Art Turner Memorial preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Art Turner Memorial tournament has been one of my favorite showcases that I've ever been to. Some of the best basketball players on the East Coast show up and put on a show. It's this weekend at PVI, so I want to preview some of my favorite matchups. There are many more talented teams and players than the ones I listed. These teams have some of the best talent in their respective states, so you should check all the games out!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PVI vs Steward</strong><br>The first matchup I want to highlight of the tournament is the host PVI vs. Steward. Steward Guard [player_tooltip player_id='376324' first='Sanai' last='Green'] is among the best Sophomores in the state and the country. She is athletic and a gifted scorer from all over the court. PVI is excellent defensively, and one of the reasons why is Junior G/F [player_tooltip player_id='312081' first='Riley' last='Hamburger']. Her length and overall defensive ability will probably see her get the [player_tooltip player_id='376324' first='Sanai' last='Green'] assignment. Steward has some other really good guards like [player_tooltip player_id='380004' first='Lilly' last='Thoman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='551088' first='Tori' last='West'], who are both looking to build on impressive seasons last year. PVI's guards are a little more of a question mark, as three of their guards who got playing time from last season either graduated or transferred. The most significant piece for PVI is Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='238889' first='Laura' last='Williams']. I mentioned earlier that PVI was good on defense, and the biggest reason is [player_tooltip player_id='238889' first='Laura' last='Williams']. Her length and defensive instincts make her an elite rim protector. She will give you 20 and 10 a night and is primed to show why she's the number 1 ranked Senior in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Catholic vs. Good Counsel</strong><br>Catholic vs. Good Counsel is one of the early games on Saturday, and it will be an entertaining matchup. The two PGs for these teams are the most intriguing part of this matchup. Caliyah DeVillasee is the number one ranked Junior in Maryland and one of the best guards in the DMV. Caliyah has cleaned up her game so much over the past few years, and she is one of my favorite players to watch. Her ball handling and playmaking are fantastic, and she does a great job finishing through people at the rim. She is an elite scorer from all over the court, but her mid-range seems automatic. On the other side of this terrific matchup is [player_tooltip player_id='376323' first='Zaniyah' last='Williams']. Zaniyah is so composed and plays the game way beyond her years. She controls the game with her passing and IQ. Zaniyah is a gifted scorer and is athletic around the rim. She is also a terrific shooter and a fantastic all-around player. Catholic has players like versatile power forward [player_tooltip player_id='302566' first='Jemma' last='Eleby'] and guard [player_tooltip player_id='731281' first='Kylah' last='Moore'], who should be great next to Zaniyah. Talayah Walker is a player for Good Counsel to watch as well. She is a skilled scorer who will be a big piece for Good Counsel.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>McDonogh vs. Sidwell Friends</strong><br>McDonogh vs. Sidwell Friends is loaded with girls who will be playing at a Power 5 school. There are several matchups I could highlight in this game to watch. The matchup inside between Kennedy Umeh and Zania Socka-Nguemen will be a battle, but I will highlight the matchup between Kendall Dudley and Ava McKennie, who are neck and neck in the rankings in 2024. Kendall is a great athlete and uses that and her length to be hard to stop when she gets to the rim. She is a solid passer as well and a much-improved ball handler. The Maryland commit Ava Mckennie can guard absolutely anyone in court. Her overall game has come together over the past year, and she is one of the best seniors in Maryland. What's ridiculous about this Sidwell Friends team is that I haven't even mentioned Sophomore forward Jordyn Jackson, one of the best players in the DMV and the number 4 ranked player in the country for 2026. Sidwell Friends lost Jadyn Donovan, one of the best players in the country, last year; with all the talent this team brings back, they shouldn't miss a beat and will be one of the best teams in the country.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Westtown vs. Bishop Ireton</strong><br>I watched this Westtown team at the Art Turner showcase last year, and Jessie Moses and Jordan Palmer were two of the most impressive players there. What shocked me even more was that they were both 8th graders then. They return to this event a year later, and I'm excited to see their improvements. Conversely, Bishop Ireton is healthy this year and has a deep and talented squad. I want to highlight the matchup between Jordyn Palmer and [player_tooltip player_id='302530' first='Nyla' last='Brooks']. Jordyn Palmer is an exceptional basketball player, and I can confidently say she's one of the best basketball players I've ever seen at her age. Jordyn can do everything on offense; her athletic ability and strength are at the next level. She is so fluid in how she moves and has many ways to score inside and out. Jordyn is a unique talent who will do big things. On the other side, [player_tooltip player_id='302530' first='Nyla' last='Brooks'] is another exceptional talent. The Tennessee commit has guard skills and a deep arsenal of moves at 6'2. She has a good jump shot and is a committed and versatile defender. Nyla is a top 25 player in the nation for the 2025 class and a fun player to watch. These teams have other players to watch as well. I mentioned Jessie Moses and senior guard Zahra King are also great players for Westtown. [player_tooltip player_id='239417' first='Amirah' last='Anderson'], [player_tooltip player_id='312087' first='Desirae' last='Ashton'], and many others are players to watch for a deep Bishop Ireton squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->