It was a busy spring of basketball for Harlan fifth-grader Maddox Huff, who finished his school season and then joined the Kentucky PlayMakers for an AAU campaign that culminated in a national championship.

The team, based in London, featured players from Laurel County, Perry County, Knott County, Scott County and Harlan County and posted a 42-6 record that included state and national titles in the National Youth Basketball League (NYBL) AAU circuit.

In Atlanta for the national finals of the NYBL, the PlayMakers placed first in pool play by defeating All in Elite (Georgia) 50-43 and NET Panthers (Florida) 59-19. That gave the PlayMakers a first-place seed in the tournament. In tournament play, the PlayMakers defeated Team Teague 49-41 in the quarterfinals. Team Teague is from Greensboro, N.C. and is sponsored by NBA point guard Jeff Teague, of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The PlayMakers played Ray Allen Select of Wisconsin in the semifinals and came away with a hard fought 55-48 win. Ray Allen Select is sponsored by former NBA great Ray Allen. In the national championship, the PlayMakers played We Get Buckets out of Chattanooga, Tenn. The PlayMakers had lost to this group in Nashville a few weeks prior to the national finals tournament. However, the PlayMakers dominated the rematch by a score of 51-35, winning the national championship of the NYBL 2018 AAU circuit. The PlayMakers were ranked 19th in the nation as they entered the national finals tournament.

The PlayMakers won the Kentucky State fifth-grade AAU title with a victory over the Kentucky Kings (of Louisville) in the state finals.

Other team members include Kole Jervis, Todd Sizemore, Kameron Maxey, Samuel Kreis and Colton Rawlings, of Laurel County; Drake Slone, of Knott County; Gage Richardson, of Scott County; and Samuel Shoptaw, of Hazard. The team is coached by Tim Sizemore, Josh Maxey and Kriston Jervis.