PGH Great Lakes Region Finals: 17U Saturday Afternoon Standouts

Day One of the Great Lakes Region Finals featured a full slate of games. Every play counts when you're fighting for a chance to win a circuit championship. Teams emptied their tanks to win and advance in the brackets, with every 17U team opening the tournament with an opportunity to take home a Gold or Silver bracket Championship title. My coverage over the weekend focused on 17U prospects, and here are several prospects who earned a top performer selection on Saturday.    Mia used her length and quick lateral footwork to pester guards on the perimeter, diving on the floor to wrestle away 50/50 balls. She has a solid build that helps her absorb contact on her way to the basket and finish with strength at the rim. Mia attacked hard downhill and drove by defenders with a burst to score layups and get to the line. She knocked down back-to-back free throws and demonstrated excellent court vision as a facilitator, reversing the court with strong skip passes to give teammates open looks. Mia handles the ball well under pressure and does a great job of getting defenders on her hip. She's a threat from beyond the arc and had a solid tournament for 5Star Basketball 17U at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals.     Adalyn has length, vision, fundamental skill, and an aggressive presence on the court that make her an appealing guard prospect. She dives to secure every loose ball and creates steals with her active defensive pressure. Adalyn scored a tough, contested layup on a drive with good control and dished out crisp passes to open teammates for assists. Adalyn used a quick high rip move to get by her defender, accelerated towards the basket, and finished strong through contact for the bucket. She's a confident shooter who can knock down the three and was a key player for [program_tooltip program_id='1239744' first='Next' last='Play'] 17U during the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals.     Katie was a playmaker in the backcourt who quickly grabbed my attention on Saturday during her game for Big 3 17U. She showed competency and a high IQ running the one or playing off the ball as a two guard. I took note of her smart basket cuts throughout the game. Katie cut to the rim for a catch and finish in stride and cut backdoor again down the baseline, landed under control with a jump stop, let the defender attempting to block her shot go soaring by, then calmly finished the layup off two feet. She used a quick spin move to drive by her defender up top and pulled up in the paint to hit a jumper over the help. Katie snatched a defensive rebound and immediately looked to score, pushing the ball up the floor, then pulling up from the elbow to sink the transition bucket. She's a confident three-point shooter and had a solid showing at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals.     Sarai plays with maximum effort, hustle, and fierce competitiveness on the court. She moves well off the ball, cutting to the basket for a catch and finish layup off two feet. She has an extra gear in the open court and good instincts on defense. Sarai anticipated a pass, deflected it, snatched the ball for a steal, and pushed it up the floor with pace using both hands all the way to the rim for the bucket. She doesn't quit on a play and sprints back to stop transition scoring opportunities. Sarai used a shifty combination of behind-the-back snap crossover dribbles to lose her defender, split the gap, and banked in the floater with a soft touch over the help. She was a two-way difference-maker for [program_tooltip program_id='1239744' first='Next' last='Play'] 17U at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals.     Madelyn was consistent and poised for [program_tooltip program_id='713038' first='Wisconsin' last='Blaze'] Inferno 17U at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals. She plays with a high IQ, understanding where the ball needs to go, moving to open space, communicating actively, making the right pass, and handling the ball effectively under duress. Madelyn swished a three from the slot, beat pressure with her crossovers while keeping her dribble alive, drove to the basket, and pivoted to hit a turnaround jumper through contact off the glass. She knocked down the free throw to complete the three-point play. Madelyn has excellent handles and uses a variety of inside-outs, crossovers, and pocket dribbles comfortably with both hands. She throws passes with touch and changes the trajectory to thread the ball through tight windows. Madelyn cut backdoor to score a catch and finish layup with her left and demonstrated smart instincts off the ball. She generated steals with her quickness and sharp instincts on the defensive end, making an all-around impact for her team.     DJ fortified the interior on the defensive end for 5Star Basketball 17U. She used her length to block shots and worked hard to secure rebounds. DJ used her mobility to close out with high hands on perimeter shooters and force misses. She showed her outside range by draining two triples from the slot and added another three from the corner. DJ caught an entry pass with soft hands in the paint and finished the contested layup with strength. She's a versatile forward who made an impact for her team throughout the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals.     Princess has athleticism, size, length, and an all-out motor that immediately grabs your attention. She's closer to 6 feet and solidified the interior for [program_tooltip program_id='713038' first='Wisconsin' last='Blaze'] Inferno 17U at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals. Princess moves laterally very well to apply pressure on the perimeter and has great anticipation as a help-side defender in the post. She anticipated a basket cut, rotated quickly, walled up, and forced a turnover. Princess swatted shots away in the paint, secured rebounds with strong hands, and tied up the ball in the high post. She has an explosive first step and drives through gaps with powerful/long strides on her way to the rim, going up strong off two feet.

Day One of the Great Lakes Region Finals featured a full slate of games. Every play counts when you're fighting for a chance to win a circuit championship. Teams emptied their tanks to win and advance in the brackets, with every 17U team opening the tournament with an opportunity to take home a Gold or Silver bracket Championship title. My coverage over the weekend focused on 17U prospects, and here are several prospects who earned a top performer selection on Saturday.