PGH MI College Tour III: Fresh Faces Make Headlines

Our third stop of the PGH Michigan College Tour was a mic drop. The quality and variety of clubs, talent, hosting facility, amount of college coaches on site, and format were exactly what we've all wanted to see for years. We've been waiting for a tournament that felt like a Michigan AAU State Championship was on the line, and that's exactly how this felt. At the home of back-to-back D2 national champions, Grand Valley State University, our staff emptied the tank to provide the best possible experience and live coverage we could. The positive feedback from college coaches, parents, and AAU coaches was overwhelming. Thank you to everyone who supported this and made an unforgettable weekend possible! Here are ten fresh faces who made a big splash at the tournament.    Finley really impressed me during my time watching her play for MBA UA Rise 15U at the PGH MI College Tour III. She scored a high pick-up euro with her left, showed great vision to make a dump-off pass on a drive, and attacked hard downhill to earn free throws. She drove with a burst down the baseline from the corner, spun, and used a fancy step-through pivot to score in traffic. Finley denied an entry pass to a cutter, swiped the ball away, motored up the floor, switched hands, and scored off two. She was active on the boards and made a visible impact on both sides of the ball.     Ella had a breakout tournament for [program_tooltip program_id='714446' first='Capitol' last='City Express'] 15U at the PGH MI College Tour III. She drained a smooth corner three and pushed the ball up the court with pace using both hands in transition. She attacked off the dribble, drew the help defenders, and dumped the ball off to open teammates. After steals, Ella raced the other way with pace, throwing long passes for assists. She scored a coast-to-coast bucket and another drive-by layup with her left hand. Ella looks like she has a bright future ahead of her at Haslett, and she left a lasting first impression over the weekend.     Lili was an excellent facilitator for MBA UAA 15U at the PGH MI College Tour III. She handled the ball comfortably in the open court, switching hands, scanning the floor for open teammates, and firing strong skip passes to beat the defense. Lili shot the ball with confidence/balance from beyond the arc, made good touch entry passes into the post, and offloaded a great dump pass after beating her defender on a baseline drive. Lili gets to the nail, draws the help, and kicks the ball out to open shooters. She had a solid showing at the PGH MI College Tour III.     Wylo was a game wrecker in the Silver Championship Game for Lady Focus 15U at the PGH MI College Tour III. Her long frame, quickness, skilled shooting, and endless energy made her impossible to miss. Wylo drained multiple triples up top with a confident stroke, crashed the glass with vigor to secure offensive rebounds, drove downhill hard to cause fouls, and knocked down her free throws. Wylo made all of the effort and hustle plays. She hit the deck for loose balls, caused a jump ball, created steals, and chased down a layup from behind for the block. Wylo is a promising prospect to keep on your radar in the coming years.     Ariah had a fantastic performance for Lady Team Focus 15U in the Silver Championship Game. She showed her outside range, drilling a deep wing three and a triple in the slot. Ariah eluded pressure after securing a defensive rebound and knocked down a jumper from the block. She crashed the boards to secure offensive rebounds and kept her dribble alive. Ariah used a quick crossover to beat her defender off the bounce and finished with a smooth inside hand layup. Her pressure created many steals on the defensive end. She drove straight to the rim with a burst to earn free throws, then knocked them down. Ariah was an impact player at the PGH MI College Tour III.     Relentless motor and rebounding effort are how I would describe this forward prospect with a high ceiling from the MBA UAA 15U squad. She worked and worked to get into position for rebounds on both ends of the court. Christie scored put-backs, reached in to generate steals, ripped the ball away strongly to secure a defensive board, finished off two feet, and got to the foul line. She's an impactful two-way player who gives traditional bigs all they can handle. Very impactful performance at the PGH MI College Tour III.     Kenzie had a comprehensive impact for [program_tooltip program_id='1239258' first='HB' last='Elite'] 15U in the Silver Championship Game at the PGH MI College Tour III. She ripped by a defender off the dribble from the corner and banked in the jumper. Her ability to distribute accurate jump passes with touch into the post gave forwards many high-percentage looks at the basket. Kenzie swiped the ball away on defense, switched hands comfortably in the open court, and finished with a layup. Kenzie wasn't afraid to pull it from beyond the arc and drained a corner three. She worked hard to pressure guards on the perimeter and secured a key defensive rebound late off a missed free throw.     Hadley is a scrappy point guard who came up big for [program_tooltip program_id='714462' first='Michigan' last='Premier'] 15U Dean in the Gold Championship Game at the PGH MI College Tour III. Her poise with the ball against full-court pressure, ability to pass out of traps, toughness against contact, touch at the rim, defensive effort, and efficiency at the free-throw line were all major factors in the outcome. Hadley swiped the ball away, accelerated toward the basket, and finished the contested layup. She dropped in a soft floater and converted many free throws down the stretch to help secure the win.     Mia had a strong, robust, compact frame, with length and physicality that immediately stood out during the PGH MI College Tour III. She caught a pass inside with great hands and converted an extremely difficult off-platform finish. Mia swatted shots emphatically in the paint, battled for rebounds, and showed confidence as a three-point shooter. She earned multiple trips to the charity stripe and will be a prospect to follow for [program_tooltip program_id='714462' first='Michigan' last='Premier'] 15U Dean.     Skylee has length, skill, and a high motor that shouts college potential. Her impact in the 16U Gold Championship Game helped 5 Star Basketball take home the hardware. She scored a strong and-one layup at the rim and immediately celebrated her teammate's assist after a smooth catch and finish on a basket cut. Skylee used her length to corral ball-handlers, worked hard to cut off drives, was aggressive as a rebounder, and attacked with a burst to score a drive-by layup.

Our third stop of the PGH Michigan College Tour was a mic drop. The quality and variety of clubs, talent, hosting facility, amount of college coaches on site, and format were exactly what we've all wanted to see for years. We've been waiting for a tournament that felt like a Michigan AAU State Championship was on the line, and that's exactly how this felt. At the home of back-to-back D2 national champions, Grand Valley State University, our staff emptied the tank to provide the best possible experience and live coverage we could. The positive feedback from college coaches, parents, and AAU coaches was overwhelming. Thank you to everyone who supported this and made an unforgettable weekend possible! Here are ten fresh faces who made a big splash at the tournament.