Blue Chip Prospects from the Bank
After a late change of venue the Bank Hoops All State camp went off without a hitch at the Morey Courts in Mount Pleasant. Sticking with the thematic name of the camp I’ve chosen to evaluate prospects in financial analogies.…
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Continue ReadingAfter a late change of venue the Bank Hoops All State camp went off without a hitch at the Morey Courts in Mount Pleasant. Sticking with the thematic name of the camp I’ve chosen to evaluate prospects in financial analogies. We’ll conclude my coverage with five “blue chip” prospects from the camp. Meaning players with solid reputations who are safe bets to make a college coach very happy.
- Max Perez 5-11 2020 Hudsonville Perhaps the premiere sub 6-foot guard in the state. Brought it in a big way like he always seems to do on Sunday. Simply put the only thing missing from his game in size. A tight handle, fearless penetration, and extra gear make him almost impossible to check on the perimeter. Not a pump and a decent distributor. It will be interesting to see how this facet of his game changes with the addition of transfer Justin DeGraaf. The Indiana post will divert some defensive attention and provide a safety valve for Perez’s penetration. Coming off a great summer with the Grand Rapids Storm. With a talented team around him this could be a big senior year. It will be interesting see how his recruitment takes shape.
- Landen Moore 6-0 2020 Flushing As I stated in a previous column it was a big day for the Alma basketball community. The high school program showed out well with three prospects. Additionally the entire college staff got to watch their prized commitment dominate the floor throughout the day. As I noted in my Myles Johnson (Portage Northern) evaluation maybe I just caught Camp Darryl AAU on some bad days, as I was not blown by Moore in the summer. That was not the case on Sunday. Had the ball on string with his tight handle and controlled the action. Not as fast as Perez but has a much thicker and stronger frame. However don’t mistake that as criticism as Moore has plenty of speed himself. With his recruitment wrapped up Moore can simply focus on improving aspects of his game like his outside shot. With an expanding game and improving teammates like 2021 Reed Schilling Moore could have a huge senior season.
- Mark Mayberry Jr 5-10 2020 Detroit Loyola Just a prototypical tough as nails Detroit point guard. First exposure to Mayberry came at the IPS Wnter Breakout in Grand Rapids this past December. I was bemoaning the fact that Loyola would be taking on Benton Harbor sans recent out of state transfer Myron Gardner (Georgetown). How wrong I was as Mayberry stepped up to the challenge against one the best teams in the state. He almost willed the Bulldogs to what would have been a huge upset. Mayberry displayed a similar level of moxie and skill throughout the camp. A bit of jack-of-trades point guard. Meaning he does just about every thing well, with no one skill standing out as his primary strength. A true floor general who will do what it takes to win. If he is able to muster a deep Class C tournament run I think you could see his recruitment take off.
- Ryan Corner 6-11 2020 Allendale Enough with all the little guys. Corner did nothing to dispute his standing as the top unsigned big man in the 2020 class. Don’t overthink this one. It is rare to see 6-11 players with both mobility and a soft touch. Corner also seems to posses a bit of a mean streak and doesn’t mind mixing it up a bit down low. Showed this off more in the previous weekend’s camp at the Prep Hoops 250 Expo against Ethan Dunn (East Lansing) There are definitely areas for improvement such as overall strength and tight space footwork, but he presents plenty of upside to entice D1 coaches. Frankly I’m surprised his recruitment appears to be a little slow at this point. Holds an offer from hometown Grand Valley State. If Ric Wesley is able to reel him in that would be quite a steal for the Lakers.
- Nathan Claerbaut 6-10 Zeeland East For me the revelation of the camp. Take everything written above about Corner and insert here. That means per usual there is a whole bunch of skilled height taking the court in Ottawa county. I didn’t get to see much of Claerbaut this summer due to injury. Slightly separates himself from Corner with a little more physical fluidity and the ability to finish with both hands around the rim. Runs the court very well for his size. Long arms complete his impressive physical profile. Definitely could use some weight on his frame, but as a 2021 has plenty of time to fill out. In an excellent developmental situation with fellow 2021 teammates Trip Riemersma and Brandon Claerbaut. The Chix will be major threat next year and possibly in the upcoming season as well.