14U Buckeye Breakdown part 1

After this weekend at the Buckeye Breakdown in Columbus, I have a few talented players I want to tell you about in this article. There were more players than I can cover in just a few articles but I will do my best. Stay tuned for more to follow. Triniti Austin-Russell - 5’5" - McKinley ’27 - FINAO ’26 A very polished Point Guard for this age group with tons of quickness, the court vision to find teammates, and the decision-making skills needed to know when to put the breaks on the fastbreak to run the offense. She shoots the three from college range and made a great move while driving on the break, making an L cut away from the lane to open her up for a 10-foot left-wing jumper. Kendra Steele - 5’7" - Andrew Jackson ’27 - FINAO ’26 I pointed out to a Coach on their bench that somebody needed to get Steele on a Track and Field team to do the Long Jump event after she attempted to block a shot and her leap carried her quite a distance. Only to find out that she is Nationally Ranked in the Long Jump and 2 other events. So I guess I know some things. lol On the basketball court she is a deep range threat shooting most of her shots at College range from the wings and banking them in at times. She runs the floor on every possession, plays good defense, and does a good job with the ball in her hands. Karoyn Erford - 5’7" - Glandorf ’26 - Team 419 ’26 Erford kept hustling after the game I saw her in had long since been decided. That kind of hustle gets your attention. So did her blocking a couple of shots and working to get rebounds. After receiving the ball in the center of the lane she made a layup after 1 bounce, drove the ball up the court through heavy traffic, and made a great dive cut to get open for a layup. Naliyah Knight - 5’0" - Reynoldsburg Baldwin ’27 - Mid-Ohio Phoenix ’26 Night made a living out of the corners, making threes in them and driving out of them for layups and short jumpers. She has great ballhandling skills and does a good job defending around the perimeter. Karlie Kimerer - 5’3" - Tecumseh ’26 - Michigan Cobras ’26 Kimerer is a shooter that gets involved defensively to mix things up with defensive pressure. Like most of her team, she is well-coached and full of so much potential. Maya Custard - 5’5" - Georgetown ’27 - Overtime Performance ’26 Custard puts forth a ton of effort on the court and it pays dividends defensively. She turned a blocked shot into a steal and fastbreak drive and collected a teammate’s back tip deflection for another steal and fastbreak. She also picked up an assist to a diving teammate as the triggerman on a baseline out of bounds play Marian Pendleton - 5’7" - Madriver ’26 - Dayton Vipers Elite ’26 Black Pendelton has some versatility on the court. She made a College range three-pointers from the top of the key, got the ball off of the glass, and put in the effort running the court. She displayed some effective behind-the-back handles to elude the defense after a defensive rebound to start the fastbreak.

After this weekend at the Buckeye Breakdown in Columbus, I have a few talented players I want to tell you about in this article. There were more players than I can cover in just a few articles but I will do my best. Stay tuned for more to follow.

Triniti Austin-Russell - 5’5" - McKinley ’27 - FINAO ’26

A very polished Point Guard for this age group with tons of quickness, the court vision to find teammates, and the decision-making skills needed to know when to put the breaks on the fastbreak to run the offense.

She shoots the three from college range and made a great move while driving on the break, making an L cut away from the lane to open her up for a 10-foot left-wing jumper.

Kendra Steele - 5’7" - Andrew Jackson ’27 - FINAO ’26

I pointed out to a Coach on their bench that somebody needed to get Steele on a Track and Field team to do the Long Jump event after she attempted to block a shot and her leap carried her quite a distance. Only to find out that she is Nationally Ranked in the Long Jump and 2 other events. So I guess I know some things. lol

On the basketball court she is a deep range threat shooting most of her shots at College range from the wings and banking them in at times. She runs the floor on every possession, plays good defense, and does a good job with the ball in her hands.

Karoyn Erford - 5’7" - Glandorf ’26 - Team 419 ’26

Erford kept hustling after the game I saw her in had long since been decided. That kind of hustle gets your attention. So did her blocking a couple of shots and working to get rebounds.

After receiving the ball in the center of the lane she made a layup after 1 bounce, drove the ball up the court through heavy traffic, and made a great dive cut to get open for a layup.

Naliyah Knight - 5’0" - Reynoldsburg Baldwin ’27 - Mid-Ohio Phoenix ’26

Night made a living out of the corners, making threes in them and driving out of them for layups and short jumpers. She has great ballhandling skills and does a good job defending around the perimeter.

Karlie Kimerer - 5’3" - Tecumseh ’26 - Michigan Cobras ’26

Kimerer is a shooter that gets involved defensively to mix things up with defensive pressure. Like most of her team, she is well-coached and full of so much potential.

Maya Custard - 5’5" - Georgetown ’27 - Overtime Performance ’26

Custard puts forth a ton of effort on the court and it pays dividends defensively. She turned a blocked shot into a steal and fastbreak drive and collected a teammate’s back tip deflection for another steal and fastbreak.

She also picked up an assist to a diving teammate as the triggerman on a baseline out of bounds play

Marian Pendleton - 5’7" - Madriver ’26 - Dayton Vipers Elite ’26 Black

Pendelton has some versatility on the court. She made a College range three-pointers from the top of the key, got the ball off of the glass, and put in the effort running the court.

She displayed some effective behind-the-back handles to elude the defense after a defensive rebound to start the fastbreak.