Happy Campers at Aim High

September 23, 2006

By the Editors

greatlakeshoops.com

Lansing-- Finally, a camp that left us with something to write home about.  The second annual Bankhoops.com All-State Minicamp at Aim High in Lansing showcased some of the state's top talent as well as many up-and-comers.  This minicamp gave players the best of both worlds--top-tier training and some much needed exposure.  As a result, many of mid-Michigan's unknown commodities may no longer be flying under the radar.  Players like Genesee Christian's Scott Soldan, Birch Run's Jordan Duby and Swartz Creek's Russell Hope impressed coaches and fans with their talent and hustle.  This camp is made for players such as these. 

Mid-Michigan's known commodities like Bath's Kody Kokx, Flushing's Ricky Rowse and Flint Northwestern's LaMarcus Lowe looked much improved and may get the attention of division one coaches with strong senior campaigns. 

All-in-all it was a great day of basketball and a good experience for everyone involved.

Some Players to Write Home About

He raised as many eyebrows as anyone at the camp. He’s a slippery slasher who can draw a foul on almost every possession. Last season he would slash and then dish; now, to the displeasure of defenders, he’s taking it himself. He’s also added an excellent three-point shot to his already above average perimeter game. I always told anyone who would listen that Jordan had it in him to become a great player and it looks like he’s going to make an honest man out of me. The scary thing is that, age-wise, Duby should only be a sophomore.

Rahamus had a good showing. Bridgeport players are typically known as slashers, but Rahamus actually has a nice mid-range game. It would be nice to see him extend his range to the perimeter, but as it is he’s a going to be a great contributor to someone. I could see him going to a JUCO and developing into a nice two-guard.

People who know Jackson Christian basketball have always known that Maybee can shoot it, but he looked athletic today in the various drills.

Deleon who? Hawkins was impressive with his play-making ability. He was fearless going amongst the trees and he was able to get more than a couple of shots off. His handle is adequate and his long-range shot looks good, too. He and Edward Thomas may just make the Viking faithful forget about Mr. Dearing.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the next Tom Herzog. There is no question about this kid’s height. Often you’ll find these figures fudged, but in his case they may be out-of-date. He’s not as physically strong as one would hope, so he’s going to have to eat about six meals a day to fill out his long frame. His shot needs to be reworked, but his attitude is great. This kid just loves the game.  He gives it his all whether he's facing a six-foot freshman or a 6’10” senior. He actually looked smooth at one point handling the ball at mid-court – I wasn’t expecting that. The sky is the limit with this kid, literally.

He looks like the kind of player you always want on the floor. He’s a good passer and a sound shooter with a strong build. He probably won’t take over a game [as a junior that is], but he’ll be a mainstay in Coach Warren Wood’s rotation.

He’s a solid point guard who seemed to be a coach’s favorite at the camp. He hustles on defense and has good deep ball.

Fowler doesn’t seem to miss many shots and possesses a good handle.

Ahler probably didn’t have as good of a camp as he hoped, but there’s no questioning his potential. He’s got a long athletic body, with a decent handle and a nice shot. I was waiting all afternoon for him to take over a scrimmage, but it never happened. To his defense, it didn’t appear as if his teammates knew how good he actually is. An okay showing should still, most likely, get him an offer from one of the schools in attendance.

He and his brother are going to make for a great backcourt in a couple of seasons. Like Jordan, he never misses a shot and has a nice handle – evidence of another gym rat.

DJ was one of the most sought after players at the camp and it’s easy to see why. He’s a quick, pass-first guard with a great deep ball.

The Lowe was probably the most sought after prospect at Aim High on Saturday and what’s not to like? His height is at least 6’10” and his wingspan may be longer. He had no problem snatching up every available rebound and blocking every shot within his zip code. His offensive game still needs work, particularly his jump-shot, but his touch is much-improved around the hoop. It’s amazing to see the development of LaMarcus. It was just last winter at Pewamo-Westphalia that he seemed out of place on the court – I guess he still looks a little out of place, but now for a good reason. If he can take the ability he displayed today into the season, the Wildcats may have something to say about Flint Southwestern’s claim to the city title.

Owosso’s future doesn’t look much like a basketball player, but his skill is definitely there. He’s a consistent shooter with nice handle. He may become a point forward type.

I’m not convinced that he’s 6’4”, but I will give him 6’2”. He’s a strong kid with solid ability. He’ll be nice next to Caleb Simons this season.

He’s long and pretty athletic, but needs to polish his game.

He’s an excellent three-point shooter and has the height to do some damage inside.  Once he fills out a little more he could be a real threat on the perimeter.

