Havoc in the Heartland 2026: Saturday Standouts 14u

The skills of these young athletes showed their worthiness of being recognized as Saturday standouts.    A good all around scorer who can make shots from everywhere on the court. Whether it was scoring in the paint, knocking down mid-range shots or extending his shooting range beyond the three-point line, Kingston proved to be a problem for the Legacy Ice Gold 8th 14u defense. He's a great rebounding guard who battled opposing players for every board he could get his hands on. Some of his scores came by grabbing offensive rebounds and converting around the rim. Kingston continues to show great passing and play-making ability. There were numerous occasions where he found teammates with precise passes. He finished the game with multiple threes and a variety of acrobatic finishes around the basket. Kingston gave maximum effort on both ends of the court. Every time I watch him play, his game gives the impression of a player who's vital to [program_tooltip program_id='2076162' first='Team' last='Blaze Select']'s success.     Destin is an athletic player who beats defenders to the basket, rebounds, make threes and defends. The three-pointer has become a major part of his game. The first time I watched Destin play, he exclusively scored inside or attacked defenders off the dribble. There was a sequence in Saturday's game where Destin reeled off consecutive shots on offense. He knocked down a contested three-pointer, scored in the paint and nailed another three to tie the game at the end of regulation. Destin is a dynamic wing player who has improved his ability to score from all areas of the court. Destin continues to be a great rebounder who dominates the glass on both ends of the court. Defensively, he's still a problem for opposing teams. He blocked shots, protected the paint and altered shot attempts. Destin is an improved player who has become a viable threat on both sides of the ball.     Brodi is an excellent shooter from behind the three-point line. He had a quiet first half but turned it on big time in the second. While he was not very aggressive offensively, Brodi made a point to do all the intangibles needed to help Blaze Select 14u be successful. Whether it was taking charges, fighting for loose balls, rebounding, defending or assisting, Brodi proved to be the ultimate team player. When halftime was over, he came out shooting! Brodi knocked down multiple threes despite having a hand in his face. He stayed aggressive throughout the rest of the game. By staying active and finding ways to free himself, his shots made him more of a threat on the perimeter. In my opinion, Brodi is the type of player who can catch fire and nail the majority of his shots. I believe he could have games with five or more threes on any given night.     Nick is a great spot-up shooter! When Legacy Ice Gold 8th stepped on the court, it was clear who the team relied on to make threes. As I watched him play, Nick knocked down five three-pointers throughout the game. He was great at finding ways to get open. Whether it was using effective teammate screens or creating his own shots, Nick found ways to get the ball through the hoop. He also showed the ability to score in the paint with floaters or mid-range jump-shots. Nick showed great passing skills. The majority of his assists led to high percentage scores for other Legacy Ice Gold 8th players. He's the type of player who can make five to eight threes once he gets on a roll. Nick has a superpower that will take him far in the game of basketball. The ability to shoot from anywhere on the court.     Corbin is a gritty point guard who attacks the basket, pushes the pace, knocks down jumpers and involves his teammates on offensive. I was pleased to see Corbin play an aggressive style of basketball. He applied pressure on the opposing defense by staying in “attack mode” throughout the game. Corbin easily beat defenders to the basket or knocked down mid-range shots when he had the opportunity. Corbin stepped his game to another level in the final minutes by converting multiple threes. These shots helped bring his team closer in the end. He was excellent at drawing contact when he attacked the paint. Corbin calmly stepped to the foul-line and converted all his attempts. When Showtime Elite 14u-1 had an opportunity to make plays in transition, Corbin was the catalyst. Defensively, he forced steals by playing the passing lanes. Corbin showed the traits of a great leader. The Showtime Elite basketball program will be in good hands as the summer progresses.

The skills of these young athletes showed their worthiness of being recognized as Saturday standouts.