GameChangers: 2027 Day 1 Standouts at the Havoc in the Heartland

Reece caught my attention right away Saturday morning just by his energy. He was relentless on the defensive end, getting steals and deflections which got him in rhythm offensively because he got easy baskets. After watching him again in the afternoon, he reaffirmed that he was one of the best guards at the event. He does a great job generating easy baskets not only for himself, but for others and seems to always get to the paint on drives whenever he wants. Loved his play on day 1.

Gandy just continues to get better and better every time I watch him. Has an elite combination of speed and strength which makes him so dangerous for opponents to guard him. A few months ago when I saw him for the first time, the only speed I saw him go was 100%. Now he is playing in a much more composed pace which is allowing the game to slow down for him and he can make better decisions. His shot was much more consistent on Saturday and did a much better job play making. It is scary how quickly he is progressing.

Baskerville was the best player at the event on Saturday. I didn’t get a final count, but he had to of averaged 20+ points in his 3 games. He is a natural scorer that makes everything look easy. Can get to the rim at will with his great handle and quickness but also has consistent 3pt range both off the catch and dribble. There is nobody in the field I am more excited to follow after the event because I truly think Baskerville can be special.

Schwarz is a big time stretch 4 threat that can really shoot from distance. Does a great job moving without the ball to find open seams, but more importantly he is a really good 3pt shooter off the catch when he gets his feet set. With his size, he was able to get open looks all day and he took advantage. He is a player that quietly fills up the box score. On top of his scoring ability, he competes in the post to grab tough rebounds and defend other teams big men. Has an extremely high IQ for the game.

Barnes has an old school game as a big man that does a really good job creating angles in the post with his size and strength. Did a great job getting defenders on his hip and finishing thru contact. He doesn’t shy away from length and kept the ball high on offensive rebounds to not let guards get it. I was impressed with his composer in the post for being so young. When he got the ball in the post with a defender on his back, it was almost a guaranteed bucket on Saturday.

Keith Kendrick had a very productive day. He is another player with a little bit of old school game where he is super efficient in how he operates offensively. Never really takes bad shots but plays at a very controlled speed to where he can get to his spots and make shots. Very good finisher at the rim with either hand and proved to have deep 3pt range off the catch. Had one of the most productive days I have seen.

Bell was really good for KY Futures Elite. He was consistently driving to the rim finishing above defenders and came in clutch down the stretch making tough baskets. He plays with such good instincts and IQ that he almost can predict what is about to happen on the defensive end. I was most impressed with his ability to read the ball on offensive rebounds to go and tip the ball in. I wasn’t able to see him a ton but I walked away super impressed and excited to watch him more on Sunday.

Lawson is a 3 level scorer that can really fill it up in bunches. Has deep 3pt range that is comfortable coming off ball screens to score either driving to the rim or shoot. Has an extremely high IQ which is why he can play really any position on the floor and be successful. Has great length and athleticism which allows him to be really good in the paint. I am really excited to watch him play again on Sunday.