PGH MI College Tour II Wayne State: Notable Newcomers

The Prep Girls Hoops Michigan College Tour made its second stop at Wayne State University on Saturday, April 25th. Both fieldhouses on campus were packed with college coaches right from the opening tip, representing several programs across the D2, NAIA, D3, and JUCO levels. I was encouraged by the fact that the prospects had the opportunity to be observed by different levels of college programs and respected scouts, maximizing their potential to be recruited. My coverage focused on teams competing on courts three and four throughout the day. Something I'm always hoping for is the opportunity to see new prospects--those diamonds in the rough just waiting to be discovered. There were plenty of new prospects in the gyms on Saturday. These nine prospects are getting their first PGH write-up, and I was excited to see them for the first time on the travel circuit.    Madina is a crafty and quick point guard who immediately had me asking, "Who's that girl"? She used wide pushout dribbles to set defenders up, then tied them in knots with her shifty crossover combinations. Madina was an effective court general, facilitating the ball to open shooters after penetrating off the dribble. She racked up the steals with her quick hands and pesky perimeter pressure. Madina swiped the ball away at half court, accelerated to the rim, and finished off two with touch. She picked off passes from the help side and surveyed the court with her eyes up in transition. Madina will be a prospect to follow in the Hype Elite 16U program this spring.     Mallory is a towering center who turned some heads at the PGH MI College Tour II with [program_tooltip program_id='1249476' first='Lakeside' last='Basketball Academy'] 17U. She's strong, muscular, athletic, well over 6-feet, moves her feet well in the paint, and even stepped outside to knock down a straightaway three. Mallory sealed defenders with a strong stance in the paint, worked hard to secure rebounds on both ends, went up to snatch the ball at its highest point, scored put-backs, and anticipated double teams before kicking the ball out to open shooters. She walled up to force misses and swatted multiple shots away without fouling. Mallory scored a powerful and one layup with her left off two feet and was a major stock riser at the event. She's definitely on college radars now after Saturday.     This was my first time seeing [program_tooltip program_id='1833851' first='Michigan' last='Select'] 16U play, and Julia made a lasting impression. She was a dangerous perimeter threat with serious range. Julia drilled a triple from the slot and added another swish from well beyond the college line. She rolled to the basket, caught the entry pass in stride, protected the ball by keeping it high, and earned a trip to the free-throw line. Julia shot free throws with smooth mechanics and rhythm. She grabbed an offensive board and buried the mid-range jumper. Julia sees the floor and surveys the scene as she handles the ball. She's a guard who made a splash at the PGH MI College Tour II.     Natalie made a comprehensive difference on the court that helped [program_tooltip program_id='715695' first='Michigan' last='Vice'] 16U win their pool at the PGH MI College Tour II. She cut backdoor for a catch and finish, used effective pivots to keep the ball protected, made strong kickouts, made long outlet passes up the court in transition, and reversed the court quickly. Natalie threaded the needle on a great wrap-around entry pass through a tight window to a cutter, putting a ton of English and the right amount of touch on the bounce pass for the assist. She knocked down a foul line jumper, scored a layup, and hit key free throws down the stretch to help secure the win.     Syncere was one of the most aggressive and fierce players on the court during a BNB 16U win at the PGH MI College Tour II. She made her presence felt on the defensive end, making a vicious block in the paint and taking multiple steals straight to the rim for two points. Syncere has a burst when she attacks off the dribble and makes straight-line drives look effortless with her long strides and quickness. She showed off her athleticism, jumping up to snag a pass, then blew by the defense for a layup. Syncere crashed the boards hard to secure offensive rebounds, switched hands well in the open court, and made a lasting impression.     Journey is a long and athletic prospect who stood out for BNB 16U at the PGH MI College Tour II. She played with an endless motor, working hard inside to battle for position, and secure rebounds on both ends. Journey followed shots to score multiple put backs, caught passes inside with good hands, then made smooth transfers to finish her layups. I made a note of Journey's strong, powerful frame and how hard she played on both ends. Journey picked off passes from the helpside, was aggressive, threw long passes ahead to open teammates in transition, caught a pass with strong hands to score a layup with one dribble, closed out quickly on shooters, and swatted a shot away in the paint. She showed great sportsmanship by giving an opponent a high five after a hard play.     Aubrey put her toughness on full display for [program_tooltip program_id='715544' first='Pr1de' last='Basketball'] 16U at the PGH MI College Tour II. Her rebounding, defense, and work ethic on the court left a lasting impression. Aubrey moved her feet quickly at half court to put the ball-handler in a box, ending with a half-court violation. She crashed the boards continuously to win battles for offensive rebounds, drove hard to the basket, and earned trips to the free-throw line. Aubrey hustled back on defense to stop fast breaks and fought hard to secure 50/50 balls.     Michelle gave Dream Loudly 16U EYCL Krasinski a spark with her outside shooting at the PGH MI College Tour II. She found her hot spots and buried two corner threes in the game. Michelle switched hands comfortably in the open court and contributed as a rebounder. She anticipated a pass to swipe a steal, then finished with a strong and-one layup through contact.     Violet is a quick guard who can drop the ball in the bucket from beyond the arc. She was a difference maker for Hype Elite 16U at the PGH MI College Tour II. Violet broke the full-court pressure with her speedy dribble, switched hands in the open court, and blew by to score a strong and-one layup through contact. She crossed over a defender to drive by baseline for a layup and secured an aggressive defensive rebound. Violet has a smooth stroke from the perimeter. She found the bottom of the net from up top and in the corner. Violet created a driving lane with a shifty inside-out combo move, accelerated, and caused a foul. She buried both freebies at the line with confidence. Violet is a playmaker to keep your eyes on this spring.

The Prep Girls Hoops Michigan College Tour made its second stop at Wayne State University on Saturday, April 25th. Both fieldhouses on campus were packed with college coaches right from the opening tip, representing several programs across the D2, NAIA, D3, and JUCO levels. I was encouraged by the fact that the prospects had the opportunity to be observed by different levels of college programs and respected scouts, maximizing their potential to be recruited. My coverage focused on teams competing on courts three and four throughout the day. Something I'm always hoping for is the opportunity to see new prospects--those diamonds in the rough just waiting to be discovered. There were plenty of new prospects in the gyms on Saturday. These nine prospects are getting their first PGH write-up, and I was excited to see them for the first time on the travel circuit.