14U Buckeye Breakdown - part 2

Continuing coverage of the Buckeye Breakdown from last weekend in Columbus, with a few talented players I witness on the court. With so many players to cover I did my best to include as many standouts as I possibly could. Bella Keeton - 5’3" - Gower Heights ’26 - Dayton Vipers Elite ’26 Black Keeton has great court vision which she best displays when handling the ball against pressure by effectively using changes in tempo to navigate through the defense. She has the ballhandling quickness to turn the corner and a great right-to-left crossover to shake the defender on penetration into the lane. She can also impact the game from range. I witnessed her making a three from the right wing and an 18-footer from the right corner. Breanna Deaton - 5’2" - Mad River ’26 - Dayton Vipers Elite ’26 Pink Deaton is a heady Guard that seemed to have an instinct on how to find a little space to protect the ball while traffic is moving around her. She kept her head up looking for open teammates and rarely made a pass that was in danger of deflection or interception. She was most effective from the right wing when I was watching her play. She drove in from the right wing drive for a 5-footer and made other shot jumpers on that side from 8 and 12 feet as well. Kyla Hunt - 5’1" - East Jessamine ’26 - Overtime Performance ’26 Hunt carried her team’s ball-handling duties in the first half and kept her team’s offense running while their other primary ballhandler was struggling a bit. She also put the ball in the hole to keep her team competitive early before other players were able to turn on and begin to carry the load late. She hit a few three-pointers from the right wing, made a top-right assist to a teammate in the short corner, and fed the post which helped get a teammate involved that really carried the team across the finish line. Dymon Percell - 5’5" - Royal Spring ’26 - Overtime Performance ’26 Purcell fought through a rough first half for her by finding ways to contribute on the boards and blocking a few shots on defense. She caught fire in the second half to help carry her team through to the finish along with another teammate. Purcell had some success on the left side of the court with a 12-footer from the left wing while closely defended and another 12-footer from the left corner. She struggled some with penetration which I will chalk up to good defense because I have seen her play before. Zoey Conn - 5’8" - Graham ’27 - Dayton Vipers ’26 Black Conn made a great fullcourt drive for a layup by using a great rocker step and "hesi" to help her to set up the defense for the finish. She also dove to the floor for a loose ball and hit the glass for a rebound putback. She is currently more of a 3 on the court with the way she plays. But it is too early to pigeonhole most players into one specific role, especially a 3. At her same age, my sister was a Point Guard that became a 3 and I was a 2 that became a 4. Mallory Fields - 5’4" - Jacob Coy ’26 - Dayton Metro ’26 Fields is a heady Guard with great handles, the ability to be shifty through traffic with the ball, and lightning-quick with it when she finds the space to accelerate all while keeping the ball very low on the dribble. She can be a bit of a terror in press defense. She made a half-court steal and drove it up the court for a layup in a few seconds. Hannah Hill - 5’6" - Onsted ’26 - Michigan Cobras ’26 Hill is a well-coached player that runs the floor very well and is ready to receive the ball from an up-the-street pass to convert it into a layup. She also made a 10-foot jumper from the left corner.

Continuing coverage of the Buckeye Breakdown from last weekend in Columbus, with a few talented players I witness on the court.

With so many players to cover I did my best to include as many standouts as I possibly could.

Bella Keeton - 5’3" - Gower Heights ’26 - Dayton Vipers Elite ’26 Black

Keeton has great court vision which she best displays when handling the ball against pressure by effectively using changes in tempo to navigate through the defense. She has the ballhandling quickness to turn the corner and a great right-to-left crossover to shake the defender on penetration into the lane.

She can also impact the game from range. I witnessed her making a three from the right wing and an 18-footer from the right corner.

Breanna Deaton - 5’2" - Mad River ’26 - Dayton Vipers Elite ’26 Pink

Deaton is a heady Guard that seemed to have an instinct on how to find a little space to protect the ball while traffic is moving around her. She kept her head up looking for open teammates and rarely made a pass that was in danger of deflection or interception.

She was most effective from the right wing when I was watching her play. She drove in from the right wing drive for a 5-footer and made other shot jumpers on that side from 8 and 12 feet as well.

Kyla Hunt - 5’1" - East Jessamine ’26 - Overtime Performance ’26

Hunt carried her team’s ball-handling duties in the first half and kept her team’s offense running while their other primary ballhandler was struggling a bit. She also put the ball in the hole to keep her team competitive early before other players were able to turn on and begin to carry the load late.

She hit a few three-pointers from the right wing, made a top-right assist to a teammate in the short corner, and fed the post which helped get a teammate involved that really carried the team across the finish line.

Dymon Percell - 5’5" - Royal Spring ’26 - Overtime Performance ’26

Purcell fought through a rough first half for her by finding ways to contribute on the boards and blocking a few shots on defense. She caught fire in the second half to help carry her team through to the finish along with another teammate.

Purcell had some success on the left side of the court with a 12-footer from the left wing while closely defended and another 12-footer from the left corner. She struggled some with penetration which I will chalk up to good defense because I have seen her play before.

Zoey Conn - 5’8" - Graham ’27 - Dayton Vipers ’26 Black

Conn made a great fullcourt drive for a layup by using a great rocker step and "hesi" to help her to set up the defense for the finish. She also dove to the floor for a loose ball and hit the glass for a rebound putback.

She is currently more of a 3 on the court with the way she plays. But it is too early to pigeonhole most players into one specific role, especially a 3. At her same age, my sister was a Point Guard that became a 3 and I was a 2 that became a 4.

Mallory Fields - 5’4" - Jacob Coy ’26 - Dayton Metro ’26

Fields is a heady Guard with great handles, the ability to be shifty through traffic with the ball, and lightning-quick with it when she finds the space to accelerate all while keeping the ball very low on the dribble.

She can be a bit of a terror in press defense. She made a half-court steal and drove it up the court for a layup in a few seconds.

Hannah Hill - 5’6" - Onsted ’26 - Michigan Cobras ’26

Hill is a well-coached player that runs the floor very well and is ready to receive the ball from an up-the-street pass to convert it into a layup. She also made a 10-foot jumper from the left corner.