City of Basketball Love

By Andrew Robinson (@ADrobinson3)
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MANHEIM, Pa. — The 2024 edition of the Select Events Prime East tournament invaded Spooky Nook Sports this past weekend, with teams from up and down the East Coast coming to Lancaster County for a weekend of bracket play. 

Here’s Pt. 1 of our coverage notebooks from the weekend: 

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2024 Select Events Prime East Coverage
Standouts | Notebook Pt. 1 | Notebook Pt. 2 | Notebook Pt. 3 

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Madison Hall (2025 | Germantown Lady Panthers)

It’s hard to put Madison Hall in one position on a basketball court.

A 6-foot-2 blend of forward, wing and guard brings a lot to the table. She can really shoot the ball, she can handle and pass, she’s got a strong build and can attack the rim or play in the post so there’s not really one place she fits best.

That all stood out to La Salle, the Big Five program among Hall’s list of offers.

“They said I could have more versatility if I were to play there, I wouldn’t be held down to a post player or wing position,” Hall said Sunday after GLP downed Sideline Cancer’s S40 17U side. “I can shoot the ball and they noticed that. They see me using that versatility, being a forward who can stretch the floor, if there’s mismatch I can take them down low but if it’s a slower post player, I can take them off the bounce.”

Hall also has offers from Seton Hall, Vermont and Toledo to go along with La Salle. The Explorers were the most recent team to get in the mix, Hall announcing her offer on June 3.

She was in Philly this week, visiting campus on Tuesday after a call with the La Salle staff earlier in the month.

“I talked with Coach (Chris) Day and I really enjoyed it,” Hall said. “I got the offer last week, so I just set up the visit.”

Hall said shooting was always her favorite thing to do growing up, listing that as what she views as her best skill. That outside didn’t go down against Sideline Cancer, but she was unlucky to have a couple looks rim out and every attempt she took was confident.

With her shot not there, Hall looked to impact the game in other ways. She noticed teammate Shelby Lewis was creating some good looks out of the post, so looked to get the ball inside then set up for a potential kick out.

Hall also had a strong take for a layup on a cut down the lane, using her size to power in for a make right at the rim.

“I wanted to make sure all my games were consistent,” Hall said. “I feel like last summer I showed a little bit of inconsistency where I could have games where I made seven threes and the next one I'd be 2-for-10 or not shoot as well. I wanted to be more of a big guard, just not get tied down to one role.

“When the shots aren’t falling, my coach tells me to keep shooting but I’m going to try to get to the basket and get a layup or get fouled and shoot a free throw. For me, I just need one to fall.”

Seton Hall was Hall’s first offer and while she’s added three more Division I programs to her list, the feeling hasn’t gotten any less rewarding.

“It was crazy, I feel like every kid’s dream if they play is to get that first offer,” Hall said. “I was really thankful, really blessed to even get one then Toledo, Vermont and La Salle, they all started coming and it’s nice to see the hard work pay off.”

Hall confirmed she has visits scheduled with all four programs that have offered her. She said ideally she’ll finish out this last season with the Lady Panthers then commit but added if she feels the right fit on any visit, she’s not hesitant to make a decision earlier.

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Catie Kelly (2025 | Comets Select 17U)

The color pallet Catie Kelly is working with this summer is uniquely her own.

There’s the black, red and greys of her Comets uniform and the emerald green Sabrina 1 shoes she carried over from the high school season with Notre Dame but what really sets the guard apart is the medley of brownish-greenish-purplish-bluish splotches on her elbows and knees. Kelly is a bruiser, in the sense she’s not afraid to walk off a basketball court with a few new marks to show for it.

Bruises and all, Kelly’s toughness has earned her a leadership role at Notre Dame. Now she hopes it brings her an opportunity at the next level.

“I’ve been working to score, but it’s always my defense or my effort that’s fueling that,” Kelly said. “If you look at my elbows, I’m pretty bruised up after the tournaments but even going back to third or fourth grade, it’s always my effort that’s fueled everything else.”

Saturday morning in a win over the Maryland Belles, Kelly played a really solid all around game with 10 points, a rebound, a steal and one careening crash into a metal bench crammed between courts at the Nook. After her foray out of bounds in pursuit of a loose ball, Kelly quickly made sure the players sitting on it were ok, although she easily could have been asking the bench too.

Her propensity to try and leave a Catie Kelly-sized dent on every court she plays on certainly has its admirers and maybe one occasionally wincing parent.

“Even if I’m not scoring, I know most of the time I’ll succeed because of my effort, I think that’s what separates me from other players,” Kelly said. “I’ve talked to some coaches who ask ‘how many bruises do you walk away with every tournament,’ and it’s always a lot. 

“It scares my mom a little bit, walking away with that many bruises, but that’s my game.”

Kelly has been named a captain for her senior year at Notre Dame. It’s a role she will share with Sophie Hall, the Delaware soccer recruit every bit as tenacious and willing to hit the deck for a play on the ball.

With a relatively young but talented roster coming back, Kelly is taking her role as a team leader seriously.

“I’m approaching that responsibility by wanting to get everyone involved,” Kelly said. “Starting with the freshmen all the way up to the juniors and seniors, I want them all to feel from day one that we’re all basketball players on this team and that means we’re going to support you in any way.”

Kelly said her main focus this summer is becoming a more reliable and well-rounded offensive player. A majority of her shots at Notre Dame last season came on threes and while she hit a couple Saturday morning, Kelly also got a couple inside that included a layup off a clean cut down the lane.

