10 things I loved about the first PGH Top 250 Expo
Becker teammates (L to R) Megan Gamble, Addy Kent and Maren Westin were on hand Saturday. Whenever you launch a new basketball event there is always a certain amount of trepidation involved, and a lot of important questions: Will players…
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Continue ReadingWhenever you launch a new basketball event there is always a certain amount of trepidation involved, and a lot of important questions: Will players sign up? Well it be well-organized? Will participants feel like it was worth their time? The answer to all three questions about the first Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo was a resounding ‘Yes!’ Saturday’s event at Burnsville High School was definitely a success, and the feedback we have received in the past 24 hours has been overwhelmingly positive. “I have been to many attempts of this kind over the years,” one college coach texted me late Saturday night, “but this was the best…”
Of course the Top 250 Expos have an established record of success on the boys side of things. That level of experience and professionalism was evident in this first-ever Top 250 Expo for girls. It was clear that this wasn’t the first rodeo for event director Jake Sullivan and his crew. At the risk of blowing our own horn – about the most un-Minnesotan thing there is – I have to say it was really well done.
Here are 10 things I liked about the PGH Top 250 Expo.
- The ‘compete’ level – The kids got after it! There was great energy. The quality of play was high. Players shared the basketball while still showing off their individual skills. They dove on the floor for loose balls, played high-energy defense and competed hard. Yeah they were pretty tired by the second half of their third games but that’s understandable, especially since so many of the athletes had not played much basketball since the end of the AAU season two months ago.
- The ageless teams – I don’t mean ‘ageless’ like 97-year-old Betty White. I mean the way the squads were not separated by age or class year. The teams were actually selected by a computer – no, I am not making this up – and it worked out well. After a summer of mostly age-group competition it was nice to see contests that mimicked high school basketball where freshmen have to prove themselves to earn their way onto varsity. The younger players were forced to step up and, for the most part, they did.
- The coaching – There were eight bench coaches on hand and they brought great energy and enthusiasm to the gym. Most of them work primarily in boys basketball and they were impressed by the way the girls play the game as well as their communication level and overall enthusiasm for the task at hand. As the teams moved from court to court the coaches stayed put, which enabled them to evaluate more players. Best of all, the coaches were positive and offered plenty of instruction and encouragement.
- The organization – This was the first Top 250 Expo for girls, but it was evident that this was not the first time the Prep Network people had run an event. From check-in to departure things went smoothly as far as I could tell. Things were well-organized and on time, which isn’t easy with 16 teams and four courts in constant motion. For me it was a challenge trying to see all of the games – like choosing what to eat at a sumptuous buffet – but Mason Asher and I managed to evaluate everyone who played.
- The college coaches – They showed up in good numbers from a diverse variety of institutions across the Midwest. It can be a stressful time of year for the college folks trying to juggle recruiting visits, homecoming events on campus, and the opening of practice for their teams. There were nearly 30 Division 2 and 3 recruiters on hand along with the NAIA and JUCO coaches. NCAA rules prevented Division 1 coaches from being there in person but I had texts all last week and a couple during play on Saturday checking in on how things were going. Coaches will be reading the player evaluations in the days ahead.
- The players – The enthusiasm level for the event was terrific. We had 131 athletes registered despite being up against volleyball, soccer and homecoming events. It was a quality field with plenty of scholarship-level players and a large number of new faces who are now on our radar. We lost three registrants due to injury – prayers up for junior Sophie Moran of Shakopee who suffered a serious knee injury this week – and one to an unexpected family situation. Kennedy Klick of DeLaSalle, who is one of the top 2023s in the state, had to beg off at the last minute because she was elected freshman homecoming queen. Congrats Kennedy! A special shout out to Lauren Jensen, the Iowa commit from Lakeville North, who has nothing to prove at this point but came to play because she loves basketball.
- The attitude – Jake Sullivan made a request in his opening speech asking players who were between games to volunteer to run clocks. The girls stepped up, no questions asked. There was no complaining and no shifty avoidance maneuvers. Apparently this is not the sort of positive response organizers get at boys events! Jake and company were impressed and so was I.
- The parents – I was pleased with the atmosphere on the sidelines. Obviously I couldn’t be everywhere at once, and my primary focus was on the players, but it seemed like there was positive energy with minimal fuss about the officiating. They watched, they enjoyed and they encouraged. At least that’s what I saw, and that’s how it should be. As a former basketball parent who had immense difficulty doing all of the above (a painful confession to be sure!) I say thank you.
- The recruiting talk – The day opened with event director Jake Sullivan talking to the players about the realities of college recruiting. Understand, Jake has been around the block on this topic time and again. He knows of which he speaks, and he encouraged the players to be proactive, responsive and realistic. It was good advice.
- The price of admission – Basketball parents are used to digging deep into their pockets at events, and colleges are accustomed to being treated like a freshly-stocked ATM. It doesn’t mean they like it. Saturday’s Expo offered free admission for both spectators and coaches. People appreciated the gesture, not only because it saved them a few bucks but because it demonstrated clearly that PGH Top 250s are about player exposure, not profit enhancement.
Watch for many player evaluation and recap articles over the next couple of weeks from Mason Asher and yours truly. We’ve got plenty to say!
Top photo: Members of the new-look 43 Hoops 2022 squad posed together on Saturday. That’s Ruby Carlson in front. The back row (left to right) includes Kaila Youngs, Lucy Hertel, Shakyla Walker, Makayla Adams and Cloey Dmytruk.