. While she plays primarily in the post, she can stretch out to the perimeter offensively because of her ball handling skills and vision. Excellent shot blocker. While she could rely on her height alone to grab rebounds, she really elevates well to grab them off of the rim. Also elevates over defenders to get shots off. Uses length and body to keep the ball away from defense. </p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Baylee Warner</h2>   <p><strong>5'10 | Guard | Montgomery County HS | [program_tooltip program_id='715899' first='Rise' last='Up'] 2026</strong></p>   <p>#264 - I put guard above, but Warner is the kind of player that can always contribute inside the perimeter as well. She was really strong defensively throughout the day. Long and can guard any position. Made great fakes to get defenders off their feet. Isn't afraid to take contact on drives and can get to the line a lot and/or finish through that contact. Has deep range on her shot and very good form. Made great passes down the floor. Switched up moves on drives to keep the defense guessing. Scoring threat at all 3 levels. </p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='738252' first='Maci' last='Messer']</h2>   <p><strong>5'10 | Forward | South Laurel HS | Kentucky Dream Thunder</strong></p>   <p>#265 - Similar to what I wrote above, while I put forward as her position, Messer can really be effective inside or outside of the perimeter. Has good length and athleticism. Smart decisions with and without the ball. Saw and attacked the gaps so well. Multiple crafty finishes around the rim. Really finished tough around/through defenders. 3 level scoring threat. Even when her defender was staying in front, she was still elevating over defenders to score.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kourtney Peterson</h2>   <p><strong>5'11 | Forward/Center | Scott HS | Midwest Takeover</strong></p>   <p>#266 - Another very versatile player with the ability to play and guard multiple positions. Most effective down low, but can really defend anyone. Extremely strong on the boards and just strong in general. Finished very well on both sides of the rim. Holds off the defense well and makes great moves to get to the rim. Can really elevate over the defense to get her shot off. Also has good elevation on rebounds. Shot blocking skills and timing on her blocks were as tough as anyone in the gym Saturday.</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ellie Lavey</h2>   <p><strong>5'11 | Guard/Forward | Dunbar HS | [program_tooltip program_id='715808' first='Lexington' last='Crossover']</strong></p>   <p>#267 - Long and active on the boards. Really played hard every second she was on the court. Constantly got rebounds through pure effort. Played good defense and showed the ability to guard multiple positions. Had some great blocks down low and wasn't giving up anything easy. Has good touch around the rim. Had to play inside most of the time when I got to watch her, but you could tell she has guard skills as well. </p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Carley Boyd</h2>   <p><strong>5'11 | Guard | Raceland HS | [program_tooltip program_id='715899' first='Rise' last='Up'] 2026</strong></p>   <p>#268 - Another player that can be effective inside or outside of the perimeter. Really one of the most versatile threats I saw on Saturday because she has very deep range on her shot, makes great drives to the rim, and creates a lot of mismatches. Attacked gaps well and had good finishes on both sides of the rim. Can do a little bit of everything - good passer, good ball handler, good defender, and the list goes on. She was one of the best shot blockers I saw as well, using her length and timing blocks perfectly. </p>

The PGH Freshman Showcase brought a ton of talented 2027 players to Louisville this past weekend. All four of the PGH Kentucky scouts/writers were in the building and we all walked away very impressed by this class. There's bound to be players mentioned in multiple articles by different scouts, but every player deserves to have something written about them after their showing on Saturday. When I was trying to decide how to break down these articles, I ultimately decided to turn the notes I had for each player at the event into a series of articles. I'm putting them out numerically based on jersey number, so below you will find the notes I had down for #263-268 (all of which happen to be extremely versatile players).