Havoc in the Heartland: Michigan Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The annual Havoc in the Heartland showcase took place this past weekend in the greater Indianapolis area. Despite a small number of teams from the Mitten. There were some excellent performances from Michigan. Following are five that caught my eye. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1819161' first='Ben' last='Rodenbaugh'] 6-5 2025 McBain </strong>After his 2027 younger brother Josh, made a clutch play in a Saturday morning contest. It was Ben's during the evening in a down to the wire victory over Dayton area Future Prospects. Flew through the air for the game sealing rejection on a puppy. Up to that point had handled heavy pressure like a seasoned point guard. The skeleton key for Rodenbaugh is the positional versatility. At the high school level. Can guard and capably play all five positions. Legitimately— not just in a pinch. At the small college level I could see him doing the same. Has that type of athleticism and strength (maybe not the 5) Should be in line for a big senior season as the top option for what should be one of the better teams in Northern Michigan.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2410383' first='Brayden' last='Favors'] 6-3 2026 Niles </strong>Saturday night was my first time catching this player in action. I came away impressed. Is a powerfully built scoring wing. Drives hard to the basket and elevates explosively through contact. Had several and 1 finishes early in a decisive victory against OPS-Gould. Seemed just as comfortable going to his left as he did the right. Not a point guard, but got to his spots easily with a controlled and efficient handle. Has some real potential if he maintains the strength while thinning out his frame a little. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2058636' first='Easton' last='Day'] 6-2 2025 Mount Pleasant (pictured) </strong>I am always impressed with this versatile point guard's game. Saturday night was not any different. Took on more of a scoring role. As that was what his team needed in the nip-and-tuck contest (see above) Is well schooled and patient in the half court. Does not force the action and waits for the play to develop. That being said, seems to be good for one offensive explosion per event. This weekend it was a 33 point 8 assist performance. Getting that many assists while putting up thirty plus points speaks to the diversity in his game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1936947' first='Tristan' last='Demlow'] 5-11 2025 Grayling </strong>A traditional pass first point guard. Consequently the numbers are never going to jump off the page. Is not very tall, but I would not call him small. Has thick upper body that he uses well to seal off defenders on drives. Accordingly scores well at the rim with strength and surprising elevation. Gets to his spots easily with a tight handle around the perimeter. Plays with his head up and seeks to get teammates involved. With heavy graduation losses at Grayling. Will have to take on more of a scoring load. After finishing with 19 points in a Sunday morning closing victory. Looks ready ti take that next step. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2434791' first='Eli' last='Caid'] 6-2 2027 St Joseph </strong>We'll end with one for the future. Caid is a tall and lanky wing who played well for Team Soil on Saturday night. Attacked the basket without fear and did not appear to mind contact. Needs to continue to develop physically as he grows into his lengthy frame. Will also need to improve his ball handling to play the point. That being said, there is a lot of upside with this 2027 prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->