She’s hoping an uptick in scoring, coupled with her always present effort, will lead to a spot at the next level. Kelly said she’s looking for a high academic Division III fit, adding she’s had some preliminary communication with Catholic University - the Cardinals of the Landmark Conference always seeming to find a nest for some local players - and has reached out to a few other programs.

Kelly has about a month left in her time with the Comets, the end of eight years with the organization coming to an end at the end of July. She called it a “full-circle” way to end, noting the core group of her team having been together since sixth grade.

“The great thing about AAU is it’s usually the same girls you get to come back to, some of these girls I’ve been playing with since fourth grade,” Kelly said. “It’s great playing with a good group of girls that you look forward to coming back to.”

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Ava Kopetskie (2026 | Team Northeast 16U)

Ava Kopetski’s proven she doesn’t need long to make a mark.

In two seasons at Liberty High School in Liberty, the 5-foot-8 guard became a starter, a top scorer and this year, the team’s MVP. This summer, she swapped travel clubs to join Team Northeast and that too quickly became a good fit.

“It’s been really good, they’ve been really welcoming to me and it’s a great place to be in,” Kopetskie said after Saturday’s win against K-Low Elite Santora. 

A bouncy combo guard, Kopetskie plays with a very fluid style. She’s under control on the ball and has a nice array of options on the offensive end but she still sees plenty of room for improvement.

Kopetskie pointed to playing off the ball and moving around the court as something she’s really worked at the last two years. Opponents started to pay her more attention, so the guard wants to still find ways to produce and use her teammates to do it.

“Definitely shot consistency and I’m looking to get my handle a little tighter if I want to be able to blow by people,” Kopetskie said. “If you go 1-for-10, that’s a bad percentage, so I want to shoot a high percentage but also while making more shots.”

On top of basketball, Kopetskie also plays volleyball for Liberty and has picked up flag football as well. Liberty doesn’t have a school sanctioned flag football team yet, but it’s something she was hoping would come soon with the sport rapidly growing in popularity across the state.

Liberty made the PIAA Class 6A tournament her freshman year, losing to Upper Dublin in the first round. While the Hurricanes played a tough schedule and made the District 11 semifinals, they missed out on states by one game this past season.

Safe to say, it’s motivation.

“Definitely want to win an EPC and district ‘chip and get to states again,” Kopetskie said. “I think we all want that opportunity to get another chance at states.”

Kopetskie added the Hurricanes have two incoming freshmen they’re excited to add to the roster. Heading into her junior year and with plenty of experience already to share, Kopetskie cited a mentoring role as something she’s determined to provide next season.

“I’m an upperclassman now, so it’s about helping the younger or newer people coming in,” Kopetskie said. “We’re big on forming one family that can help us win.”

Her work so far is starting to draw some interest from the college ranks. Kopetskie said she’s hoping to get a Division I opportunity and a couple programs have come her way. She’s already had a call with Lehigh last week and said she has a call with Columbia in the coming weeks.

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Yamilex Rodriguez (2025 | K-Low Elite Edwards 17U)

Yamilex Rodriguez embodies heart over height.

The 5-foot-3 point guard, who plays at Reading High School along with K-Low Elite, plays bigger than her listed height. She’s fearless darting into the lane whether it’s to take the ball to the rim or looking to make a pass and she won’t back down from any challenge.

“Even when I was younger, it didn’t matter about my height,” Rodriguez said. “I was always focused on whoever I was going against, whether they were taller than me or not, I’m always going to give my best.”

Rodriguez said she’s never intimidated going into the lane, even if the opponent has a much taller player waiting for her.

“If I don’t have my shot, I’m always going to find my teammates,” Rodriguez said. “When I do my drive-and-kicks, I trust my teammates to hit shots for me. I’m never worried about going into the lane.”

Part of Rodriguez’s fearless play is her work ethic. She knows her size isn’t going to change, so the guard has worked to make it an advantage by using her quickness, vision and a tight handle to weave her way around defenders.

She’s also a combustible offensive player. Rodriguez has nice touch around the rim and can certainly catch fire behind the line as she showed at the All-City Classic in late May down in Philadelphia.

“All I need is one basket to get going,” Rodriguez said. “That’s not just on offense, but on defense. One good stop from me or my teammates can get us all going and game will start to flow and elevate from there.”

Rodriguez, Tamiya Collier, Laila Jones and Amaya Stewart have been a core four, playing together for years but also competing against each other in the BCIAA league in Berks County. Collier and Rodriguez are teammates at Reading while Jones is a division rival at Wilson and Stewart’s Wyomissing team has been a league playoff opponent.

“It’s a battle, we know as soon as we step on the court, we’re not friends,” Rodriguez said. “We’re always going to battle, no matter what. But it’s fun to compete too because we’ve grown up together and all go to see each other grow.”

Rodriguez doesn’t have any offers yet, but she’s been diligent about putting out film and reaching out to coaches. She’s not worried about what level, but she did emphasize the academic side is a very important factor.

The end of last season still irritates Rodriguez because she had to spend it on the bench with a broken hand, so she’s plenty motivated for her senior year. 

While Reading has become a powerhouse in the PIAA on the boys’ side, the Red Knights girls’ program is still looking for a breakthrough. Rodriguez is confident that her team can make some noise this winter and she’ll for sure put her heart into making it happen.

“I want to lead my team and build us up mentally,” Rodriguez said. “It’s something I’ve always struggled with but have slowly gotten better at and I want to lead my team to a championship, because we haven’t had one in a while.”