PGH Midwest Extravaganza: JB’s Sunday Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This weekend I had the task of evaluating our PGH Midwest Extravaganza. This weekend was jam packed with action from the 12U level all the way to the 17U level, competing on multiple courts in the Chicagoland area.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Throughout the day I have been taking live-notes on prospects and really diving into what makes each of those players tick. In this article we go-over some of those notes.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#15 - [player_tooltip player_id='1223555' first='Maia' last='High'] - 2026 - [program_tooltip program_id='834910' first='Example' last='Sports'] 2026 Wolfpack</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>"[player_tooltip player_id='1223555' first='Maia' last='High'] makes things happen within 12FT of the hoop. She has a deep offensive bag at her Forward position with the ability to score with force at the bucket or she can hit a soft jumper from all around. She is smart enough not to settle for rushed attempts as well. She always keeps it moving and she never lets a mistake get to her. Defensively, she holds her own by the paint. She can work in between both blocks and produce at a steady rate as a stopper.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#4 - [player_tooltip player_id='743599' first='Emerson' last='Nilsson'] - 2027 - [program_tooltip program_id='715556' first='Illinois' last='Dream'] 16U Pink</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>"Someone who seems to always make the correct play. She is an able and willing distributor with the rock but she can also get to the bucket for her own type of take if need be. Nilsson won't kill you with crazy moves or anything like that but with fundamentals and discipline. She is consistent in everything she attempts to do and it's noticeable. Looking towards the future, a solid guard to know about out of Illinois in the 2027 Class."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#21 - [player_tooltip player_id='867873' first='Keniya' last='Todd'] - 2028 - Mac Irvin Fire 16U </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>"[player_tooltip player_id='867873' first='Keniya' last='Todd'] had a respectable weekend with her 16U Fire group. Todd brings that mixture of size, skill, and tenacity that you love to see out of a competitor. She has good balance and height to impact things by the hoop but she can also put it on the ground to some degree. A number of times this weekend Todd was jumping sky high for a rebound, usually securing it for her squad. From there, she would either outlet it to a guard or she would bring it down the floor herself. Todd is a hooper with interest from every collegiate level right now and I can see why."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#21 - Ashlee Brown - 2026 - [program_tooltip program_id='834910' first='Example' last='Sports'] 2026 Wolfpack</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>"I've seen Ashlee Brown compete for years now within her home state of Iowa but it was a nice change of pace to see her standing out this weekend in Illinois. Brown has a noteworthy combination of speed, athletic ability, length, and adaptability as a guard. She is someone that can lock-down most other types of opponents on defense, other than maybe a true Center or Power Forward, all while being a coordinated player on the offensive side of the ball as well. She did alright this weekend making the most of her opportunities on that end of the floor. Nothing crazy, Just some solid overall gameplay. I'm not sure who Brown will fall to at the next level but she is going to be a steal for someone."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#29 - [player_tooltip player_id='887169' first='Teagan' last='Murphy'] - 2027 - [program_tooltip program_id='716115' first='Illinois' last='Evolution'] 17U</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>"T Murphy played up a grade level this wakened and held her own. I like what I saw out of Murphy so far. She is a player that works extremely hard, she has a high motor, she obviously has coordinated and skill, all while being a very good teammate to those around her. She communicates with others really well even though she is a young prospect on this 17U team. So much so that you'd never be able to tell the age difference just be looking at her. [program_tooltip program_id='716115' first='Illinois' last='Evolution'] has a tall group as a program at the 17U level. A lot of lengthy producers, that can make up space in a hurry if you let them and they showed that this weekend going 4-0."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->