Big North Shootout: 2026 Impact Players

This was my first time covering the Big North Shootout, and I couldn't have been more excited to watch many teams from the Petoskey area for the first time in person. Over 40 teams from various parts of Michigan, including several Northern Michigan-based squads, competed for two days. Here are several 2026 athletes who made a significant difference for their team on the floor.    Emery is a determined guard who grabbed my attention at the Big North Shootout. She drained a wing three and drove hard downhill to cause fouls. Emery split the gap and used an impressive high-pick up move with a euro-step to score a layup. She converted freebies from the free throw line and used a fake pass move to cause a foul on her layup attempt. Emery scored an offensive rebound put back and contributed in every area, which made her stand out.     Hailey has appeared in PGH headlines often, and when you ball out in front of both our scouts, that's bound to happen. She was at her best once again for GR Catholic Central at the Big North Shootout. Hailey tied a bow around a great opening day of the shootout with a dominant performance during a great Monday night matchup. She used a shifty crossover, behind-the-back dribble to create space, then used a step-through to score a floater in traffic. Hailey drove hard to the basket, missed a contested initial attempt, outworked everyone for the rebound, and scored the put-back with her left hand. Hailey read defenders when she drove full speed downhill and shovelled great passes to open teammates around the basket. She protected the ball under pressure with her off arm, produced many steals, scored full speed and one layups, and dropped in floaters. Hailey buried three-pointers at a high clip from up top and the wings.     Brooke might be a softball first athlete, but her basketball abilities were evident for Elk Rapids at the Big North Shootout. Her aggressiveness and relentless hustle created many positive plays on both ends of the court. Brooke swiped the ball away and threw a strong lead pass on the money in transition. She drained a confident straightaway three off the catch and pushed the ball quickly up the court after securing defensive rebounds. Brooke deflected an entry pass for a steal on a back cut and scored a tough step-through left-handed floater after landing in a jump stop.     Payton is a lanky wing/forward from Gaylord St. Mary's who showcased her playmaking abilities at the Big North Shootout. She covers ground quickly with her long strides and has mobility that makes her a difficult defensive matchup for opposing forwards. Payton attacked the baseline to score an and-one layup through contact and used a nifty spin dribble to score another layup with her left hand. Payton is a threat from beyond the arc, and she protected the rim by making an athletic block in transition.     Brenna gave Clawson a boost at the Big North Shootout with her outside shooting. She drained six triples during the two games I watched from the wings, corners, and up top. Brennan moves to open space and is dangerous when she gets space to fire off the catch. She blocked a shot on defense and worked hard to keep the ball in front of her.     Kaylee checks the boxes. She's a fierce competitor who plays relentlessly on defense, facilitates the offense, and scores at all three levels. She separated herself at the Big North Shootout with Gaylord St. Mary's. Kaylee poured in multiple wing threes, blocked shots, and drove hard to the cup for a layup. She sprinted to save a loose ball heading out of bounds, batted down a pass for a steal, and converted free throws from the charity stripe. Kaylee is tough, and that quality shows up on the court.     Ella seemed to always have her hands on the ball for GR Catholic Central at the Big North Shootout. She worked hard to secure offensive rebounds and showed her relentless effort to never give up on a play. Ella blocked shots and finished shots efficiently at the rim off two feet. She froze a defender with a shot fake and went right by to score a layup off the dribble. Ella wrestled and scrapped for rebounds. She gave passers a target by using strong seals in the paint and finished drop-step pivots with power off two feet.     Maycee was aggressive, active, and impactful on both ends at the Big North Shootout. Maycee won battles for offensive rebounds in the paint, scored put-backs, and earned trips to the free-throw line. She drove hard through gaps to score layups and ripped the net with a corner three. Maycee rejected multiple shot attempts in the paint and created steals. She will be an important senior leader for Saranac this winter.     Rhielynn is a softball first athlete who was very impressive for Elk Rapids on the basketball court during the Big North Shootout. She demonstrated great sportsmanship by helping up an opponent and jumped high off the floor to snag passes and rebounds at their highest point. Rhielynn shifted into high gear to score a layup in transition, drained a straightaway three, and added a high pick-up layup off the dribble. Her length, pressure, and quick feet created steals on the defensive end, and she dished out assists off turnovers.     Addison is a long and versatile forward who was very impactful for Clawson at the Big North Shootout. Addison grabbed a defensive board, pushed the ball up the court with both hands, and finished the highlight-reel-worthy play with a confident corner three. She deflected passes with her active hands, knocked down free throws, and buried another triple from the corner. Addison finished shots around the basket and secured many rebounds. She showed her ability to handle the basketball by creating space in transition with an inside-out crossover combination dribble. Addison will be a very important contributor this winter.

This was my first time covering the Big North Shootout, and I couldn't have been more excited to watch many teams from the Petoskey area for the first time in person. Over 40 teams from various parts of Michigan, including several Northern Michigan-based squads, competed for two days. Here are several 2026 athletes who made a significant difference for their team on the floor.