Grand Rapids Union Scrimmages: Top Prospects
This past Tuesday, Grand Rapids Union played host to a set of scrimmages featuring many of west Michigan’s top teams. There was plenty of quality matchups and talent on display – it was a great evening of basketball. While I’ve already highlighted some of the night’s top performers in previous articles, I’ll now take a look at some players who have the potential to play at the college level, regardless of how they performed:
Luke Maranka (2019, Hoops For Heaven Homeschool) – The 6’9″ big man is one of the hottest prospects in the 2019 class right now and for good reason. He’s extremely versatile and looks like he’s just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. Offensively, Maranka can do a bit of everything – I saw him dribble the ball up the floor in transition and proceed to hit a step-back three, then make a nice post move a few possessions later. He’s capable of hitting threes, pull-ups, step-backs as well as fade-aways. Defensively, he showed a great ability to protect the paint – he was swatting shots left and right. As he fills out his frame and grows out of his adolescent clumsiness, Maranka will be a hot prospect for D1 teams.
Carlos “Scooby” Johnson (2020, Benton Harbor) – It’s rather confusing why Johnson only has 1 D1 offer. The 6’6″ forward is a jack-of-all-trades type player who is an elite rebounder. Johnson is super active on the glass on both sides of the ball – he will make a team pay big time if they don’t focus on boxing him out. One unique thing about his game that is very valuable is his ability to outlet the ball after a defensive rebound, something of which leads to easy transition layup opportunities for his team. Defensively, Johnson is tough – his combination of length, athleticism, toughness and motor give him all the tools necessary to be a primary defender. Look for Johnson to pick up a plethora of offers over the course of the next year.
Jamoni Jones (2020, East Kentwood) – While Jones didn’t necessarily dominate the evening, he showed he has the ability to be a legitimate college point guard while showing flashes of being elite. He’s a true point guard – he always seems to make the right play and is well-rounded on both sides of the floor. When his three point shot was falling, Jones was one of the best players on the floor. Additionally, Jones was throwing beautiful passes all night – he would’ve had double-digit assists in each game had his teammates made a majority of their open looks. Defensively, he showed an ability to pressure opposing guards the length of the floor. As Jones and his teammates start to get their basketball legs under them, look for him to standout as a floor general for East Kentwood.
Kobe Bufkin (2021, Grand Rapids Christian) – The 6’3″ freshman guard showed a ton of promise for Grand Rapids Christian over the course of the evening. He’s long and skilled, but most importantly he showed an ability to maintain his composure against older and stronger defenders. With the early departure of point guard Duane Washington, Bufkin will have an opportunity to get significant minutes as a freshman. While it may be early to predict a big season this year (though it wouldn’t shock me if it did happen), Bufkin will gain valuable experience that could help him have a breakout year in his sophomore campaign.
Shawn Hopkins (2018, Benton Harbor) – The guard is coming off a successful football season, so it was surprising to see his shot falling like it was mid-season. He hit a variety of shots, including three pointers, mid-range pull-ups, step-backs as well as fade-aways. He’s got good size at 6’3″ with good athleticism, so he has the potential to be an elite defender at the guard spot. Benton Harbor is loaded this year, so Hopkins will have to take advantage of his opportunities when he gets them. If he decides to play college basketball, he could be a very effective three-and-d type player with a ceiling of a Jamal Crawford-type scorer off the bench.