All Eyes on U Wrap Up
I like to call it the Ryan Klingler effect. If you’re not familiar with the current Grandville head coach’s bio he was standout at Hope College (98-01). He did it mostly from the post, despite being what could be considered…
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Continue ReadingI like to call it the Ryan Klingler effect. If you’re not familiar with the current Grandville head coach’s bio he was standout at Hope College (98-01). He did it mostly from the post, despite being what could be considered undersized. The MIAA has been fertile ground for these often overlooked prospects for many years. It was only fitting that All Eyes on U Hoops Fall Showcase took place at MIAA member Alma College, as it featured many of these types of prospects. Let me be clear I’m not trying say that these are all D3 players. They could all land at higher levels, just a method of grouping similarly sized prospects.
(Note: If you missed my evaluation of Satchel Love from earlier in the week, his camp performance would fit perfectly into this category)
Xavier Glenn 6–7 2020 Macomb Dakota Full transparency, I was initially inclined to leave to leave this young man off this list. It had nothing to do with performance. Simply put at 6-7, one could argue he doesn’t count as undersized. However the host school Alma College forced my hand by offering Glenn an opportunity to join Landen Moore in their 2020 recruiting class. There’s a lot to like in this young big man. Glenn is a very mobile bouncy athlete who plays above the rim. Displayed this with several big dunks in then drill portion of the camp. Showed both toughness and tenacity in scrimmages as he did not shy away from contact. Will get plenty of exposure playing at one of the largest schools in the state with teammate and MAC signee Ryan Rollins (Toledo)
Brent Wiles 6–4 2021 New Haven This proscpect fits in a little better into the Klingler comp category. A lot young prospects need to put on weight. Probably not the case here, but he is by no means overweight. Wiles is a very strong well put together athlete. Big broad shoulders on an athletic frame. After watching Wiles in back-to-back events (Bank Hoops) his greatest skill might be his motor. No other way to say it, he just plays very hard. Not just a banger, he has good touch within the three point arc. Also seems to be developing as a ball handler. Had a quick second jump which allowed him to be very effective on the boards. Highly competitive and didn’t back down from anyone. Plays like someone who had to check Romeo Weems (DePaul) in practice. New Haven is going to look different this year. Which means this could be Wiles year to break out.
Clayton Roberts 6–4 2021 Home School (Grand Rapids Angels) Luke Maranka (Toledo) blazed the trail from this program to the next level. Roberts is much different as a prospect. Doesn’t pass the initial eye test, but when the lights went on in the scrimmage portion of the camp Roberts shined. High level athleticism is his main calling card at this point in his development. Belies his stocky frame by frequently making plays above the rim. Most impressive highlight was a two handed rejection that he snagged out of mid air. Turned with his bounty and quickly went coast-to-coast for a lay up. His current non-traditional path will be aided by the fact that his Dad was a college athlete, at Alma nonetheless. If you don’t follow the AAU season you should be able to catch him at the Grand Rapids Union scrimmage and in game action against Mattawan.
Jayden Alfred 6–3 2021 Mancelona Wrote about this prospect in my first article for this publication early this summer. The strides he has made in development in this short period of time are striking. Passes the initial eye test with flying colors. In this type of setting it is readily apparent that Alfred is a next level athlete. If haven’t read my previous evaluation, he still has very long arms, on broad shoulders, and can jump out of the gym. His game is rapidly starting to catch up to his athleticism. In the AAU season I saw him struggle with foul trouble. Now avoids contact when necessary while maintaining aggressiveness. Has an unorthodox perimeter shot but it is showing improvement. Finishes very strong with both hands at and above the rim. Did not play football this year to focus on basketball. Track standout as well. If he keeps improving Alfred should attract the attention of college coaches.
Reed Schilling 6–5 2021 Flushing Not quite as big as the other athletes on this list in terms of girth. Made up for it with an efficient and well rounded offensive game. Displayed deep range on his outside shot. Also atypical for a lot of young bigs had a quick release on said shot. Not just a marksman, showed a soft touch at the rim. Got to the rim with a nice show and go that also displayed his ball handling. Not slow, but plays under control and never seems to get rushed. Needs to get a bit stronger but is in a good developmental situation in both his summer and regular season teams. Will team with Landen Moore (there’s that name again) to make Flushing a factor in what is a deep Flint Metro League. Hearing he played well at the Let’s Get Ready Camp this weekend in Clio, so you might be seeing a lot of this young man on this site this week.