The Stage 2026: Saturday Show-Stoppers 14U

The skills of these young men stood above the rest Saturday morning. The term "show-stopper" definitely exemplifies how they performed on the basketball court.    A  shifty point guard who can do it all on the basketball court. He's an excellent passer and play-maker who found ways to make his teammates better. Aiden had the kind of assists that drew loud crowd reactions. The majority of his flashy passes were converted into points. I am confident in saying, Aiden led the CTJ team in assists. He's a great ball handler who has no problem getting wherever he wants on the basketball court. When he had one-on-one match-ups, Aiden easily beat Mac Elite defenders off the dribble. He was great at pushing the pace and facilitating. Not only is Aiden a great passer, he can score too! He used the dribble to easily attack the basket where he finished with a variety of lay-ups and mid-range pull-ups. Aiden was also great at creating space off the dribble and knocking down contested three- pointers. Defensively, he was excellent at pressuring opposing guards into mistakes. I believe Aiden has the talent to become an elite player in the near future.     Tommy is a player who's skilled in every offensive and defensive category. He's the kind of player who does all the hustle work for Ryze Athletics. Whether it's scoring, assisting, rebounding or defending, Tommy always managed to make positive plays for the team. He's a great rebounder who attacked the glass on both ends of the court. Offensively, he scored in the paint with a variety of crafty moves to free himself. He also knocked down shots from mid-range and finished in transition. On some occasions, Tommy was able to extend his shooting range beyond the three-point line. On defense, he was physical with the opposition. He guarded them close, poked at the ball and blocked a couple of shots. Tommy is the type of player every coach loves to have. Someone who does whatever it takes to make the team successful.     Terrell was the most dominant player on the floor in their match-up against Ryze Athletics. He was an unstoppable force in the paint. Converting numerous three-point play opportunities through contact. He used various post moves to be effective in the paint. Jump-hooks, pump-fakes and a variety of ball-fakes allowed Terrell to be a scoring threat every time he touched the ball. His athleticism was off the charts in Saturday morning's game. I watched him run the floor,handle the ball, score in transition and knock down mid-range jump-shots. Defensively, he used his length to be a nuisance on the basketball court. He showed his versatility by defending Ryza Athletic players in the post and on the perimeter. Terrell excelled at blocking shots and protecting the paint from opposing players who attacked the basket. He's a great young player who will be a force in the game of basketball.     Karsen's game has improved since I last saw him play in the summer of 2025. He now attacks defenders regularly. His new ball handling skills allowed him to easily get around opposing players. Karsen was the most aggressive player on the floor. He scored the majority of his points off dribble drives to the basket. Whenever Karsen had one-on-one match-ups, he used a quick first step to blow by the defense and make plays. In these circumstances, he scored or dished off assists to teammates around the basket. Karsen has always been a great shooter. Well, that hasn't changed. He knocked down numerous perimeter shots from mid-range. Whenever the opportunity was available for him to take threes, Karsen did so with no hesitation. He led the team in scoring and was close to achieving a double-double in the game. Karsen is a legit scorer and good all around player. He should easily adjust to the high school level of play next season.     Zeek continues to be one of the best little guards I've seen in his 2030 class. He plays hard, looks to facilitate and takes big shots when the opportunity arises. He's an excellent ball handler who easily blows by opposing defenders, His speed and quickness allowed him to make plays on both ends of the court. Zeek is great at creating the space he needs to get his shot off. He did this on a number of occasions in the closing moments of the game. Zeek knocked down a big-time three that tied the game with under ten seconds remaining. He continued to lead his team in overtime with constant play-making. Zeek was in a situation where he could close the game out with free-throws. He confidently stepped to the line and nailed them both. Defensively, Zeek was a terror! His quick hands and lateral movements allowed him to force multiple turnovers of the opposition. He's an excellent all around guard who's destined to succeed at the next level and beyond.     Chyson is an excellent ball handler who excelled at creating his own shots. He easily drove past defenders, attacked the paint and dished off flashy assists to teammates around the basket. When he decided to take shots, they usually ended with him knocking down a high arching floaters. He also used crafty moves to get to the rim. Chyson showed off his shooting ability on numerous occasions. He was great at using a variety of dribbling moves to free himself for open threes. There were a couple of moments in the game where Chyson brought the ball up-court, pulled up at the three-point line and knocked them down. This showed his prowess as a legitimate outside shooting threat. Chyson will continue to grow as an all around player. He already has scoring and play-making ability. Just imagine how good he could become as his game continues to progress.     Jamir was great at handling the basketball, getting to the basket and knocking down perimeter shots. He's a fearless player who always looked to score. I appreciate the aggression he showed throughout the game. It didn't matter who defended him from the opposing team. Jamir was on a mission to score and make all the positive plays he could. Every time he got an opening to attack the basket, Jamir looked to score. He had a talent for grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring around the basket. He also showed the ability to make plays with his passes skills. The majority of his assists led to positive outcomes for his teammates. He's a great defensive player who forced turnovers, blocked shots and made ball handling difficult for the opposition. Jamir is a scrappy player who does whatever he needs to help Clutch 14U win games. He's capable of becoming a great two-way player in the coming years.

The skills of these young men stood above the rest Saturday morning. The term "show-stopper" definitely exemplifies how they performed on the basketball court.