Six Super Soph’s from the Horatio Williams Tip Off
In in its 11th year the Horatio Williams Foundation Tip Off Classic is one of premier early season events in Michigan. There was an abundance of underclassmen in this years field. I already gave you five freshmen; lets go up…
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Continue ReadingIn in its 11th year the Horatio Williams Foundation Tip Off Classic is one of premier early season events in Michigan. There was an abundance of underclassmen in this years field. I already gave you five freshmen; lets go up a grade and give you one more prospect.
- Ty Rodgers 6-7 2022 Grand Blanc What you can say about a guy who is already a major national top 50 prospect. How about this— showed an impressive level grit and toughness on the day. Was forcing the action a bit early in the contest, which was concerning. Went down with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury and missed most of the first half. Came out in the second without his noted explosiveness. Proceeded to show off his improving all around game, and willed his team to a big 80-77 victory over a very good Detroit Douglass team. Missed a dunk early, but did not hang his head or get overly demonstrative. Just sucked it up and played harder. Last year he played off the ball more and appeared to float at times. More assertive this year and was able to get his own shot with a much improved handle. Finished with 20 points on limited playing time. Sky is the limit.
- Chansey Willis 6-2 2022 Detroit King Seems to be developing into the prototypical Detroit point guard. Meaning not going to blow you away with athleticism or flash, but displays a high level of toughness and intangibles. Not many schools get after it defensively like River Rogue. Willis took every punch and had the Crusaders in it until the end of a tough defeat. Like Rodgers, dealt with a injury late and seemed to play better after it. Showed craftiness all day doing old school things like following his own shot and tipping loose ball to himself on the break. Finished with 16 points and has a very bright future.
- Treyvon Lewis 6-4 2022 Ferndale I have always enjoyed senior teammate Jayshawn Moore’s game. Lewis has a very similar game in a younger and perhaps more athletic package. He has a soft shot with deep range. The release point is a little low at this point. With his height and long arms a higher release would make his perimeter game lethal. Handles the ball very well for his age and size. In a very good developmental situation as Caleb Renfroe (2023) and Demario Walk (2021) will allow him to play the three which will be his position at the next level. Read more about teamate Jayshawn Moore here https://prephoops.com/2019/08/lying-in-the-weeds-wednesday/
- Kyle Millender 6-3 2022 Detroit Edison What a difference a year makes. Millender did not stand out on last year’s squad a 6-0 freshman. As a 6-3 sophomore, that is an entirely different story. Not only did this young man add three inches of height, his length and bulk appear to have gone up exponentially as well. If he maintains the ball handling and vision that allowed him to play the point you have a very intriguing prospect. He will probably never put up big numbers with Edison’s balanced and deep rosters, but he will have plenty experience in big games. Millender scored 7 points as Edison defeated Detroit Western 59-51.
- Carmelo Harris 5-10 2022 Flint Beecher Much like Treyvon Lewis’ situation above, Harris bears a striking physical resemblance to his highly touted teammate Jalen Terry, and that is a good thing. Harris showed a high level toughness as Beecher struggled with Ferndale’s length and strength throughout the day. Played tough hard nosed defense throughout the contest, often against much bigger opponents. Finished through contact multiple times which was impressive as he is not the biggest prospect. While he did not display deep range, he showed nice touch on a floater that was used in more than one instance. Summers will be big for Harris as teammates Jalen Terry and Keyon Mennifield will probably keep him off of his natural lead guard position until his senior campaign.
- Jonathan Holly 6-2 2022 River Rogue As I stated in Chansey Willis’ evaluation, River Rogue is a program that will always apply heavy defensive pressure. Leading the charge on this day was a sophomore. Holly has big frame and resembles the player he replaced Nigel Colvin (Lake Superior St) He is very quick defensively on the perimeter. His offense might take a little while to catch up. That is not necessarily an indictment, more of just an honest assessment of how good the defense was. Offensively Holly handled the ball well, but he is not a point guard at this point of his development. Showed good touch inside of the three point line but will need to extend his range as he gets older. But defense is his calling card right now, and every point counted in the 49-44 slugfest victory. As #2 on this list shows he wasn’t just checking anybody on Saturday.