PGH Great Lakes Kick Off: 16U Talents

Brady Peterson March 29, 2026 @ 11:03 PM

My first AAU event of the season is over, and there are a handful of players I'd like to highlight from the two-day event down in Illinois. Today, we will look at some of the 16U players who made an impression in what is likely their first AAU tournament of the season as we inch closer to the first live period, coming up in a few weeks. Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about some players.   [player_tooltip player_id='1223281' first='Malani' last='Schleisman']   The Bettendorf forward plays on the Example Sports 16U UAA team, and I remember seeing her last year and being impressed by her skill set. The Iowa native is a 6'2 forward who can space the floor, knock down shots, and force opposing forwards to guard her on the perimeter. However, I love her willingness to use her physicality and score around the basket with her touch in the paint. She is a player who should garner plenty of attention from scholarship-level programs. You won't find many players with her size and skill, and I'm eager to see what she can do this summer when I see her on the UAA circuit in July.   [player_tooltip player_id='992515' first='Sydney' last='Loerke']   The Deerfield forward is a physical kid who was excellent around the basket this weekend. Loerke did a solid job defending the basket, blocking shots around the rim or making kids rethink if they want to shoot with her in the vicinity. She also got up and down the floor well, even though she was playing physically in the paint and outran her opposing frontcourt matchup to generate easy baskets in transition. She makes life easier for her teammates.   [player_tooltip player_id='992484' first='Ambria' last='Fischer']   The players I love the most are usually hard-nosed, athletic, and vocal guards. Fischer fits that mold to a tee, and she did some impressive things this weekend, even when she made mistakes. She missed a layup in transition, and just moved on and somehow helped force a turnover before the other team crossed halfcourt. She's a talented defender and will be a part of every aspect of the game when she's on the floor. Fischer may not be flashy or one of the players people will initially make time to see play, but she's a player everyone can appreciate.   [player_tooltip player_id='890152' first='Bella' last='Biese']   The talent is there with Biese, and I'm intrigued by what the end product may be when she graduates from Hortonville. The 5'11 wing has plenty of length and may be the most versatile player on her [program_tooltip program_id='713038' first='Wisconsin' last='Blaze'] 16U Inferno team by a fair margin. She's still figuring out how to put all the pieces together and be a consistent player on both ends of the floor, but once you see the flashes from her, you'll never unsee it.

My first AAU event of the season is over, and there are a handful of players I'd like to highlight from the two-day event down in Illinois. Today, we will look at some of the 16U players who made an impression in what is likely their first AAU tournament of the season as we inch closer to the first live period, coming up in a few weeks. Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about some players.