P2W Headliners Invitational: HS Team Liberty

Ray Kimball and I joined forces to offer the first-ever Headliners Invitational back in November of 2023. After taking a sabbatical in 2024, our conviction became undeniably strong that the Headliners needed to come back and become a staple showcase in the community. The inspiration for the Headliners Invitational Showcase came after observing elite camps and prospect camps across the state. There were pieces of traditional showcase formats (games/scrimmaging), college elite camps, and prospect camps that I liked, but something was missing from the equation. The ideal format became apparent as I reflected upon my goal for joining Prep Girls Hoops in the first place: to identify and help girls basketball prospects be recruited by college coaches.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/10/Screenshot_20251027-140306-crop-1045x686-1761588322.png?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1351452" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Headliners Invitational, HS Session, Portland HS, Oct. 26th, 2025. </figcaption></figure>   An event where girls would have the opportunity to: 1) Work with college coaches who want to recruit them, 2) Be evaluated by college coaches who fit their level of ability, and 3) Receive comprehensive media coverage by Prep Girls Hoops scouts, was clearly needed for prospects in the community. Every prospect is unique, and the traditional showcase format may not be the best fit for everyone. Those girls need opportunities to demonstrate their skills through small-sided games and drills in front of college coaches--not just games. That's exactly why drills emphasizing different skill areas, 3v3, and 5v5 games were all included at the Headliners Invitational. The format was chosen to set prospects up for success in front of the college coaches. Every prospect had a reversible jersey with a number that corresponded to the information in the college coaches' event packets. Every D2, NAIA, D3, NCCAA, and D3 college program in the state received an invitation to this event. 20 colleges pre-registered to recruit at the showcase, and time was built into the event for prospects to speak with college coaches after their session. Every girl had their picture taken by a PGH scout and will be included in a post-event write-up that highlights their strengths.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/10/Screenshot_20251027-135918-crop-953x626-1761588529.png?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1351454" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Headliners Invitational, MS Session, Portland HS, Oct. 26th, 2025.</figcaption></figure>   Additionally, there were no middle school showcases offered in the state, so it became clear that we had a great opportunity to provide an exceptional first experience for middle schoolers. Since college coaches are recruiting/evaluating high schoolers and our PGH coverage prioritizes high school prospects during their AAU and high school seasons, having a middle school session became very important. Middle schoolers not only worked with college coaches, but had the opportunity to train with former WNBA player Jennifer Smith (GLCC Head Coach) and Northwood Women's Basketball sharpshooter Makenzie Todd (LCC Assistant). Every middle schooler is on the Prep Girls Hoops radar ahead of their high school career and will be promoted on our platform. By experiencing a showcase ahead of their freshman year, the middle schoolers will be better prepared for high-stakes environments in front of college coaches in the future.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/10/Screenshot_20251027-140015-crop-1080x710-1761588944.png?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1351456" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pre-Event talk with Ray Kimball, Headliners Invitational, Portland HS, Oct. 26th, 2025. </figcaption></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/10/Screenshot_20251027-140031-crop-1080x710-1761589141.png?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1351458" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pre-Event talk with Evan Bell, Headliners Invitational, Portland HS, Oct. 26th, 2025.</figcaption></figure>   My coverage focused primarily on teams Liberty and Fever during the showcase. Here are evaluations for high schoolers representing Team Liberty during session one at the [program_tooltip program_id='923712' first='Prepare' last='2 Win Basketball'] Headliners Invitational!    Olivia turned in an All-Showcase Second Team performance at the PGH Freshman Showcase and she put those same notable qualities on display at the Headliners Invitational. Her ability to create space off the dribble, read the defense, and deliver accurate passes to open teammates resulted in multiple assists. One of her best assists was a wrap-around pass around a defender in the paint to an open teammate for a layup. Olivia chased down rebounds and pushed the ball in transition to create transition scoring opportunities. She's a selfless passer and excellent defender. Olivia's textbook defensive stance and quick feet forced turnovers. She earned recognition as a Top Performer and helped Team Liberty have a successful day.     Charlee is a strong forward who looks ready to have a breakout freshman year at Saugatuck. She has a great touch on her passes and looks to set up teammates. Charlee worked hard to secure rebounds and gave teammates a target by gaining the advantage in the post with her seals. She finished well around the basket and had a solid day for Team Liberty at the Headliners Invitational. Her length and physicality are going to be a matchup problem at the high school level.     