Standouts From Grand Valley’s college exposure camp

The Grand Valley State University prospects camp featured some potential recruits for the home school, and more playing in front of various small college coaches for whom it was a smorgasbord. Here 10 are some of the standout prospects from GVSU (not including a couple of top seniors, Rockford’s Michael Peterson and Lowell’s Ryan Stevens, who we discussed earlier in the week from Grand Valley’s team camp).

Caleb Drumm  6-3  Sr  Homer: He caught the eyes of coaches and scouts in drills when he was dunking off one or two feet. Drumm has a nice wingspan and took advantage of it keeping scoring chances alive on the rim. Physical tools an MIAA coach can work with.

Justin Gibbons  6-4  Sr  Northville: Last year another Northville player, Nate Kellum, distinguished himself at Grand Valley’s camp. While probably not destined for the D2 level like his older teammate, Gibbons is an attractive prospect himself passing the look test with a 6-6 1/2 wingspan, and the off-court test with some of the best grades at the event. He knocked down 3s, setting up defenders to then get beat with a long first step. More athlete than guard and needs to finish more consistently and stronger given his physical advantages.

Riley Lewis  5-11  Sr  Williamston: Slithery natural scorer who beat a number of good defenders off the dribble. Plays with bounce and energy. Can beat you with the jumper too when the footwork is in order. While a good athlete, slight frame has Lewis destined for D3, where he has the game and grades to thrive.

Matt Loney  6-2  So  Frankfort: The top underclassman at camp, and there was another good one from Frankfort of all places, 2018 point guard Jaylon Rogers. The youngest of six, including a brother and sister who played at WMU, Loney plays with the energy of a kid who has been waiting to get in the game all his life. Rebounded in traffic with an in-state, camp-best 6-7 wingspan. A five-position high school player who ran the court hard and made layup after layup past older players.

Gabe Meriwether  6-1  Jr  Bellaire: Small-town kid with talent that transcends geography, Meriwether played hard in both drills and games. Always in attack mode with the ball, hitting 3s and finishing fast-break dunks. Improved defensively. Generally keeps a respectable shot-pass balance, but sometimes still gets ahead of himself.

Perry junior Reese Middleton distinguished himself with his jump shot at Grand Valley State University’s exposure camp.

Reese Middleton  6-4  Jr  Perry: College wing size, with college wing shot. Puts it up with confidence and can get the ball off over defenders. While one might dismiss him as a catch-and-shoot arc dweller largely reliant on the other four guys, Middleton acquitted himself well in one-on-one play. His size enabled his scoring knack to carry over to the lane. A lower, attacking game from the wing both offensively and defensively would help his stock.

Deric Murray   6-2  Jr  Ann Arbor Pioneer: The Pioneers had three 2017 prospects see significant time last season, and two of them found their way to Allendale, Murray and 6-5 Jordan Currie. Murray had the highest vertical leap at camp — 38 inches — and it wasn’t just for show, as he finished well in games. He’s a left-handed combo guard who competed in drills and was in attack mode once the game opened up. Needs to balance his attack going to the right and get an up-and-down jumpshot with a higher release point.

Jeremy Pung  6-5  Jr  Fowler: The tallest players at camp were out-of-staters. Pung nevertheless made his presence known in the post with physical, consistent play. Rebounded, ran rim-to-rim and showed good hands. A strong power leaper, but it takes him some time to get wound up.

Adam Reed  6-4  Jr  Three Rivers: Athletic, productive tweener with the frame of a guy who could be playing MIAA basketball or football. Versatile defender who could push around inside and also get onto the floor and close out. Able to score with his back-to-the basket when matched up with wings.

Kyle Woodruff  6-2  Sr  Holly: In camp games the teams are made up of mostly strangers and there’s the pressure of wanting to impress in a brief window of time. That can make for selfish play. Woodruff is such a good shooter, his new teammates actually liked getting him the ball because an assisted three-pointer was likely to ensue. The up-and-down game was particularly to his liking as he was able to find soft spots in the lax transition D. Needs to finish stronger with his chin to the rim.