Courtside Films: Prospects Jumping Off The Screen

Courtside Films put on their Fall Showcase last week in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This event invited in some ballers from all of the surrounding states to compete under one roof and show their worth and what they could really do when the lights are bright.   Several players stepped up and showed out as top prospects throughout the day from Iowa and Nebraska. Here are some of those prospects -   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    [player_tooltip player_id='1315281' first='Mikaela' last='Tran'] is going to be a crucial piece to Iowa City - City High when she gets there next season. Tran is an elite shooter of the basketball with an above average handle and a smart head on her shoulders. She is very good at making the most of her opportunities but she is also the type to create those opportunities for herself at a higher rate than most her age. With her handle and her ability to make something out of nothing, she is always someone that opposing teams have to watch out for and that will obvious at this Courtside event last week in Cedar Rapids as she hit a lot of open shots while getting the others around her in the action with her passing ability.     [player_tooltip player_id='1305404' first='Ella' last='Otten'] is now in Iowa and she is ready to take the state by storm over these next few weeks! Otten is a D1 level talent with a lot of promise to her play-style. She seems to love and thrive with her step back game as she is very good at creating space for herself into her jumper almost anywhere on the floor. She is also sound enough that she can get to any offensive level she wants to score a majority of the time. Defensively, she is also someone to note. She makes smart moves on that side of the ball - usually leading to steals or deflections in one way or another. We see Otten do her thing at this event. She made multiple step back jumpers, she was getting steals in bucket load (literally), all while being a sound teammate to those around her.     It going to be a big season ahead of Algona High School and [player_tooltip player_id='677843' first='Hayden' last='Kuhlmann']. Kuhlmann came into this event as a Top 50 prospect out of the 2027 Class in Iowa and for good reason. Kuhlmann is primarily a PG with some natural instincts with the ball in her possession but she really showed how well she can shoot it at this event last week. It seemed like every time she was open on the outside, her team got her the ball for an easy look and she knocked it down. Doesn't matter where from. The point is that Kuhlmann showed her worth and versatile in every game she competed in and that's impressive to do with the type of talent that was in the gym for this one. Now hopefully she can just build onto that moving forward into the Winter season!     Kaytee Irons was one of the only prospects out of Nebraska to get the nod to come to this event as it was invite only and she showed out in some major ways. First - Irons came into the event and DOMINATED from the three point line. She owed the three point competition, becoming the three point shooting champion and she didn't stop there. She also showed off her solid gameplay as a pass-first PG. The best PG's out there can do it all and they make the most out of their chances. They worry about others first but they can also take over when need be. They make open shots on rotation when it's passed back to them and they defend like their life depends on it. That was Irons at this camp. She led by example in every way imaginable and that stood out to everyone watching. Including a bunch of collegiate programs who happened to be paying attention from afar.     After watching [player_tooltip player_id='1353025' first='Kaliyah' last='Blakeney'] compete at this event, I could see her being a steady piece this Winter at City High with her Little Hawks program. Blakeney is a SG that understands her role. She has a simple shot from that goes in a lot when she is open but she knows to not force an unneeded action. If the shot or opportunities aren't there, she will rotate the ball back and re-adjust. This is someone that isn't going to be a huge liability on the court for her coaching staff and that's important. She plays her role, keeps it simple, and see's positive results because of it. That's truly all you can ask for from a coaching perspective so I can't wait to see what she puts together with the Little Hawks following this event.

Courtside Films put on their Fall Showcase last week in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This event invited in some ballers from all of the surrounding states to compete under one roof and show their worth and what they could really do when the lights are bright.