PGH MI State Tournament: 15U Breakout Players

The PGH Michigan State Tournament was a slam dunk again this year, and that's a testament to so many great prospects giving their all throughout the tournament. Seeing new prospects stand out, while having the opportunity to further evaluate familiar prospects, has been an absolute blast throughout the spring during PGH Circuit competition. Many clubs featuring talented prospects from Michigan and states across the Midwest competed at the PGH Michigan State Tournament. Here's how the brackets played out:   Champions:   17U-MBA UAA 16U   16U-MBA UAA 15U   15U Gold-MBA UA Rise 15U   15U Silver- B Edwards Elite 15U   14U-MBA 14U UA Future   13U-[program_tooltip program_id='715753' first='Michigan' last='Mystics'] 13U Select   12U-[program_tooltip program_id='715753' first='Michigan' last='Mystics'] 12U Select   11U-[program_tooltip program_id='715753' first='Michigan' last='Mystics'] 11U Select   Dozens of prospects impressed our scouts throughout the tournament, and these 15U prospects had breakout performances for their teams this weekend.    Jordyn was a top performer at the PGH Michigan State Tournament last year, and she put up an encore effort for Become One 15U over the weekend. Jordyn's length, quickness, ability to slash past defenders to score layups, instincts as a facilitator, and accuracy from the perimeter made her one of the most impressive freshman prospects on the floor. Jordyn delivered passes effectively with both hands, pushed the ball up the court in transition, pursued rebounds, sprinted in to block a shot, buried a smooth pull-up jumper from the elbow, and swished timely threes from the wing. Jordyn helped guide her team to a runner-up finish in the Gold bracket and received recognition as an All-Tournament selection.     Sydney was consistent, reliable, and poised with the ball in her hands throughout the PGH Michigan State Tournament. Her effectiveness and effort helped MBA UA Rise 15U win the Gold Bracket Championship. Sydney used a quick crossover to go right by her defender for a straight-line layup, took the ball hard downhill to cause a foul, swished a straightaway three, and made a nice transfer for a catch and finish layup. Sydney shot the ball well from beyond the arc across multiple games. She connected from up top, the slot, the corner, and the wing. Sydney chased down rebounds on both ends in the Championship Game, drained a corner three, and knocked down another dagger up top off the bounce. She handled the ball well against pressure and turned in a great weekend for her team.     Myla was a two-way playmaker in the [program_tooltip program_id='714264' first='OPS' last=''] 15U Select back court who made a statement at the PGH Michigan State Tournament. She has a compact build, moves her feet quickly to stop dribble penetration, and ties up the ball. Myla secured rebounds aggressively on both ends and set her defender up with a shifty combination of inside-out dribbles, then pulled up to swish a deep volleyball line three. She swished a straightaway three, created space with a crisp behind-the-back snap, and threw a long lead pass over the defense. I made a note of Myla's great defense and fast lateral slides. She anticipated a dump off and deflected the pass for a steal. Myla snatched a rebound, stepped through two defenders, dribbled 94 feet, and finished with a fancy fake-pass left-handed layup. She added a catch and finish in stride using her left to top it off.     Kate looked like one of those hidden gem prospects you're always looking for as a scout. When you see a six-foot forward with the mobility, length, and versatile skill set to develop into a wing-guard, it's an exciting day. Kate leaped up to snatch rebounds out of the air, blocked shots with emphasis, and hustled to save a loose ball going out of bounds. She worked hard to win battles for rebounds, climbed the ladder to make a contested catch, then finished the play with a strong and-one finish through contact. Kate completed the three-point play at the line. She showed good touch on her floater, scored putbacks, and delivered accurate passes to open teammates. Kate has smart instincts as a passer. She anticipated the defensive rotation, hung in midair, and dished a jump pass across the lane to a teammate for the assist. Kate was a very impactful player for [program_tooltip program_id='952340' first='The' last='House'] 15U during the PGH Michigan State Tournament.     Kennedy was a wing-guard who caught my attention during the PGH Michigan State Tournament. She drove hard to the basket to cause fouls, used her length to create steals, and rotated from the help side to block shots away with authority in the paint. Kennedy shot the ball confidently from beyond the arc and drained a smooth triple in the corner. She has the length, fundamental skills, and versatility to play inside or outside. Kennedy will be a player to follow in the [program_tooltip program_id='932068' first='Michigan' last='Prospects'] program.     Avery had an outstanding weekend for [program_tooltip program_id='714264' first='OPS' last=''] Select 15U. She consistently performed at a high level across multiple games and led her team to a third-place finish in the Gold Bracket. A strength of her game was the ability to penetrate off the dribble, score through contact, and dish out assists to open teammates after drawing the help-side defenders. Avery used a shot fake to freeze her defender, then went by with a quick rip move to score with a soft finish off the glass. She attacked with a crossover dribble, landed on two feet, then used a great step-through pivot to score in traffic. Avery swiped the ball in the half-court and turned on the afterburners to score a full-court layup. She crashed the boards and secured rebounds with strength on both ends. Avery made quick transfers to convert layups in stride, kicked the ball out to shooters for assists, and attacked downhill with determination. She has crafty footwork around the rim and scored three and-one layups during the games I watched. Her strong and muscular build, sharp instincts, high motor on both ends of the court, and effectiveness as a slasher made her one of the most impactful guards in the gym. Avery earned recognition as a 15U All-Tournament First Team selection.     The first time I saw Audrey play was during a Corunna High School game last winter, and my immediate thought was, "This kid is a hidden gem, and I really hope she's playing travel basketball next spring". Fast-forward a few months, and Audrey has been consistently proving her value as a college prospect with [program_tooltip program_id='714456' first='MBSA' last='Hoyas'] 15U on the PGH Circuit. She's a 5-11 wing-guard with a ton of upside, and Audrey was a two-way game wrecker for the Hoyas during the PGH Michigan State Tournament. She used her length to swat shots away in the paint, secured rebounds, batted down passes, and created steals with her active hands. Audrey absorbed contact and used excellent pivots to finish contested shots in the paint. She showed the ability to sink shots from beyond the arc and contributed mightily as a rebounder. One of her highlights happened when she blocked a shot and raced up the court to score a coast-to-coast layup. Audrey swiped the ball away on defense, pushed it up the court with both hands, came to a jump stop, and then scored the layup off two.     Addison was an important role player for Howell as a freshman, and I'm predicting a breakout sophomore campaign is just around the corner. She turned in an impressive effort for Michigan Pure 15U at the PGH Michigan State Tournament. Addison has good ball-handling control, and she switched hands comfortably in the lane to maneuver past defenders for a drive-by layup. Her pressure produced steals, and she kept her eyes up while pushing in transition. Addison has a confident shot from beyond the arc, and she drained a smooth wing three off the catch. She's a playmaker and a very promising guard prospect who works equally hard on both ends of the court.

The PGH Michigan State Tournament was a slam dunk again this year, and that's a testament to so many great prospects giving their all throughout the tournament. Seeing new prospects stand out, while having the opportunity to further evaluate familiar prospects, has been an absolute blast throughout the spring during PGH Circuit competition. Many clubs featuring talented prospects from Michigan and states across the Midwest competed at the PGH Michigan State Tournament. Here's how the brackets played out: