Big North Shootout: Seizing the Moment

The Big North Shootout is a team camp that's been around for 21 years. Taking place in beautiful Petoskey and Boyne City, this event brings quality teams and prospects to beautiful Northern Michigan year after year. Director Ray Kimball does an outstanding job running the event, and it's an event I look forward to covering, not just because it happens to take place in a resort town. There are always hidden gem prospects to be found from under-the-radar teams, and this year was no different. Here are a few prospects who stood out:   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">UPCOMING PGH EVENTS (Use "EvanBell10" code for discount)</h2>   The Freshman Showcase (2030s), August 22nd   <a href="https://events.prepgirlshoops.com/e/2390/register/michigan-freshman-showcase">Registration Link</a>   The Expo (2027-2029s), September 26th   <a href="https://events.prepgirlshoops.com/e/2420/register/the-expo-michigan">Registration Link</a>    Brooklyn is about to step into an important role as a sophomore, and she was very impactful for Davison at the Big North Shootout. Brooklyn did a nice job of recognizing when to keep the ball moving and when to let it fly. She found her hot spot and buried many threes with confidence in the corner. There was one play where she patiently repositioned her feet to line them with the rim, then fired the three before the defender could alter the shot. She also hit the uncommon and one three on the wing when a defender fouled her on the follow-through. Brooklyn made a great skip pass down low to a cutter for the assist and knocked down a month corner jumper. She was active on the defensive end, poking the ball with her quick hands for a steal, and added a couple of ferocious volleyball spike blocks that echoed throughout the gym.     Makenna had one of those days that really excites you as a scout. A year ago, she was a Top Performer, and she delivered an even bigger performance at the Big North Shootout on Monday. Her athleticism, length, and relentless motor immediately catch your attention as a next-level guard-wing prospect. She pushed the ball up the floor with pace and finished full-speed layups comfortably with her right and left at the rim without slowing down. I noted her athletic frame and length. Makenna was a defensive game wrecker, intercepting passes on the perimeter, then breaking away for transition layups. She changed directions suddenly with effective crossover dribbles, shifted into a higher gear at the second level, then blew by for layups. Makenna has a no-quit mindset: she plays with endless energy. No layup was safe, and she had many blocks throughout the day. She sprinted in and elevated off the floor to block shots, then crashed hard to score offensive rebound putbacks on the offensive end. Makenna forced two misses on the defensive end from block to block with her quick feet and ripped the ball away to secure the rebound. She attacked off the dribble, spun, then scored the and-one layup. Makenna drove downhill with determination, absorbed contact, and finished with her left. She beat a defender with a smart backdoor cut, caught the pass with good hands in stride, and finished the layup. She's a multisport athlete (basketball, volleyball, soccer) coming off a state championship in soccer. Basketball is Makenna's primary sport, and her stock as a prospect is about to take off.     Trinity has length, athleticism, and versatility as a wing that makes her an extremely valuable member of the Beaverton basketball program. She had a notable day at the Big North Shootout. Trinity drained a smooth wing three and crashed the glass to score offensive rebound putbacks off two feet. Her quickness and long frame is very difficult to box out. Trinity protected the rim, rotating well from the help side. She blocked many shots in the game. One of her most impressive moments was when she jumped up with both hands against a layup and snatched the shot right out of the air. She jumped up to bat down a pass, scooped up the ball, and took it all the way for a layup.     Myah shot the ball well for Beaverton at BCAM Reaching Higher, and she continued to find the bottom of the net at the Big North Shootout. Myah was aggressive on the defensive end. She swiped the ball away on the perimeter, then outraced everyone the other way for a fast-break bucket. Myah cut backdoor for a catch and finish layup off two feet and converted back-to-back free throws. She drained a corner three with good balance, swished a step-back wing three off the bounce, and filled an open spot on the wing to bury the three. Myah timed up a shot attempt in the paint perfectly for the block and demonstrated her competitiveness throughout the game.     Brooklyn is a prospect in this 2027 class flying under the radar, and she delivered a very productive performance for Caro at the Big North Shootout. Brooklyn is a perimeter threat, and she swished a smooth triple from the wing and the corner off the hop. Her instincts off the ball will be valuable at the next level. She was particularly effective scoring off screens, using textbook curl cuts that gave defenders no chance to disrupt her layups. After catching the entry passes, she made smooth transfers to her right and left to finish layups in stride. Brooklyn used a quick rip move from the wing, got the angle, switched hands to right, then scored the layup off two feet. She jumped up to make contested catches inside and dished a great bounce pass feed through two defenders. Brooklyn finished with excellent touch around the basket and uses every inch of the glass to convert shots from tough angles. She elevated to snatch a pass, finished off two, and dropped in a soft floater off two feet. Brooklyn recognized an advantage before receiving a pass and immediately pivoted to fire a two-handed chest pass to a teammate for an assist before the defense could recover. She's interested in studying nursing after graduation.     Rylan stepped into a productive role right away as a freshman, and she looks ready to have an even bigger sophomore season for Beaverton. Rylan showed great poise and footwork in the paint, splitting two defenders with a step-through pivot to score a tough layup off the glass. She was extremely scrappy on the defensive end. Rylan moves well laterally without fouling and reaches in with quick hands to poke the ball away for steals. She ripped the ball away for an aggressive steal and had many during the game. Rylan sprinted in to chase down a missed free throw for the offensive rebound and attacked hard downhill to earn trips to the free throw line. She side-stepped a defender in the lane to cause a foul and pivoted to create a scoring angle for a bucket in the paint. Rylan made an all-around impact at the Big North Shootout.

The Big North Shootout is a team camp that's been around for 21 years. Taking place in beautiful Petoskey and Boyne City, this event brings quality teams and prospects to beautiful Northern Michigan year after year. Director Ray Kimball does an outstanding job running the event, and it's an event I look forward to covering, not just because it happens to take place in a resort town. There are always hidden gem prospects to be found from under-the-radar teams, and this year was no different. Here are a few prospects who stood out: