Freshman Showcase GameChangers: Top Performers

No one shined brighter on Saturday in my eyes than Kaleigh Heywood Kaleigh Heywood 5'10" | SF Collins Hill | 2026 State GA . She completely stole the show with her first impression. When I walked into the gym for the first game, Heywood immediately landed on my radar with her aggressive style of play. She’s a good athlete that finishes exceptionally well through contact, getting downhill whenever she wants. It didn’t take long to identify her as a three-level scorer, more than just a one trick pony. Heywood is a great shooter, scorching the nets from three and the mid-range. When I sat down to stat her second game of the day, her box score blew me away. 35 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in a 95-39 win. Unsurprisingly, Kaleigh never lost a game at camp. Heywood hardly ever missed. She hit three threes and five mid-range jumpers. Kaleigh is so smooth at getting into her shot off the bounce. If this is who Heywood is night in and night out, and if she continues to improve over her four years of high school, we are looking at a no brainer Power 5 prospect.

I’ve heard and seen a lot of Kailyn Hamby Kailyn Hamby 5'4" | PG Creekview | 2026 State GA on Twitter over the past few seasons, but I hadn’t really had the chance to check her out in a full game. I’m glad the opportunity finally presented itself on Saturday because she took complete advantage of the Freshman Showcase stage. I came away very impressed with her feel for the game. She’s a savvy guard with great shiftiness. She splits traps with ease and scores all over the floor. Kailyn gets to the rim with a sharp eurostep. She does a nice job of not getting too deep in the trees and has a floater and pull-up jumper in her arsenal. Hamby sees the floor exceptionally well and provides a nice motor on defense. She tallied 19 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 1 block in an impressive outing.

No relation to North Oconee Head Coach Erick Willis, he may start bragging on Laura Frances as if she were his own daughter if she plays as well as she did at camp. I really liked her knowledge of spacing and sticking to what she did best. Willis was lights out from deep, sinking three three-pointers, but she wasn’t one dimensional. Laura looked good putting the ball on the floor using a quick first step and a solid handle to beat her man downhill. She’s a good athlete with length. Willis brought major effort on the glass as well and did a good job of hitting the open man. Her robust stat line showed 13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. I like her upside in Bogart.

Roberson flipped a switch in the second half to lead Team 4 to a 53-51 win after trailing 27-19 at the break. Roberson netted 12 of her game-high 19 points in the second half to go along with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Roberson is a well-rounded scorer. She has good size and athleticism to pair with an advanced skill level. Roberson’s footwork allows her to catch opponents off balance as she gets to her spots with ease. She shoots very well off the dribble from three and can spin off defenders when getting to the hole. Roberson will play an important role for River Ridge in their quest for a title. Her ability to score in bunches will make the Knights that much harder to defend.

Good things happen when Ellison Steinhauer Ellison Steinhauer 5'10" | CG Pickens | 2026 State GA is on the floor. I was interested to see how she would fit in in a camp setting where structure isn’t necessarily paramount and the pace of play can sometimes be in overdrive to the point where it gets sloppy. Ellison however, was able to showcase her polished skill set and fundamental game. Her calming presence on the floor makes others around her better. She’s a three-level scorer that has a dangerous jump shot and a crafty mindset when getting to the hoop. Ellison made an impact on the glass as she tallied 9 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.

Sydney Glahn Sydney Glahn 5'8" | SG Mt. Pisgah Christian | 2026 GA will be a Day 1 difference maker at Mt. Pisgah. Her strength is a hallmark of her game. Glahn does a terrific job using her body to get to the rim. The slasher shields her layups away from shot blockers, using a deft touch inside. Sydney’s scoop layups are pretty and her subtle vision as a playmaker can catch defenses out of place when they over pursue to keep her out of the lane.