Prep Hoops Michigan Combine: DREAM TEAM
Many prospects stood out at the Prep Hoops Michigan Combine but only 6 were named to the “Dream Team.” These players are listed in order of class: 2019 PG Mark Watts (Detroit Allen Academy) – If one didn't know that…
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Continue ReadingMany prospects stood out at the Prep Hoops Michigan Combine but only 6 were named to the “Dream Team.” These players are listed in order of class:
2019 PG Mark Watts (Detroit Allen Academy) – If one didn't know that Watts was a freshman that had never played in an official high school game, the casual observer would have guessed that he was a seasoned upperclassman based on his play Saturday. He took the reigns of his team immediately and made it his goal to create and make plays. With flashy passes and a nice change of pace to his game, Watts has the makings of a high-major point guard.
2019 SG Terry Armstrong (Flint Carman-Ainsworth) – Still the quiet kid he was the last time we saw him several months ago, Armstrong's play spoke volumes. He is an unreal athlete for his age, posting a 39' inch vertical with ease and throwing down a couple of alley-oops during scrimmages. Armstrong's ball handling also improved tremendously as he looked like a true guard on the perimeter.
2018 guard Lamar Norman (Wyoming Godwin Heights) – Norman excels when the tempo is fast paced and he can get up and down the court, something that happened during the scrimmages on Saturday. He not only was able to score on the break, which is seemingly become his specialty, but also volleyball spiked a few blocks at the basket and showed a desire to make the right plays and get his teammates involved.
2017 PG Deric Murray (Ann Arbor Pioneer) – Murray lept, literally and figuratively, up the 2017 PG Class Rankings this summer and for good reason. He can absorb contact around the rim and is athletic enough to the point where he can jump and then decide how he is going to finish. Murray always had his head up during the scrimmages and was able to shift to a higher gear that most guards can't keep up with.
2017 SF Jamal Cain (Detroit Cornerstone) – Cain was a different type of special at the combine on Saturday. With long arms and long strides, he has always been able to finish around the rim, but showed an ability to finish above the rim as well. He makes everything he does look so smooth and easy and it didn't take long before the other prospects and coaches at the combine realized that Cain is a special type of talent. Perhaps the highlight of the camp was when he threw down a vicious 1-handed dunk where he took off a step or two inside the free-throw line. The damage was a bent rim but the reactions from everyone else were priceless.
Overall Camp MVP:
2017 PF Xavier Tillman (Grand Rapids Christian) – Tillman was a man amongst boys at the PHM Combine. He established deep inside positioning when he looked to score inside, doing so at will. He and scrimmage teammate/his longtime AAU PG Christian Rodriguez played with chemistry unmatched by any other combination at the camp and dominate each and every single game. Tillman seemed to enjoy operating from the elbow and squaring up, allowing him to either: hit a cutter, take a jump-shot or bully his way for an easy dunk. As he became more comfortable, Tillman started looking to dunk the ball and did so with authority each time.