Havoc in the Heartland-Michigan Standouts
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While it might have been the least represented state at the tournament in terms of players. My home base of Michigan provided some breakout performances from both established and under the radar players at the Havoc in the Heartland event…
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Continue ReadingWhile it might have been the least represented state at the tournament in terms of players. My home base of Michigan provided some breakout performances from both established and under the radar players at the Havoc in the Heartland event in suburban Indianapolis.
Kaden Brown Kaden Brown 5'10" | PG Grand Rapids Catholic Central | 2023 State MI 6-0 2023 Grand Rapids Catholic Central (pictured at top of article) After beginning the spring season with Detroit based DTO Elite. Brown has moved over to the Mac Irvin Fire squad and has not missed a beat. I was impressed with his late game composure and leadership in a Sunday win against INB Elite. When the game got tight he wanted the ball in his hands and his coach obliged. This says a lot about a player who is new to his team. Is is an absolute problem defensively for opponents with his constant ball pressure and quick hands. Scoring point guard who dropped 43 points earlier this spring against City Rocks EYBL. Lot of momentum for this prospect coming off of a Division 2 state championship.
Chris Mutebi Chris Mutebi 6'4" | SF University Of Detroit Jesuit And Academy | 2022 State MI 6-4 2022 UD Jesuit There is no other way to say it. Weekend got off to rough start in a tough loss to EG10. In this game Mutebi sustained an injury. That’s why it made Mutebi’s Sunday bounce back all the more impressive. Definition of a power driver that jumps off two feet. Powerfully built upper body allows him to create space at the basket. This physical ruggedness allowed him to lead a spirited comeback against a very good Young & Reckless (lL) squad. Standout on the gridiron as well. Type of a wing that plays at his own pace and never seems to be in a hurry. Already holds an offer from Division 2 Ferris St.
Jakari Conway 5-11 2022 Holt Another weekend and another DV45 player stood out for this deep squad. A true two way guard as Conway was just as effective on the defensive end as he was offensively. Conway’s defense was a major factor in a dramatic buzzer beating win against All In Phenom on Saturday. Every point counted and Conway played like. Had a crucial steal late in the game and always seemed to be around loose balls. Was DV45’s leading scorer in its opening win with 10 points. Not the biggest backcourt prospect but he is aided by quickness and long arms.
Rylan Bowens Rylan Bowens 6'7" | PF Cass Technical | 2022 State MI 6-6 2022 Detroit Cass Tech Similar to his REACH teammate Mutebi. I was impressed with the toughness and grit Bowens showed. Bowens is a undersized power forward with athletic upside. He fought hard against the Mac Irvin Fire. A squad that clearly had the largest front court in the entire field. Battled even as the game began to get lopsided in the second half. Displayed a soft touch from the mid range. Will probably need to improve ball handling to stick at the next level due to his height. But the physical tools are already there for this long armed prospect.
Owen Varnado Owen Varnado 6'6" | SF West Michigan Chr. | 2022 State MI 6-5 2022 Muskegon West Michigan Christian It was great to see Varnado back on the court after missing a few events due to an ankle injury. If you thought you might see some rust you would be mistaken. Showed off his trademark open court explosiveness early in a decisive victory over All Area Basketball Saturday afternoon. No sign of fatigue in this contest which was his third one of the day. Finished this game with 18 points and three assists. Helped MBA Lakeshore National stay hot going 4-0 on the weekend including a one point victory over Dayton Elite. As Varnado continues to get healthy this will definitely be a prospect to keep an eye on.