PGH Midwest Extravaganza: Five College Level Talents That We Saw

The talent at the PGH Midwest Extravaganza was ample at all positions and grade-levels with over 350 teams competing at various locations throughout the weekend. In this article we talk about five prospects that showed what they could do at this event, eventually demonstrating that each of them will be able to compete at the collegiate level one day, if they so choose.   Make sure to check them out when you get a moment!   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    We saw a really nice overall weekend out of Alaina Dreckmeier and Example Sports 16U GUAA. The group went undefeated as a whole and each individual on the roster showed their worth. Dreckmeier was playing the pass-first PG spot to a T. She was finding others off of her dribble creation, making everyone else around her better because of her selfless-ness and she also made a handful of jumpers from deep off the catch once she gave it up and relocated. Defensively, she kept her matchups in check in each position and strung together some nice showings as a whole. I'm not sure where Dreckmeier will end up but she is definitely skilled enough to compete at that next level, if she so chooses. This is the time where the 2028 Class will start to see interest build more and more so expect that the next few months as we move into Summer for Dreckmeier.     I was not aware that Natalie Eshoo was playing up in this event, making her weekend even more impressive from afar. Eshoo was a standout during both days of competition at the PGH Midwest Extravaganza. She was a player moving on and off of the ball while producing at a high rate. She is listed at 5'9 but she seems to stand closer to 5'10/5'11 as a CG. That, mixed with her shifty skills makes her a tough guard for most others matching up across the way. This is the type of prospect who will be a college floor before you know it. If this weekend was any indication, she is going to be a top player to know out of Illinois at Loyola Academy come this Fall.     Naomi Stauffacher did a great job of making herself open to opportunity at this event near and far from the blocks. Stauffacher is one of those prospects that all coaches love to work with. She has good size for her Forward position and she gets down the floor in a hurry. She is better than average at communicating with those around her and she seems to do her work early in possessions while working down the floor. She is the type that a coach can trust in once they instruct their team on either side of the ball and she isn't afraid to get physical when the situation calls for it. We saw Stauffacher make things happen this weekend. Her team killed it and she was a major reason for that in the grand scheme of things.     You want to talk about a dominant force on the hardwood? Look no further than Sophia Calhoun of OTE Hoops 16U. Calhoun is a 5'11 CG with a natural feel for the game. She is as talented as they come as a 5'11 Guard. We saw her do it all on both ends at this event. She got to her spots offensively and finished both wide open attempts and contested ones. She hit shots off the catch from all distances. She killed her opponent with ease near the bucket if she had a height advantage and she wasn't afraid to stay aggressive all weekend long. The only thing that Calhoun can't do at this point in my mind is defend a true post over 6'3 and even in those situations, this is a TOUGH individual so she would give that type of situation a great attempt. All in all, this is a hooper to keep an eye on. She is ranked Top Five in the state for a reason and we saw that first hand this weekend.     Poleski is another interesting player that we saw over the weekend and it looks like she could be something special if she sticks with it. Poleski is a 5'10 CG, that can move between the 1, 2, or 3 spot. She seems to be more of a natural at the 1 spot facilitating or at the 2 as her team's main scoring threat at the Guard position. A lot of her team's action came off of what Poleski did on the outside. Sometimes she started things off while dishing it to someone else and sometimes she went for it and attacking the defense but the point is, she stayed right in the action, whatever that action was. The Chicago Hoops Express program is one of my favorite. They are coaches hard and play the game the right way. They have talent at every level and that goes for players just like Poleski.

The talent at the PGH Midwest Extravaganza was ample at all positions and grade-levels with over 350 teams competing at various locations throughout the weekend. In this article we talk about five prospects that showed what they could do at this event, eventually demonstrating that each of them will be able to compete at the collegiate level one day, if they so choose.