Kansan Hoop Report : Upperclassman at the Iowa PGH 250 Expo
Last Sunday afternoon 11 Kansas hoopsters took the floor at the Iowa Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo. Outside of Iowa, Kansas sent the most players to the event. Approximately 165 talented players from eight states made great viewing for…
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Continue ReadingLast Sunday afternoon 11 Kansas hoopsters took the floor at the Iowa Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo. Outside of Iowa, Kansas sent the most players to the event. Approximately 165 talented players from eight states made great viewing for family, friends, club and high school coaches, college coaches, and PGH scribes Mason Asher and me. Players as young as the class of 2026 enjoyed the opportunity to run for three games apiece as part of 16 randomly drawn teams. The also enjoyed the opportunity to run with other great players just ahead of the high school season beginning.
In this article I’ll be sharing notes and commentary on the five Kansas upperclassman in attendance. Be sure to check out Mason’s reports on each team. His first, on team 1, includes notes on 2021 Amaya Mack.
2020
Topeka’s Ariyana Grassity and Olathe North’s Amiya Mack share a smile after their last PGH 250 Expo Iowa games.#10 Ariyana Grassity, 5’4″, PG, Topeka, Team KC Hoops – In previous articles I shared the state leading – by a wide margin – assist statistics Grassity rang up last season. Her passing during Sunday’s competition cemented my conclusion that she is an assist machine. She hit teammates sprinting in transition with over the shoulder or good bounce passes on a basket cut. She lobbed entry passes for posts to work their back-to-basket game and lofted balls to a spot only her bigs could get to for a lay-in. She repeatedly beat defenders off the dribble and dropped dimes or kicked to spotted-up, perimeter shooters. It would be a disservice to describe her as anything but a assist machine. What she did not show until late was her perimeter shooting ability. Grassity was effective playing the point and the shooting guard position. She legitimized her high ranking in the 2020 class.
2021
#3 Madison Skelton, 5’8″, PG, St. Thomas Aquinas, Next Level Eclipse – Skelton continued to show her ball handling and passing abilities. Unfortunately she was unable to memorably show her ability as a shooter and scorer. On a especially talented team that included many highly ranked players, including a couple other point guards, from Iowa and Nebraska her unselfish nature did not reward her with many opportunities to grab some attention. Expect Skelton to have a good year if for no other reason than she makes her team better with her presence on the floor.
St. Thomas Aquinas guard Madison Skelton smiles as she hits the floor to warm up early at the PGH 250 Expo Iowa event.NR Amiya Mack, 5’5″, PG, Olathe North, Team KC Hoops – Mack had some interesting moments on both ends of the floor. She showed defensive quicks by stopping a dribble drive. She also showed speed, athleticism, and scoring ability off the drive. Mack owns a nice floater with the smarts to make the glass her friend against taller defenders. Improving consistency in boxing out away from the shot and how she physically engages in potential action when she relaxes will make her even more formidable. While not currently rated, Mack is certain to appear in the next refresh and have great opportunity through the season to climb the rankings ladder.
Sisters Emree, left, and Ellie, right, Zars share a great moment following their games at the PGH 250 Expo Iowa event.NR Elle Zars, 5’9″, F, Mill Valley, Kansas Elite – Zars is unrated largely due to not enough available information to properly assess her. That situation has certainly changed. A pass-first team player, Zars does not often create opportunities to score. Rather, she works well through offensive flow. Zars has the ability to finish strongly off and assist, is unafraid of contact, has solid passing skills, and can take the ball end-to-end off the rebound if an outlet is unavailable. A real asset to her team due to her consistency.
#76 Amiah Simmons, 5’7″, PG, Blue Valley Southwest, Team KC Hoops – Simmons was not on the list of attendees I was working with when I wrote my event preview post. Getting to watch her play was a nice surprise and she made her presence felt. Physically what stood out was her hand speed and athleticism. She also showed quality handles and decision making abilities. The latter was displayed when she ran a textbook 3-on-2 break from the middle and set the table for a teammate to get an easy layup. Offensive quickness found her getting to the hole quickly off the dribble. Defensively she’s solid, using her hand speed to get steals and tie up drivers from the help side. Expect to see Simmons move up the rankings on the next refresh.
Featured image: Kingdom Courts, Ankeny, Iowa awaits dozens of eager players from eight states.