Great Lakes Region Finals: 17U All-Tourney First Team

The Prep Girls Hoops Great Lakes Region Finals (formerly Victory Region Finals) turned out to be everything I hoped for and more. A multitude of talented prospects from different states and teams competed on the hardwood, with many of the Midwest's top talent playing in front of me for the very first time. Many hidden gems, breakout players, and under-the-radar prospects not currently ranked put themselves on the map. I hope all of the teams had a great experience with us, and I plan to run my coverage back for year four in 2027!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/06/PXL_20260531_195700309-crop-3264x2144-1780587262.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1866026" /></figure>   [program_tooltip program_id='834910' first='Example' last='Sports'] 17U Wolfpack (4-0) defeated [program_tooltip program_id='1824595' first='Team' last='Prime Nation'] 17U (3-1) 61-44 in the Gold Bracket Championship Game to win the Great Lakes Region Finals Championship and repeat as Circuit Champs!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/06/PXL_20260531_195830846-crop-2582x1696-1780587557.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1866028" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='885956' first='Jordyn' last='Ellis'], 2028, [program_tooltip program_id='834910' first='Example' last='Sports'] Wolfpack, PGH Great Lakes Region Finals 17U MVP.</figcaption></figure>   Jordyn made her presence felt as an intimidating defender, relentless rebounder, and strong finisher on the offensive side of the floor. She posted a double-digit performance in the Championship Game and continued her dominance on the defensive side of the ball, receiving recognition as the Great Lakes Region Finals 17U Gold Bracket Championship Game MVP!   Many prospects from the final four teams in the Gold Bracket were essential to the team's success in the tournament. The five prospects selected demonstrated elite fundamentals, athleticism, size, and skill that translate to the highest levels of college basketball. Their performances against the best teams in the tournament on Championship Sunday were weighted heavily. The teams that made it to the semifinals qualified to have individuals considered for All-Tournament honors.    I remember sitting on the opposite baseline and watching Marlee heave a long pass up the court with her off hand to beat backcourt pressure and thinking to myself, there aren't many players out there who can do that. Throughout the Great Lakes Region Finals, Marlee provided several of those moments. She's a versatile 6-foot-plus forward with guard skills, making her a matchup nightmare. Marlee cut inside and pinned defenders, forced her way to the free throw line, and knocked them down efficiently. She used her length, athleticism, and strength to maneuver into position for offensive rebounds, then scored putbacks with strength in traffic. Marlee attacked down the baseline with a full head of steam, elevated, floated in mid-air, transferred the ball, and converted the layup through contact for an and-one, then completed the free throw at the line. She dished out assists and protected the ball. Marlee slashed to the hoop, spun, used a quick crossover, and converted the layup after a smooth transfer to her left hand. She delivered an elite effort for [program_tooltip program_id='834910' first='Example' last='Sports'] Wolfpack 17U all weekend at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals and has been selected to the All-Tournament First Team.     Jordyn was consistent and effective for [program_tooltip program_id='834910' first='Example' last='Sports'] Wolfpack 17U on both ends of the court throughout the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals and she added an exclamation point on Sunday. Jordyn's speed, length, aggressiveness, and instincts stopped opponents in their tracks. She protected the rim with authority, rotating and sliding into position against drives, then timed her blocks to perfection. Jordyn swatted multiple shot attempts with strength and made good entry passes into the post for assists. She caught passes with soft hands and finished well at the rim. Jordyn showed her downhill quickness on a drive from the top of the key, muscled through a defender with a strong shoulder, then scored the contested layup. She used good pivots in the low post to get the angle, then finished with touch off two feet. Jordyn was a force on the glass, working hard to secure offensive rebounds and stuffing the stat sheet in every category. She delivered an impressive effort in the Championship Game, receiving MVP recognition, and has been selected to the All-Tournament First Team.     Lily consistently performed at a high level all weekend for [program_tooltip program_id='1824595' first='Team' last='Prime Nation'] 17U at the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals. It felt like the harder the competition got, the better she played, elevating her game against the best. Lily competed with a non-stop motor, working equally hard on both ends of the floor. She demonstrated outstanding balance, footwork, finesse, and strength during her drives to the basket. Lily evaded a defender with a quick high pick-up and went up off two feet for the layup. She scored a sweet fake pass finish and showed off her athleticism with an emphatic two-handed wall-up block. Lily worked hard to defend inside and on the perimeter, deflecting passes and creating many steals. She delivered a complete performance in the Gold Championship Game. Lily converted a tough stretch layup on a speedy drive by, penetrated off the dribble, kicked the ball out to open shooters, and blocked a shot away with authority. She put on a footwork clinic in the paint after swiping the ball away, spinning and pivoting to score a floater through a foul, completing the three-point play at the line. Lily ran through a pass up top, accelerated straight downhill, leaped up, changed hands in mid-air, and put the acrobatic layup through the bottom of the net. She finished strong through contact, drove to the basket with determination to earn trips to the line, knocked down free throws with confidence, and fought tooth and nail to secure rebounds. Lily's endless motor, length, athleticism, two-way impact, and elite skill set were impressive to watch. She has received recognition as All-Tournament First Team.     [program_tooltip program_id='712517' first='Full' last='Package'] 17U 3SSB was firing on cylinders at the Great Lakes Region Finals, finishing 2-1 with their only loss coming against the eventual Gold Bracket Champs in the semifinals. The team competed well, and Maddie played a huge role in the game. Her long arms, athletic stature, strength, poised ball handling, and comprehensive impact stand out as a high-level guard prospect. Maddie went up strong inside, jumping up to secure rebounds against long/athletic bigs on both ends of the court. She grabbed an offensive rebound, absorbed hard contact with her shoulder, then finished the layup with her left hand. Maddie escaped pressure, using both hands comfortably, and created multiple steals on the perimeter. She stole the ball away for a layup and pushed the ball with pace to score a breakaway bucket again after a swipe at half-court. Maddie made a contested catch to score a contested layup with strength off two feet and showed her perimeter range by draining a smooth straightaway three.     One of my favorite plays from the PGH Great Lakes Region Finals tournament was when Nya closed out hard on the perimeter, jumped up with her arm extended, and sent the shot soaring out of bounds. It sounded like she popped the ball; that's how hard she blocked it. After [program_tooltip program_id='834910' first='Example' last='Sports'] 17U Wolfpack won the Championship Game, Nya dunked the ball in celebration, which is a testament to her staggering length, athleticism, and vertical leap. After watching Nya play for the first time over two days, I'm not surprised at all to see her ranked number one in Wisconsin--she's an elite prospect who has abilities nobody can match when she turns it on. Nya was an offensive rebound machine, scoring putbacks at will. She made the defense put her on the free-throw line repeatedly, then knocked them down consistently. Nya swished a triple from the top of the key and drained a filthy jab step crossover step back triple from the corner with rhythm. Her defensive pressure on the perimeter created countless steals, and she cut to the basket to score several layups off two feet. Nya was a playmaker on both ends for her team, provided plenty of highlights, and has been recognized as a member of the All-Tournament First Team.

The Prep Girls Hoops Great Lakes Region Finals (formerly Victory Region Finals) turned out to be everything I hoped for and more. A multitude of talented prospects from different states and teams competed on the hardwood, with many of the Midwest's top talent playing in front of me for the very first time. Many hidden gems, breakout players, and under-the-radar prospects not currently ranked put themselves on the map. I hope all of the teams had a great experience with us, and I plan to run my coverage back for year four in 2027!