Peyton is a guard I was very excited to see signed up for the Headliners Invitational, and I have a feeling that her stock definitely went up after a solid day for Team Liberty. Peyton handled the ball confidently with both hands and sprinted the floor to create transition scoring opportunities. She cut to open space, caught passes with soft hands, and finished multiple layups with soft touch off the glass. Peyton penetrated gaps with her dribble, shared the basketball, and played hard on both ends.     Sadie has a polished set of skills on the offensive side of the ball, but it was her defensive effort that grabbed my attention at the Headliners Invitational. Sadie hounded the ball, moving laterally with extreme quickness that put ball-handlers in a box. She attacked gaps with her dribble to earn trips to the free-throw line and chased down offensive rebounds. One of Sadie's highlight plays was a speedy crossover dribble, drive-by, and reverse finish in traffic. She was a Top Performer for Team Liberty and will be a point guard to watch at Parma Western.     Delaney fits the mold of a college guard, and she had another solid showcase at the Headliners Invitational with Team Liberty. Delaney had great ball-handling control, set smart ball screens, and pushed the tempo in transition. She shoots with sound mechanics and a balanced stance. Delaney made smart basket cuts and finished effectively at the rim. She has length and quickness that make it difficult for opponents to keep her off the offensive glass. Delaney maneuvered her way into position for an offensive board and scored the put-back. She's going to have a stellar sophomore season for Livonia Stevenson.     Chandler demonstrated true toughness by playing through a hand injury during the Headliners Invitational. She found a way to make a noticeable impact for Team Liberty and was a fantastic facilitator. Chandler's court vision in transition and accurate passes resulted in many assists. One of her best plays was a quick spin dribble drive down the baseline and a perfect hammer pass to the opposite corner. She jumped into the passing lane for a steal on defense, converted layups, and shot the ball with confidence from beyond the arc. Chandler will be an exciting guard to watch at Powers Catholic.     Leigha was expected to be the most dominant forward in the gym, and that's exactly what she was for Team Liberty. She extended her range to the perimeter, burying a triple up top and from the wing. Leigha attacked gaps relentlessly with her dribble and scored many layups. She switched hands to avoid a defender on one drive and finished with ease. Leigha got to the rim again, drew the help defender, and made the extra pass for an assist. She protected the basket as a shot-blocker, kept her hands active to cause deflections, and anticipated passes to grab multiple steals. Leigha motored down the baseline to score a sweet reverse layup and scored another layup off the dribble using a spin move. She was a rebounding force on both ends, earned many trips to the foul line, and knocked down her free throws. After a First-Team All-Showcase performance at The Expo, Leigha earned MVP honors in her home gym at the Headliners Invitational.     Jenna is a freshman who will be breathing new life into the Bay City Western program this winter as they look to turn the tide in the competitive SVL North Division. I've seen Jenna compete several times now at showcases, elite camps, and travel tourneys. She has advanced ball-handling control and combination dribbles for her age. Jenna keeps defenders on their heels and fires passes on a rope to open teammates. She finishes effectively with both hands and has skilled footwork around the basket. Jenna put on a clinic during the finishing drills. She handled the ball with poise for Team Liberty and stretched the defense with her perimeter shooting. Jenna will be a prospect to follow closely this winter, and she had a solid day at the Headliners Invitational.     Kaitlyn is a sharpshooter from South Lyon East who can put games out of reach in a hurry when she's left open on the perimeter. She demonstrated an understanding of spacing and found openings in the defense. Kaitlyn facilitated the ball well and after sprinting in to secure an offensive rebound, she dished a pass on the money to a cutter for the assist. Kaitlyn shoots with confidence from three-point range and buried a triple in the corner. She makes good reads off the ball and has a quick release off the catch. Kaitlyn had a solid day at the Headliners Invitational and will be a key contributor this season for the Cougars.     Taylor has built a reputation for her three-point accuracy, and she proved it again at the Headliners Invitational. Taylor was on fire during the shooting drills, and she buried another triple for Team Liberty during the games. She wasn't afraid to battle for rebounds. Taylor secured the ball and protected it from being tied up by ripping it away from defenders. Her active hands created steals on defense, and Taylor distributed the ball to open teammates. Taylor has the instincts, basketball IQ, advanced offensive skills, and defensive presence necessary to be a breakout player in year one at Central Montcalm.

Ray Kimball and I joined forces to offer the first-ever Headliners Invitational back in November of 2023. After taking a sabbatical in 2024, our conviction became undeniably strong that the Headliners needed to come back and become a staple showcase in the community. The inspiration for the Headliners Invitational Showcase came after observing elite camps and prospect camps across the state. There were pieces of traditional showcase formats (games/scrimmaging), college elite camps, and prospect camps that I liked, but something was missing from the equation. The ideal format became apparent as I reflected upon my goal for joining Prep Girls Hoops in the first place: to identify and help girls basketball prospects be recruited by college coaches.