MVP Hayden Stauffer 6-5 So Centreville: Centreville? Yes, Centreville! Very well-coached, and put it to good use. One coach compared him to Holt’s Jaron Faulds when he was a young camper. Faulds is now 6-10 and the top post in the 2017 class. That kind of height is not out of the question for Stauffer, who has a 6-8 grandfather and 6-10 uncle. Carrying a 4.0 gpa thus far.
“Surprise player of the camp,” a coach said. “Displayed very good footwork in the paint and had one of the best drop steps I’ve seen in awhile. Attacks rebounds with two hands, keeps the ball high and stays after balls being tipped around. The best thing to see was him find a body every time a shot went up. He is going to have an awesome high school career, and could really be a serious college prospect if he continues to grow. Did everything you want a young big fella to do. I wonder if he can hit free throws, because the way he plays he will certainly shoot a few this upcoming season.”
Jacob Boonyasith 6-3 So Jenison: Boon goes the dynamite! He was solid at the Underclassman Camp, but better here if for no other fact than his shot was falling more consistently in games. Good feel for the game so even when playing with new teammates he found himself in the right spots and knocked down shots from all three levels. Produces with or without the ball. Great size for a sophomore guard, he’s shed the baby fat and there may still be an uptick in athleticism to come.
Denver Cade 6-1 So Buckley: You’ve heard of three-sport high school athletes. But three in one season? Cade is the top runner on Buckley’s cross country team, a member of the soccer team, and has clearly been in the gym as well as he looked improved on the court after a successful AAU season. He played with some talented and unselfish teammates, and rewarded their generosity by knocking down shot after shot. Cade has improved in his driving and scoring game, and figuring out how to get his shot off against bigger, athletic defenders. 4.0 gpa always helps.
“Scorer!,” a coach said. “He knocked down a bunch of 3s, and scored other ways. Not always pretty but he put it in the bucket. Played hard and wasn’t afraid to get on the floor for loose balls. When he handled the ball in the open court sometimes missed teammates ahead of him, and will have to keep working on his defensive quickness.”
Matt Loney 6-2 So Frankfort: This kid is just a great teammate, can fit in any spot and bring positive energy. Walks it as well as talks it, as Loney plays at 100 percent. Pushes it and is athletic in the open court, constant motion and understands space in the half court. Repeatedly beat older players for 50-50 balls and on the offense glass to create second and third chances for his team. Tremendous wingspan allows him to cover a lot of space. Major point of emphasis over the next six months will be consistency of the jumpshot.
Pierre Mitchell 5-10 So Detroit Loyola: There are a bunch of promising point guards in the state’s 2018 class. Mitchell may be the best pure passer of the group. While his team may have been the most talented at camp, Mitchell helped create an unselfish ethos that carried over to the others and made good players look even better. Still not the guy you’d chose first to take a jumper, but he’s getting much better there.
“Leader!,” a coach said. “Found the open man and knocked down perimeter shots with a greater consistency than in the past. Plays very hard and is not afraid to defensively chase down rebounds from the guard spot. Plays well in the up and down or half court game speeds. Keeps defenders from getting comfortable by using change of pace. Sometimes can be overaggressive for the steal and get burned. Shows the ability to stay in front of anyone, just needs to do it all the time and not get greedy.”
Brandon Wade 6-1 So Ann Arbor Skyline: Much prefer watching him, than coaching against him. Attacking point guard, but does it wisely and is equally dangerous as a scorer or distributor off the dribble. Terrific pedigree. His dad was a standout point guard at Toledo, and Brandon has been a big-time winner in AAU, and will soon be the same at Skyline thanks to all their young talent. Wade has offers from EMU, Northern Illinois and Toledo.
“Another very good young point guard with unbelievable vision,” a coach said. “His Skyline teammates must love him, because he always seems to get the ball to teammates in good scoring positions. Gets in the lane well and uses his length to create good passing angles and hits shooters right in the pocket. Plays solid on the defensive end as well. Jumper was a little inconsistent, but didn’t let it affect his overall game, which shows great maturity.”
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