Brady’s Day One Notes: PGH Legacy Region Finals

<span data-preserver-spaces="true">As the Legacy Region Finals tipped off on Saturday, I mostly viewed the 16U and 17U tournaments. However, plenty of kids left me with material to work with, and today I’ll discuss some things I saw on day one at Wayzata high school.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="209604" first="Ellie" last="Demet"]-Let it Rain 2024 Black</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Although Demet is a 5-foot-8 guard, she plays in a unique style. She does most of her damage on the offensive end within 10 feet of the basket. However, she gets there with power and quickness from the perimeter. She has an excellent spinning jumper to create space and can always find her shot.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Karsyn Nelson-Let it Rain 2024 Black</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">The energy Nelson brings defensively is noticeable. She flies all over the place on that end of the floor and makes plays constantly. The Monona Grove guard has a nose for the ball and understands the value that brings with her effort alone. She may never score 20 points in a game, but coaches can’t justify why she wouldn’t play because she makes her team better.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="329604" first="Grace" last="King"]-Let it Rain 2023</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Now and again, I see bright flashes of King’s game, and in her first game Saturday, I saw exactly that. King is an athletic 5-foot-6 wing who can do a little bit of everything depending on team needs. I know she can stay in front of kids defensively with her lateral quickness, but her jumper looked great early on Saturday. It looked confident and fluid, and the results backed that up. </span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="264950" first="Olivia" last="Peterson"]-Let it Rain 2023</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Throughout the circuit, Peterson quickly became one of my favorite guards. The 5-foot-6 Appleton native is a steady guard who balances her scoring with her creation abilities well, and that’s insane for someone at her age. During the high school season at Appleton West, who didn’t win many games, Peterson was the same player she is now. She knows what she’s capable of and how important it is to get her teammates involved. The program that ends up with her will get a boost on and off the court in [player_tooltip player_id="264950" first="Olivia" last="Peterson"].</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="206728" first="Beautiful" last="Waheed"]-Playground Club 2023 National</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Very few kids are as talented in Wisconsin as Waheed. She’s fast, skilled, and understands how to take advantage of any matchup. I saw her get by countless players this weekend with ease. She shoots the ball at a high level and is one of the most athletic kids at Wayzata this weekend. On the other end, I’ve seen her jump passing lanes that nobody else in the state could get anywhere near. She has a chance to be one of the best 2023s at the next level in time.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="206719" first="Lalani" last="Ellis"]-Playground Club 2023 National</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">If someone were to ask me who I’d give the ball to with 10 seconds left and needed a single basket, I’d probably give the ball to [player_tooltip player_id="206719" first="Lalani" last="Ellis"]. She’s a strong guard with a lot of finesse around the basket. Her subtle movements can create an unbelievable amount of space in small spaces. What she did in the quarterfinals against Let it Rain was incredible in that aspect. Her instincts with the ball are out of this world. </span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="206721" first="Trishena" last="Brown"]-Playground Club 2023 National</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">I don’t know many more complete wings in the 2023 class than Brown. When you talk about who some of the best athletes are in Wisconsin, Brown has to be one of the first names mentioned. The West Allis native likely has the highest vertical among any player in Wisconsin. The beautiful part of her game is that she knows she has that advantage over everyone she plays. </span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="329556" first="Cadence" last="Xiong"]-Chapman Basketball Academy 2023</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">I don’t think there was a more underrated prospect in the Legacy Region than [player_tooltip player_id="329556" first="Cadence" last="Xiong"]. Her ability on the ball is unreal. She makes very few mistakes with the ball and can score around the basket while being contested. I’ve seen her break presses on her own and cut through them like a hot knife through butter. Her 5-foot-1 size may limit her on paper, but she played a massive role all weekend for her team.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="329558" first="Kailey" last="Wozniak"]-Chapman Basketball Academy 2023</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">If a coach wants a kid who plays hard for all 36 minutes and has a little edge to her, [player_tooltip player_id="329558" first="Kailey" last="Wozniak"] is your kid. She’s one of the most competitive kids I’ve come across and fights for everything she’s gotten. Wozniak defends at a high level, isn’t afraid of any matchup, and wants to win. Her offensive game can still be a little streaky. However, she can score 20 efficiently and make it look easy when she gets rolling.</span>