Brawl for Ball: Top 10 Northern Michigan Prospects
One of the many difficulties in scouting Northern Michigan are long winter drives and few multi game events. The Brawl for Ball in Grand Rapids alleviates these issues and allows one to see many of the top prospects in the…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingOne of the many difficulties in scouting Northern Michigan are long winter drives and few multi game events. The Brawl for Ball in Grand Rapids alleviates these issues and allows one to see many of the top prospects in the span of a few days. For the purposes of this overview I defined Northern Michigan as players residing well above US-10 corridor. This is not a definitive ranking of Northern Michigan/UP players. Just the top ten from what I was able to watch this weekend in Grand Rapids. Enjoy and respond on Twitter @jgilbertsport
- Reece Hazelton– 6-7 2020 Glen Lake With Iron Mountain’s Foster Wonders not playing in Grand Rapids, the top position didn’t require much analysis. Hazelton played very well on a deep and talented Storm UA Rise team. Appears to still be growing and is every bit of his listed measurements, possibly more. Standout game was against UTS Elite Saturday night. Operated well in the mid/low post, and showed a feathery touch from both mid and long range. Exploded to the rim in pick and roll opportunities. Played off his talented teammates very well, and picked his spots. Northern Michigan fans know about the handle and three point shooting ability, but he did not get to show that off much in this particular setting. Committed to Ferris St. If Bulldog fans wonder what they getting, maybe a more inside out version of Michael Peterson.
- Nicholas Edington– 6-7 2020 Pickford Did not get a lot of run playing on a good REACH Legends team which eventually won the Platinum Bracket. Showed a lot in the limited time. A traditional big man with trifecta of physical post skills; big,mobile, and strong. Did not back down from anyone under the basket. Ran the court fluidly. Would like to have seen a little more assertiveness on the offensive end. However similar to Hazelton, he was playing on a deep offensively talented squad. Shots were hard to come by. From what was visible, showed good hands but not a complete perimeter game. Once again, with his size this is not necessarily a demerit. Provided a moment of levity in warmups, as he provided what I will call a “demonstrative” landing after a failed dunk attempt. Playing in the UP, it will be interesting to see the direction his recruitment takes.
- Parker Neu– 6-5 2020 Traverse City West In terms of Northern Michigan this was the surprise of the tournament. Looked excellent for a injury riddled Northern Exposure team. Oddly enough injuries are part of the reason why this young big is flying under the radar. A broken thumb knocked him out of the first half of his Junior year. Played well in a difficult matchup with the Michigan Mustangs’ James Felton. However really shined in the next contest against an equally large West Michigan Lakers Black frontline. Aggressive and assertive in the post. Runs the court very well, and has a soft touch from the perimeter. Not a true stretch four, but the potential is there. Ideal frame as he is not skinny, but also no need to shed weight or grow into his body. One for college colleges to keep an eye on in his senior year.
- Blake Cassidy– 6-4 2020 Pellston Unlike his Northern Exposure teammate Parker Neu, this is a prospect where a little projection is necessary. Wiry and lanky frame with plenty of room to grow. Has a reputation as a shooter. While it wasn’t falling on Friday, you can tell it is well schooled with an excellent release point and rotation. Showed improved ball handling in the open court during both Friday games. Should have a monster senior year playing Class D opponents. Continued development and a deep March run should garner further attention from college coaches.
- Drew Hess– 6-0 2021 Mio Another player with the reputation as a shooter. Aided by winning the 3-point shooting contest this year at the State Finals. It was falling for him on Saturday morning. Almost singlehandedly brought Northern Exposure’s 16’s back into the game against the Big Ten Hoopstar’s. Does not have the vertical size of Cassidy, but possesses a good sturdy build. At six foot even it would have been nice to see him play a little more at the point. With a trigger quick release and seemingly unlimited range Hess showed no difficulty in getting his shot off in both half court and transition situations. Plenty of time to grow, accumulate statistics, and attract the attention of college coaches.
- Henry Goldkhule– 6-6 2020 Traverse City Central Looked a little bigger and stronger than when I last saw him in the regular season, but more importantly maintained his smooth outside stroke. Played with the Storm’s NY2LA team. Played well on Saturday night in a close victory against Indy Heat. Unlike Neu, he is already a stretch four in Northern Michigan. Moves well for his size and has long arms. Another aspect working in his favor for the coming year should be increased offensive opportunities. Central graduated a lot of offensive firepower. If Goldkhule can fill in that gap with increased production, he should move up recruiting boards due to his mix of size and shooting ability.
- Jack Stefanski– 6-4 2021 Frankfort A young player with plenty of big game experience already on his resume. Developing very nicely after looking a little lost at times at the varsity level as ninth grader. Key player on last year’s Class D finalist, and he continued to show growth this weekend. Must have drew the short straw for Parallel 45 as he took on the task of defending a huge Michigan Mustangs frontline. Rebounded and defended well against a much bigger opponent. Did not get to show off his offensive arsenal playing next to uber recruit RJ Taylor (2023), but operated well in the pick and roll and showed good hands. Brother plays offensive line at Grand Valley, so you have to think there is still some room to grow. But make no mistake this is a lean athlete with the possibility to develop at both the 2 or 3 positions. Multi sport athlete is lined up for a big Junior year.
- Jayden Alfred– 6-3 2021 Mancelona Coming off a huge season in Track and Field. Alfred is a State Championship qualifying high jumper. He missed the memo that high jumpers are supposed to be to gangly and skinny. This is a well put together broad shouldered athlete. As his leaping credentials would indicate, finished well around and above the rim. As the track credentials would also indicate, runs very fluidly. Tough to accurately gauge his full offensive skill set as foul trouble plagued him on Saturday morning. Showed off the vertical with an impressive dunk on Sunday. Athletic upside makes this a prospect college coaches will want to keep tabs on.
- Kaleb Moore– 5-7 2021 Manton There must be something in the water in Manton. As pint sized point guard Jayden Perry matriculated to Lake Superior St, another one fills in the gap. At this point in his development Moore is not the scorer that Perry was, but shows similar if not better skills in navigating pick and roll situations. Size restrictions will probably make it difficult to get his shot off consistently. Extremely hot and humid conditions left opponents and teammates slipping all over the court on Saturday. Moore displayed his balance and low center of gravity by keeping his feet through most of contest. Kept composure against heavy defensive pressure from Big Ten Hoopstars in a Saturday morning loss.
- Eli Luokkala– 6-4 2021 Republic-Michigamme Great Northern Elite struggled with health on Friday. This opened the door for Honkkala to play up a level with 17’s and he took advantage of that opportunity. Facing MBA National and its large frontline is a tall task. Loukkala was able to hold his own. Has projectable wide frame with room to add muscle. Loukkala showed good ball skills and nimble feet. He has an unusually high arching shot which landed very softly. With one year of varsity already under his belt, this is a interesting long term prospect to keep an eye on.