PGH State Tourney: Sunday 12U-15U Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='1231525' first='Bristol' last='Morris'] (2031) of Southwest Allen County Schools and OPS Future 12U (in white uniform).</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sunday marked the final day of the 2025 PGH Indiana State Tournament. There were 28 teams on hand for the event, with a number of nice small college prospects in attendance in the upper age groups, along with some very intriguing youngsters making some noise as well. Below is a quick recap of a few 15U, 14U, 13U, and 12U performers who stood out when I was able to see them throughout Sunday's action.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1223809' first='Megan' last='Michelle Balas'], 2028, 5-9 W/F, Hebron H.S., [program_tooltip program_id='715993' first='NWI' last='Select'] 15U</strong><br>- Megan Michelle is a long, wiry, fluidly athletic forward whose best days are well ahead of her. She has the potential to really grow and potentially turn into a 6-foot-ish face-up '4' or even a wing long-term. She can get out and run in transition, she has nice skill in the mid-post, and as she continues to develop her game and finish growing, she should only continue to be more and more consistent in all aspects.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1225040' first='Ashley' last='Bleke'], 2028, 5-7 G/W, Bellmont H.S., [program_tooltip program_id='714264' first='OPS' last=''] UA Rise 15U</strong><br>- Without question, Ashley was one of the most productive Freshmen during the 2024-2025 high school season. She is strong for her age, she's a solid all-around athlete, and she's quietly tough and absorbs contact well, often finishing on the left side of the lane through contact. She does have touch outside, but right now she uses her size &amp; strength to outplay her peers. Look for her to become a star at Bellmont.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1246910' first='Kya' last='Brandt'], 2029, 5-8 CG, Leipsic H.S. (OH), [program_tooltip program_id='712510' first='Findlay' last='Bombers'] 14U</strong><br>- Being from Ohio, this was my first opportunity to see Kya and her team. She is another long, wiry, fluid, and fairly smooth ballplayer. She has a solid handle, she can push it in transition, initiate the offense, and create in the half-court for herself or teammates. She looks like she could grow another two inches, but if not, she already flashes full-time point guard potential, plus she defends with effort and has some touch outside.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1223886' first='Camdyn' last='Altenburg'], 2030, 5-3 CG, Hanover Central H.S., [program_tooltip program_id='715993' first='NWI' last='Select'] 13U</strong><br>- The 13U [program_tooltip program_id='715993' first='NWI' last='Select'] team is fairly competitive, and Camdyn is a big part of that. She plays taller than she is and has some strength to her. She likes to seek contact when on attack, and she does a nice job of earning trips to the free throw line. She does have a solid handle, and she can knock down an open rhythm jumper. But right now, her game is attacking the basket aggressively, rebounding, and defending.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1231525' first='Bristol' last='Morris'], 2031, 5-7 CG, Homestead H.S., [program_tooltip program_id='714264' first='OPS' last=''] Future 12U</strong><br>- This [program_tooltip program_id='714264' first='OPS' last=''] Future 2031 team is tall, extremely long, and fairly athletic. They have a lot of kids who could eventually grow a lot, and Bristol falls into that category. She has tremendous length, fluid athleticism, but she's also a capable scorer and a willing distributor. In the game I saw, I felt like she was good in transition and did a nice job of balancing scoring with finding teammates. She also uses her length effectively defensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->