PGH GLK: 15U Saturday Afternoon Standouts

Here are several 15U prospects who separated themselves during Saturday afternoon games at the Great Lakes Kickoff!    Bella created turnovers with her scrappy on-ball pressure and switched hands comfortably in transition, facilitating the rock effectively to open teammates. She buried a tough, off-platform jumper at the top of the key with a hand in her face, and caught fire from beyond the arc, draining three in the second half. One of Bella's triples was from way downtown, and she ripped the ball away clean for a steal. She sees the floor well, finishes around the basket, and was an effective two-way player for [program_tooltip program_id='712517' first='Full' last='Package'] Black at the Great Lakes Kickoff on Saturday.     Madison made quite the impression with her all-out defensive pressure, fast-paced drives, and hustle on Saturday for MBA UA Rise 15U at the Great Lakes Kickoff. Madison drained a smooth corner three, poked the ball out with her quick hands for a steal, then accelerated the other way for a breakaway layup. She used perfect technique to deflect a pass with her outside hand, scooped up the loose ball, and beat her defender to the rim for a lefty finish. Madison worked tirelessly to cut off drives and is constantly seeking the steal. Her aggressive and full-throttle style of play caught the attention of spectators in the stands, making some new fans outside of Michigan.     Emersen is a scrappy defender and skilled guard who made a comprehensive impact for Wisconsin Academy 15U at the Great Lakes Kickoff on Saturday. She scored a contested layup off two in the paint, buried a smooth three in the slot, used an effective pivot to create the space needed to hit a contested jumper on the baseline, and was active on the boards. Emersen created steals with her scrappy pressure on the perimeter, dished out assists, and drove hard through the lane to cause fouls. She converted free throws efficiently at the line.     Elizabeth was an effective two-way guard who stood out for [program_tooltip program_id='714232' first='Pink' last='Elite'] National E40 15U at the Great Lakes Kickoff on Saturday. Her ability to sink shots from beyond the arc and get to the rim keeps defenders on their heels. Elizabeth made the opponent pay for leaving her open, draining two triples from the wing. She used a quick rip move to get by her defender and went by for a layup. Elizabeth swiped the ball away at half court and put the pedal down to break away for another layup.     Claire was a defensive stopper for [program_tooltip program_id='716186' first='M14' last='Hoops'] 3SSB on Saturday at the Great Lakes Kickoff. Her anticipation and length created deflections on the perimeter, closing passing windows. She ripped the ball away aggressively for a steal and looked ahead in transition, dishing out lead passes to teammates for assists. Claire picked off a pass, pushed it the other way using both hands, and finished confidently with her left at the rim.     Riley was dialed in from beyond the arc for [program_tooltip program_id='714232' first='Pink' last='Elite'] National E40 15U at the Great Lakes Kickoff on Saturday. She caught the ball, balanced and ready to shoot, then buried two confident triples in the corner. Riley maintained inside positioning on a drive, walled up, and forced a miss without fouling. She reached in quickly to cause a jump ball on another drive, threw a skip pass on the money for an assist, secured rebounds, and deflected passes on the defensive end. Riley switches hands comfortably under pressure and keeps her eyes up in transition.     Alex slashed to the hoop with an explosive burst off the dribble, and her two-way presence stood out with Wisconsin Academy 15U on Saturday at the Great Lakes Kickoff. She chased down a breakaway from behind and swatted the shot away with authority. Alex drove down the lane, spun, absorbed hard contact, and finished the layup. She attacked down the middle again to score a runner from the free throw line and went right back to the well, dropping in another soft floater off the glass before the help could arrive. Alex stepped outside to drain a smooth wing three and pushed the ball using both hands in transition with pace after securing defensive rebounds.     Emma made a comprehensive impact for [program_tooltip program_id='714232' first='Pink' last='Elite'] National E40 15U at the Great Lakes Kickoff, and that quickly caught my attention. She has a confident jumper, draining no-doubter threes from the slot and the corner. Emma worked hard on the defensive end and crashed the boards. She used an excellent pivot to get the scoring angle after securing an offensive rebound, then finished the contested layup off two feet. Emma doesn't stay still; she moves constantly and understands where to cut after making passes. Emma escaped traps up the sideline, handling the ball comfortably with both hands, and was a great weakside rebounder. She took a steal the other way for a left-handed layup and was an all-around impact player.     Laila has a strong, stout, and muscular build that makes her a physically dominant forward for opposing forwards to match up with. She's a relentless rebounder and scored many putbacks after cleaning up the offensive glass. Laila seals off defenders at the rim with a wide, strong base, holding her spot to present an easy target for entry passes. She finished around the basket off two feet, knocked down free throws with good mechanics, screened for guards, used effective pivots, and had good passing vision out of the high post. Her impact stood out for Skye Academy 15U at the Great Lakes Kickoff on Saturday.     Makenzie made an impact with her gritty, hard-nosed effort for MBA UA Rise 15U on Saturday at the Great Lakes Kickoff. She aggressively rebounded the ball, securing multiple on the offensive end, and created steals with her active hands. Makenzie weaved through defenders on a hard drive to the basket and finished off two feet.

Here are several 15U prospects who separated themselves during Saturday afternoon games at the Great Lakes Kickoff!