Grand Rapids Union Scrimmages: Top Performers (Part 2)
This past Tuesday, Grand Rapids Union played host to scrimmages that featured some of the best teams from around the west side of Michigan. There was some great matchups both individually as well as teams head to head. Whether it was big name seniors who are just starting out their senior campaign, or it was promising underclassmen who showed out, there was plenty of talent on display. Here are some of my top performers from Tuesday’s action at Grand Rapids Union:
Markeese Hastings (2018, Godwin Heights) – The Butler signee has improved rapidly over the course of the past year and is looking like he will be a dominant force for Godwin Heights. Hastings had a tough matchup against one of the top 2020s in the state in Carlos Johnson but that did not stop him from putting on a show. It’s clear that Hastings has made significant improvements in his shooting, overall scoring, as well as physical abilities. One aspect of his game that seems to have really improved is his rim protection – Hastings was swatting away layups left and right. Overall, it was another dominant performance for Hastings.
Luke Maranka (2019, Hoops for Heaven Homeschool) – Perhaps not as known as other top recruits in the 2019 class, the 6’9″ big man showed his ultra-high ceiling at the scrimmages on Tuesday. While his playstyle is a bit herky-jerky still, Maranka is super versatile with good skill. He did a bit of everything, including protecting/finishing around the rim, dribbling the ball in transition, hitting pull-up and step-back jumpers, hitting catch and shoot jumpers, as well as creating his shot off the dribble. The sky is the limit for the big man.
Armoni Hall (East Kentwood) – Hall, like his teammate Tori Coates, impressed me with his tough play. He stands around 6’5″ with a football-player build – something that he used to his advantage in scrimmages on Tuesday. Hall showed great toughness, strength and activity in the paint on both sides of the ball. There were multiple possessions where he simply bullied his way into a bucket – whether that was off an offensive rebound or a pass from a teammate, Hall attacked the rim with reckless abandon. He was key in East Kentwood’s win over Hoops for Heaven Homeschool and played well despite giving up several inches to Luke Maranka.
Elijah Baxter (2018, Benton Harbor) – The shifty point guard was very active in Benton Harbor’s games on Tuesday, getting involved on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Baxter showed off his elite handles while he created for both himself and his teammates. Defensively, he played the passing lanes and helped generate steals that led to easy transition buckets for his squad. One thing that stood out in particular was Baxter’s efficiency in the mid-range – he hit a variety of pull-ups and only seemed to miss a couple.