PGH MI Expo: Team 5 Evaluations

The 2026 Expo was loaded with talent as 100+ prospects took the court in front of PGH scouts and college coaches representing D2, D3, NAIA, NCCAA, and JUCO programs. Our format included 4 hours of games split up into predetermined 3v3 and 5v5 matchups. Every participant is featured in our post-event articles, which is a unique and special feature of the Prep Girls Hoops showcases. Social media coverage, post-event evaluations, and a great presence of college coaches in the gym to watch many of the girls who will one day help their programs are elements that make this a special annual experience. Girls had the opportunity to be coached by different college coaches during games and competed alongside great high school talent. My coverage focused primarily on teams 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, and 12. Here is a snapshot of what I observed from players competing on Team 5 at the showcase:    Evi had a productive day for Team 5 at the PGH Michigan Expo. She stayed active on boards, secured multiple defensive rebounds, then immediately looked to push the tempo. Evi stayed poised under full-court pressure, used a variety of crossovers/spin dribbles to protect the ball, and distributed the rock to open teammates. She distributed accurate bounce passes into the post and turned up the heat with her perimeter pressure, keeping opposing guards uncomfortable.     Madison is a point guard prospect who will make a college program very happy on signing day. She makes the right plays, contributes in every statistical category, and makes the team better. Maddie showed those elements of her game at the PGH Michigan Expo with Team 5. She's a positive energy player and celebrated her teammates with verbal encouragement/high fives. Maddie made good basket cuts off the ball, secured defensive rebounds, and started the fast break. She scans the floor in transition and made two long lead passes over the top in stride to open teammates sprinting to the rim. Maddie made an impact on the defensive end, applying good ball pressure, and her sharp instincts from gap/help created steals. She doesn't quit on a play and hustled back to stop a fast break, picking the pass off in transition. Her facilitating, defense, all-out effort, and positive energy were important to the team's success.     Maddie is a prospect I was excited to watch in person for the first time at the PGH Michigan Expo. She showed the length/athleticism and basketball abilities that will make her a targeted wing-guard prospect in this class. Maddie was an aggressive downhill driver who demonstrated the ability to attack gaps and get to the basket throughout the day. She took the ball hard to the rim for a layup, changed hands with a good handle, demonstrated confidence as a threat from beyond the arc, stayed active on the glass, and used excellent pivots to protect the ball against reaching defenders. Maddie was a productive member of Team 5, and she looks ready to have a big sophomore season.     Ayrabella fit right in with Team 5 at the PGH Michigan Expo. She's very disciplined on the defensive end. Ayrabella moves her feet laterally with quick steps and keeps the ball in front of her. Her high motor and hustle made a strong impression. Ayrabella sprinted in to chase after rebounds and dove on the floor to scrap for 50/50 balls. She's comfortable with the ball in her hands, facilitates well, and is a threat from beyond the arc.     Saniyah has good size and a powerful build that will make her a very tough matchup as a forward. She gave Team 5 a strong presence inside and held her own on both ends of the court. Saniyah anticipated an entry pass and picked it off. She worked to establish an interior advantage, posting up with strong seals in the paint, used her shoulder to create scoring angles, and caught passes with good hands. Saniyah used good wall-up technique to force misses and contest shots without fouling on the defensive end.     Vanessa is very crafty in the lane, and she made plays for Team 5 that showed her ability to convert tough shots in traffic at the PGH Michigan Expo. Vanessa drove aggressively to the basket to cause a foul and scored a tough, off-balance and-one floater falling away from the basket. She used a swift spin move on a drive to evade a defender, then forced the foul. Vanessa is a confident three-point shooter with deep range. She caught a pass inside, leaned around a contesting defender, and converted the short jumper from a difficult angle. Vanessa had a big freshman year, and she's continued to progress, setting the stage for an even better sophomore campaign.     Jordan started the PGH Michigan Expo strong in 3v3. She drained a smooth corner three and drove by with a burst to score with an inside-hand finish. Jordan continued to excel in games for Team 5. Jordan distributed good entry passes into the post, changed lanes with a shifty double-crossover to beat her defender, then scored a floater through contact. She stretched the floor and drained a triple from the wing. Jordan hustled to secure an offensive rebound and scored a high-arcing floater in traffic with touch. Jordan's floater game is a strength. She noticed an open driving lane and turned on the afterburners, pushing the ball out with both hands from half court, then scored a runner. Jordan had a great freshman year, and her presence in the backcourt at West Catholic will be huge for the team this season.     Alexis is a fast-twitch point guard who has the quickness and handles needed to create space off the bounce, accelerate to the rim for layups, while also possessing the three-point accuracy, range, and confidence to make defense pay for giving her space to shoot. Alexis got past the first level with a quick crossover dribble and created open looks for shooters by drawing the help, then kicked passes out on a rope. Alexis got a defender to bite with a rim look off on the perimeter, then went by with a burst to get to the basket. Her presence as a facilitator and poised ball-handler stood out for Team 5 at the PGH Michigan Expo.     Kyah will be an exciting addition to Michigan's basketball community, transferring to Niles from Penn. Her length, athletic build, versatility, and next-level potential as a wing-guard immediately caught my attention at the PGH Michigan Expo. It started in 3v3 when Kyah attacked on a hard drive, muscled through contact with her shoulder, then dropped in a floater off two feet. She showed confidence as a three-point shooter and was able to convert multiple layups in traffic. She evaded a defender with an effective spin move to score a contested bucket at the rim, landed under control on two feet, waited for the defender to fly by, then finished off two feet. Kyah ripped the ball away aggressively for a steal on defense and worked hard to apply pressure on perimeter ball-handlers. She switched hands to protect the ball against pressure in the open court and jumped into the passing lane for a steal in the back court. Kyah will be a playmaker to watch at Niles this winter.     Vivian has been a major stock riser over the past few months, displaying the length, athleticism, and fundamental skills on multiple occasions that translate to the higher levels of basketball as a wing-guard prospect. She showed flashes of those abilities at the PGH Michigan Expo throughout the day. Vivian used good low crossovers to escape pressure, stayed alert in help on the defensive end, and rotated quickly to block a shot in the paint. Vivian scored a strong contested layup through contact and ran the floor like a gazelle in transition. She sprinted ahead of the defense, caught a lead pass with good hands, and made a smooth transfer to score the fast-break layup. Vivian will be a stat stuffer and all-league talent at Armada this season; expect a huge sophomore year.

The 2026 Expo was loaded with talent as 100+ prospects took the court in front of PGH scouts and college coaches representing D2, D3, NAIA, NCCAA, and JUCO programs. Our format included 4 hours of games split up into predetermined 3v3 and 5v5 matchups. Every participant is featured in our post-event articles, which is a unique and special feature of the Prep Girls Hoops showcases. Social media coverage, post-event evaluations, and a great presence of college coaches in the gym to watch many of the girls who will one day help their programs are elements that make this a special annual experience. Girls had the opportunity to be coached by different college coaches during games and competed alongside great high school talent. My coverage focused primarily on teams 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, and 12. Here is a snapshot of what I observed from players competing on Team 5 at the showcase: