MBA Mother's Day Classic: A High Major D1 Duel

The MBA Mother's Day Classic has quickly become one of my favorite annual tournaments to cover. The facility at MSA Woodland and format creates a great opportunity to evaluate many prospects throughout the day. I appreciated the structure of having a one-day event, with 2026 and 2027 teams competing at the same facility in different time slots. The gym was packed for the 2026 games with D2 (GLIAC) and D3 (MIAA) coaches, while JUCO D2 (MCCAA) and NAIA (Crossroads, WHAC) coaches were also well represented. MBA did a phenomenal job hosting. They anticipated the flood of coaches and had plenty of chairs spread out along the baselines. MBA also had bleachers available for spectators and families to use. The hot concessions allowed me to stay all day without leaving the facility! This tournament provided a unique opportunity to evaluate <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/zero-star-basketball/">[program_tooltip program_id='928192' first='Zero' last='Star Basketball']</a> , an Upper Peninsula travel program based in Marquette, against some of Michigan's top prospects and teams.   As you can imagine, my coverage prioritized watching <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/zero-star-basketball/">[program_tooltip program_id='928192' first='Zero' last='Star Basketball']</a> ‘s 17U and 16U teams, while still observing many additional games throughout the day. Not every day can you watch a High Major D1 Volleyball prospect and a High Major D1 Basketball prospect battle on the court. [player_tooltip player_id='886257' first='Mya' last='Hemmer'] (Baylor Volleyball) of [program_tooltip program_id='928192' first='Zero' last='Star Basketball'] and [player_tooltip player_id='613422' first='Lilly' last='Williams'] (MSU) of Mystics Ruh-P24 gave spectators the thrill of seeing two D1 forwards compete on both ends of the court. Keep reading to hear about both prospects and many more who also grabbed my attention during the 17U games on Saturday.    Peyton looked ready for a breakout day at the MBA Mother's Day Classic. She was off to a great start before an ankle injury ended her day prematurely. Peyton scored a baseline drive layup with her left hand off two and made a strong lob-entry pass. She finished a tough left-handed layup through a foul on her last play. Peyton has length and abilities that make her a versatile prospect. She's a combo wing/guard I'm eager to see again.     Mya was an athletic force for Ishpeming during their historic state title run two years ago. She gave the Hematities an advantage inside that helped them secure the D4 state title and earned <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2024/03/d4-all-breslin-team/">D4 All-Breslin</a> Honors in the process. Mya came down for the MBA Mother's Day Classic with [program_tooltip program_id='928192' first='Zero' last='Star Basketball'], and competed well against Michigan's best forward prospect. Mya pivoted and used a great counter move to score with soft touch off the glass. She created separation with a jab step before sinking a long floater. Mya battled inside to secure offensive rebounds, scoring many put-backs, including a strong and-one. She chased down a breakaway to deflect a pass out of bounds and showed her athleticism by finishing reverse layups off the dribble. She competed hard and communicated with high energy throughout the day. Mya showed her worth as a D1 basketball prospect on Saturday. She has committed to Baylor University for volleyball.     Kenzie showed her potential at the MBA Mother's Day Classic. Her mobility and length were a challenge for opposing forwards boxing out. Kenzie won her one-on-one battle, secured the rebound, and used an effective pivot to finish at the rim. She demonstrated good footwork in the paint, and I'm eager to see Kenzie more with MBA GUAA 2026 this spring.     Clare left a great impression because of her non-stop hustle and rebounding presence for [program_tooltip program_id='928192' first='Zero' last='Star Basketball'] at the MBA Mother's Day Classic. I wrote down in my notes that Clare never stops working for rebounds and that she worked relentlessly to defend the post. She secured rebounds in the air after strong box outs and outworked others for pursuit rebounds on the floor. Clare knocked down free throws, scored offensive rebound put-backs, and broke up a breakaway layup by sprinting back in transition. Clare has a motor, toughness, and unselfishness that every coach needs on their roster.     Taryn played up with Mystics 2026 Ruh-P24 and fit right in with the older girls at the MBA Mother's Day Classic. Taryn finished layups confidently with both hands, blocked multiple shots in the paint, and added a strong rebounding presence to the team. She will be a name to remember in the 2029 class and would be a top forward prospect at our Freshman Showcase in August.     Lauren had an impactful day for [program_tooltip program_id='713450' first='REAL' last=''] at the MBA Mother's Day Classic. Lauren worked hard to seal defenders in the low post and caused many fouls after getting the inside edge. She knocked down shots from the charity stripe and grabbed offensive rebounds. Lauren made a great decision to kick the ball out to a perimeter shooter when the defense tried to trap her in the paint.     Lilly is the #1 forward prospect in Michigan and she left no room for doubt at the Mother's Day Classic with Mystics 2026 Ruh-P24. Lilly started strong from the beginning. She set a screen, rolled to the basket, and transferred the ball cleanly for an easy layup. Lilly forced the defense to foul many times and knocked down her free throws. She finished shots with strength around the basket and fired a confident straightaway three that found nylon. Lilly was a fierce shot blocker and strong finisher in the paint. She faced one of the few forwards in our state who has high level D1 athleticism and height. Lilly embraced the challenge and proved she is in a league of her own. Lilly is committed to Michigan State University.

The MBA Mother's Day Classic has quickly become one of my favorite annual tournaments to cover. The facility at MSA Woodland and format creates a great opportunity to evaluate many prospects throughout the day. I appreciated the structure of having a one-day event, with 2026 and 2027 teams competing at the same facility in different time slots. The gym was packed for the 2026 games with D2 (GLIAC) and D3 (MIAA) coaches, while JUCO D2 (MCCAA) and NAIA (Crossroads, WHAC) coaches were also well represented. MBA did a phenomenal job hosting. They anticipated the flood of coaches and had plenty of chairs spread out along the baselines. MBA also had bleachers available for spectators and families to use. The hot concessions allowed me to stay all day without leaving the facility! This tournament provided a unique opportunity to evaluate Zero Star Basketball , an Upper Peninsula travel program based in Marquette, against some of Michigan's top prospects and teams.