MVP Emmanuel Gildo 6-4 Sr Lansing Waverly: It’s one thing to be the best athlete in camp. And another to play as hard as anyone in camp. When those two things converge in the same player? You get the consensus MVP. He had multiple posterizing dunks, including a tip on 6-10 Innocent Nwoko. Played with some edge and nastiness too, which you gotta love. He’ll have 20-10 walking into the gym this year for Waverly.
“D1 athleticism, the highest flyer there,” a coach said. “Add some more skillwork and he’s a player in high demand.”
“Where did he come from?,” asked another coach. “Most explosive kid at camp. Showed the ability to dunk on people as well as hit the 3 if they played off too far. Came through the lane like a train in transition, and played controlled and made good decisions in the half-court. Great motor and sturdy frame. Should be able to guard the 1, 2 or 3 at the next level.”
“Undersized height-wise, but has the athleticism to make up for it,” another coach said. “Attacked the rim with authority and not afraid to put anyone on a poster.”
Jerry Ben 6-8 Sr New Haven: He was the 2016 MVP at last fall’s camp as a junior, and turned in another strong performance this time around. Gets the nod over New Haven’s other big man Innocent Nwoko for his more consistent motor in games. The best basketball remains in the future for this Cornell commitment and still relative newcomer to the game.
“This kid always plays his tail off, but in the past I would have said he was as raw as sushi,” a coach said. “He has progressed to medium rare. Improved footwork and a nice little hook have been added to his arsenal since the last time I saw him. Always defends, but now scores a little bit too. Excited to see his continued development.”
Andrew Kline 6-4 Sr Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes: He was hurt early in last fall’s camp, but made up for lost time here. Great size in the backcourt, and kept the ball hot, making his teammates better and scoring himself when there was daylight. Able to pass one-handed, with either hand.
“Big point guard!,” a coach said. “Saw the floor as well as any player at camp. Nice handle and used deception as well, as he never seemed to telegraph a pass. Can knock down the open jumper; needs to improve on finishing around the hoop against bigger defenders.”
“Looks more like a Class A guard than Class D, easy to see how they got to Breslin last year with him on the floor,” said another coach. “Talented big guard who can finish in traffic.”
Logan Ryan 6-8 Sr Canton: Reminds you of a not quite as tall Jared Stolicker, Ferris State’s center, with his agility. Athletic and high-points rebounds. Would like to see him post up and mix it up more. Tools to just get better.
“The definition of a stretch 4,” one coach said. “Shoed the ability to knock down the 3 from both the top and corner. I anticipate a ton of high pick-and-pop in Canton this winter. Solid rebounder on the defensive and, but needs to hit the glass more regularly on the offensive end. Also needs to improve laterally in order to guard more athletic forwards at the next level.”
“Runs the floor like crazy,” another said. “Can really get up and down and he’s not even close to knowing what he can do with this game. Loved him.”
Shae Somers 6-0 Sr Elk Rapids: After an off-season to forget, with “highlights” including a broken ankle and near death experience, Somers came in with something to prove. What did he prove? That at still just 16, fully qualified and the swagger back, he may be the most attractive buy low-sell senior in Michigan. When the jumper was falling like it was in Lansing combined with the quickness and skill to get into the pain at will, he’s a tough cover.
“Classic heady point guard with confidence and quickness,” one coach said. “Pass-first guy that is money when open. On my court he had a 30-point game while being a pass-first point, how? I saw it with my own two eyes.”
“Shae has always been a strong floor general and show the ability to knock down the open jumper when I have seen him, but Sunday he truly looked like a ‘scorer’ as well,” said another coach. “He showed the ability to score with a variety of finishes around the hoop and also looked like he’s really improved his in-between game.”
Marcellous Williams 6-2 Sr Farmington: Slasher, maybe a tweener, but athletic and got it done on both ends of the court.
“One of my favorite players at camp because he brought great energy and was very coachable,” said one coach. “Looked like the best player in his drill group and played extremely well during games. Very good defender. Can attack the basket and finish at the rim.”
“Very good player in transition,” another coach said. “Showed the ability to finish above the rim and spce out and knock down the open jumper if the defense protected the hoop. Needs to improve on understanding spacing in the half-court game — when the game slowed down, he seemed to stay sped up.”
Recent Comments