2026 AAU Szn: Competing The Last Live Period

This past weekend was the Last Live Period across the Country for AAU ball to take place for the 2026 Spring/Summer season. Below we highlight seven players from the Midwest that did their thing and stood out whenever they competed the last few days.   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    Smid was the overall leaders this EYCL season for her AIA team. Smid led her team in PPG and RPG out of the SF position throughout the Spring/Summer. She was a rebounding force that most other programs couldn't deal with and that helped her produce on both ends. Smid has had a year to remember on the hardwood as a whole. She was a standout last Winter during the Playoffs and she used that momentum to put together an impressive last six months as a whole.     If you aren't used to the name Quinn Jorgensen, you should start because Jorgensen could be a leader in scoring for her Waukee NW High School team this upcoming Winter with her ability to let it fly from deep. Jorgensen competed on the EYCL circuit this Spring/Summer and she did a great job of showing that she is a winning player, who makes winning plays when it matters. She can be the type that catches on fire from deep with how well she can shoot it or she can get into the defense and hit an open teammate for an assist when the defense is playing too aggressively. All in all, a noteworthy six months for Jorgensen and Company.     [player_tooltip player_id='880907' first='Natalie' last='Schechinger'] did an awesome job of player her position this AAU season with her AIA program. Schechinger, the 5'8 PG, isn't the type to kill you with scoring but with basically everything else she brings to the floor. She is a commander of control, she communicates at high level to get all of those around her in their proper positions, she isn't afraid to play off of the ball if someone else is moving down the floor in transition, and she is someone that everyone likes to have on their team because of her consistent effort levels. Schechinger is a sound PG #1, that is going to be some sort of steal at the collegiate level one day.     J Love comes to Iowa from Nebraska to compete for AAU season with the limited options that the state of Nebraska has for travel ball season and it seems like it was a great move. Love was her team's leading scorer this season in PPG with some efficient shooting and with her ability to get to any spot she wants when she plays on the Wing/Corner, off of the basketball. If defenses want to sag off her, she can step back and hit a shot in their face from deep, making them play honestly on defense. I'm not sure where Love is going to end up but I remember scouting her when I worked in that state for PGH and she was someone to note then. She just needs to keep working and she might be a D1 prospect before you know it.     Whenever you take into consideration the stat of PPG with any specific player, you need to understand their role on their specific team more than anything else. For example - [player_tooltip player_id='1826579' first='Bailey' last='Joens'], when you look at her 15U EYBL team's numbers, she is their leader in PPG with just under 15 while playing up a grade level. This is impressive but it's important to note that she is shooting more than most others around her. That doesn't take away the fact that she averaged around 15 PPG, shot 43% from the field, and her team went a total of 22-1 this AAU season on the road though. Those are three really important facts and they support the claim that Joens impacts winning in a positive way more than anything else whenever she is hooping. That is something collegiate coaches take into regard when recruiting at the Division-1 level so that she is demonstrating that already is special.     That's going to call it a wrap for [player_tooltip player_id='502096' first='KeaOnna' last='Worley'] and her AAU career at the high school level. Worley, the 5'4 PG and UNI WBB commit, put together a respectable "Senior" season on the travel floor as their General at the front of the pack. She led her Missouri Phenom 17U Iowa hub team in almost every contest they played throughout this Spring/Summer, something she should be proud of, and that helped a lot of her teammates standout around her. It's easy to commit and not take things so seriously once you are committed but not Worley, she finished off this season on a strong note and I think we should expect the same things Winter at CR - Prairie High School.     AB is a name that we are becoming more and more familiar with as well look towards this Fall and Winter High School season. Besler, a talented young PG/SG, is the life force of her Anamosa High School team and she proved this AAU season that she could compete on the college floor and produce at a steady rate if given a chance in the right system. Overall - she would be considered a sound player, that is going to listen to their coach the best they can while trying to make plays on both ends of the floor. It's also important to note that Besler doesn't look for the credit for big plays. She does her work, keeps her head down, and she keeps things moving. Which is really all you can ask for from a coaching perspective.

This past weekend was the Last Live Period across the Country for AAU ball to take place for the 2026 Spring/Summer season. Below we highlight seven players from the Midwest that did their thing and stood out whenever they competed the last few days.