Physically Russell is not much to take notice of, but his game is shocking. He’s a fantastic ball-handler with an accurate shot. Like most of the underclassmen guards at the camp, Hope possesses a nearly flawless shot. The kid almost never misses.  Hope is a playmaker extraordinaire. It’s rare to find such an advanced passer at his age, but I guess that’s why he started as a freshman for a quality class A team last season. He played a little out of position today with a guard-heavy group of underclassmen, but his presence was still noticed.

He’s only a freshman, but he looks sound. He’ll become a good player for the Rams in the future.

Matt showed the ability to run the floor and move smoothly, but isn’t as dominant as he should be inside. He looks like he should be able to score effortlessly inside, but seems to lack the aggressiveness it takes to be successful in the paint. Still, he should find many coaches interested in turning him into a quality big man.

Shane’s game blended in just fine with the upperclassmen of the camp. He’s skilled and coordinated beyond his years and is capable of playing almost any position on the floor.  He was probably varsity-ready last year, but he should be a no-brainer as a sophomore for Powers.

He’s a prototypical two-guard with a solid three-point shot, a nice wingspan and the ability to slash. The lefty made a lot of nice plays and turned a few heads. He may have the ability to run the point if he continues to develop. There are few flaws in this Davison product’s skill.  If Sauer is relegated to playing the post this season at Davison, his abilities will be misused.

Naeyart is a smart player and a solid ballhandler.  He should take some of the pressure of Rams fans after the loss of Tyler Reed.

Kody has talent coming out of his ears. He had the best touch around the hoop of any big man at the camp. He put up what seemed to be ridiculous shot after ridiculous shot, but almost all of them found the bottom of the net. Physically and skill-wise few could handle him and I feel comfortable saying he was probably the best player at the camp. His ability is loved by all, but some at the camp questioned his attitude – he’s got a season to prove his detractors wrong. Also, I don’t think anyone is buying the whole point-forward thing.  Stick with what you do best, Kody.

I’m not sure if he’s a legit 6’5”, but that shouldn’t matter since he has no trouble contributing. He’s an excellent rebounder, even against taller opponents. He’s strong and far quicker than any other big man at the camp. His offense is solid, too. He’s usually selfless and more prone to pass, but should he decide to shoot it from in close, it’s probably going in. He’s a heck of player who gives nothing but effort on every possession. His future should probably be on the perimeter, but he has the heart of a big man.

Never really displayed his three-ball the way the Rambler-faithful are accustomed to, but he showed an excellent touch with the ball around the hoop. Jordan gets a bad rap for being unathletic, but I don’t see it. He’s a quality guard whose strong body creates a lot of mismatches for smaller defenders.

Nate looked solid today. He showed some potential on the perimeter and some toughness on the boards. He’s at his best playing off of a big man.  Coaches love his ball skills but would like to see him bulk up a bit.

Ahmad had a great showing today. This guard reeks of Rory Mattar defense. He made the life of whomever he was covering a nightmare. He’s also starting to show some offensive touch to round out his game.  Ahmad was easily one of the best on-the-ball defenders at the camp.

He’s a better athlete than his brother, but unfortunately he doesn’t have his height.

He’s the reason why Okemos will still be good this season. Not only does he have a nice shot, but he’s tough around the glass. He was able to take it to whoever was guarding him today. He was a role player last season, but would have been a star anywhere else.

Class D players have always had it hard: everyone doubts their skill because they rarely face real competition. Soldan has made a habit out of proving the doubters wrong. Defensively, few are as committed to stopping the ball. He picked a number of pockets with his quick hands and by always being in the best defensive position. Offensively he never really exhibited his nice three-ball, but he was great around the hoop. Few are as intelligent as Scott is on the court as he could be seen coaching some of his less experienced teammates through plays. Don’t let the class D tag fool you – he’s a great player at any level. 

Dillon has a modest demeanor, but possesses some serious game. He’s a pretty good athlete, too.

A rare talent that can just as easily take it inside as he can outside. College coaches all over Aim High could be seen drooling. Eli's tip dunk should have won best in show.

I’m not buying the height, but Ricky looks great anyway. With the exception of Frankenmuth's Brad Redford, there is not a better three-point shooter in the state of Michigan. Ricky looks solid at the point and seems to understand that good point guards don’t have to dribble like And1 all-stars.  Ricky took care of the ball today and did not look like he was out of position.  Rowse still has to work on guarding the perimeter but he's well on his way to being a nice college prospect. Like Kokx, he’s got questions concerning his attitude – and a season to answer all the critics.  It was a great camp for Ricky. 

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