Schaffer played the way you would want your senior leader to play in this one. He made the right decisions with the ball in his hands. He did not score 30+ but he didn’t need to. He did what was needed to win. In a game, Ready was trying to get sped up when Schaffer hands the ball there was a sense of calmness and trust. He has a good IQ for the game, and it shows in how he plays. He had a nice putback dunk in the first half that gave Ready their first spark of momentum of the game. He never settled for the three balls. Always put pressure on the rim.

A flat out winner, Schaffer has helped Bishop Ready have another tremendous regular season as a senior. A wing who will do the dirty work and accept his role, Schaffer is ready to take on the challenges of the college level. On Bishop Ready you get to see Schaffer play a primary scoring role where he gets to flash some more ball handling and creation than he’ll be asked to do at Walsh. With the unique style of play the Silver Knights have by taking care of the ball and playing in the half-court, they are a tough team to see in the playoffs and could make a run in a loaded central district for Division V.

The leader of the Bishop Ready squad, Schaffer makes so many toughness plays that help his team win. Both him and his older brother Kaleb went the extra mile to help their teams win and it’s why Kaleb has already found a role at Walsh, where Kayden will try and join in his older brother’s footsteps. Not known as a scorer, Schaffer had some easy buckets in the paint by posting up and finishing with either hand. In the second half when Bishop Ready made their big push, Schaffer had multiple outlet passes that let to buckets in transition. At the end of regulation Schaffer had the tying layup off a strong drive and finish he created off the dribble. I love when kids get the most out of their talents and Schaffer is a prime example of that type of player.

I recently got to see Kayden’s older brother Kaleb for Walsh last week and he played a tough utility role for the Cavs by competing defensively, rebounding and being efficient as a scorer. I see no reason why Kayden can’t have a similar career for Walsh as Kayden is a better athlete due to his lateral quickness and vertical explosiveness. Both Schaffer’s are teammates that players want to play with and aren’t afraid to do the dirty work. It’ll be interesting to see Schaffer in a primary scoring role as a senior with Bishop Ready, he’ll slide in nicely to a utility wing role at the college level.

A utility wing, Schaffer impacts the game in a variety of ways on the hardwood. A good athlete, Schaffer has improved his explosiveness vertically and lateral mobility, two skills that translate not only to the basketball court but also the gridiron. Making a lot of winning plays like making the extra pass, getting tough rebounds and making smart cuts, Schaffer plays with an extremely high basketball IQ. Impressing a variety of small college programs with Midwest Basketball Club Gilliland this spring, expect even more schools to find interest in Schaffer as Bishop Ready will be at a handful of college team camps and Midwest Live to end the month of June.

Kayden’s highlight of the weekend was a monster two-foot slam dunk in the championship game. A utility wing who can help you without the ball in his hands, Schaffer is a solid defender who rebounds and moves his feet. Combine that with a high IQ offensively to make the extra pass and knock down a set shot and Schaffer checks a ton of boxes that small college programs look for in wings that help you win. While many 2025 prospects will likely struggle adjusting to a college role that asks them to do the dirty work immediately, Schaffer will be comfortable doing what it takes to get on the court and stay on the court.