Michigan represented well both regionally and nationally during the first month of the AAU season. Here’s the starting 5 of those prospects who did it best. All teams are 17U unless otherwise noted.
Jamal Cain 6-7 So Detroit Stars (Detroit Cornerstone): One of a plethora of underclassmen playing up on 17U, standard operating procedure for the Stars, and the program’s top prospect since Vincent Hunter. He’s a smooth, full-court athlete who has grown comfortably into his body. Easily coordinated to finish above the rim. With some shooting touch, Cain is ably a top 100 national prospect.
Karmari Newman 6-3 Jr Detroit Showtime (East English Village): Streak Shooter thy name is Mari. When it’s dropping like it did for the second April live period in Akron, Newman gets offers and Showtime wins tournaments. And when it’s not, the lithe lefty is still able to cobble together 20 via the line and much-improved game as an athlete and finisher. Kent State and Detroit are the most recent to offer, after Cleveland State got in on it last year.
Terrence Sewell 6-3 Jr REACH (Detroit Northwestern): He plays in semi-obscurity in the winter, but Sewell is hard to miss in the spring as he’s an aggressive, physical impact guy. Workhorse guard who helped REACH win the spring’s first two in-state tournaments. He can rebound and make it happen all by himself.
Xavier Tillman 6-8 So Mustangs 16U (Forest Hills Central): The bulwark forward and foundation for one of the nation’s elite 16U squads. The Mustangs go nine-deep in D1 players and have already won a top regional event, the Grand Rapids Storm Classic, and top national event, the Indianapolis leg of the Adidas tour. Tillman just has his way in age-group competition, as his combination of girth and guile is in short supply amongst 10th-graders. Good-not-great athlete, but has an elite physical tool in that X catches everything. MSU is considered the early leader for Tillman, an at minimum top 50 national prospect who will be recruited by everyone before we’re through.
Cassius Winston 6-1 Jr Family (Detroit U-D Jesuit): As good as he’s long been, who two years ago would have bet Winston, now through two EYBL events, is the leading scorer on the Nike tour? Crafty, physical and skilled, and clearly able to get buckets, aesthetics be damned. He and Miles Bridges form one of the top guard-forward combinations in all of travel ball. Top 50 national prospect trending towards all-American status.
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