Up North Preview I

The Northern part of the Lower Peninsula has some of the most beautiful beach towns in the country. The glistening waters of the Great Lakes is a must see- the Girl's Basketball ain't bad either. While a lot of people sleep on these northern communities, they produce some solid teams and some amazing players. Teams like Frankfort and Glen Lake have both won multiple State Championships, and schools like Charlevoix have put kids into P5 programs.    Big things are expected from the dynamic point guard as she enters her sophomore campaign. I had the chance to coach against her early in her freshman year. It was clear that she has the ability to be a disruptive on ball defender and a strong driver. As the year went on, she showcased a strong deep game. She plays with physicality and speed and makes some nice passes off the bounce.      The reigning Big North Player of the Year is a kid that is focused on being just a great team player. There are games where she scores a ton, but there are games where she just locks down opposing offenses. She blocks a high volume of shots and is able to play passing lanes. She is a strong rebounder that gobbles up more than her share on the defensive side of the ball.    I actually had a chance to coach Larissa the last two years at BCAM's Reaching Higher event. She is a great kid that is coachable. She sports a strong drive game and a relentlessness in transition. She has the ability to play both on and off the ball due to her strength and 5'8 frame. She is a good defender on and off the ball and seems to pick up a ton of steals in a variety of ways.    This is a kid that is just flat out athletic. Grace qualified for the State Track Tournament in high jump, and she parlays this athleticism onto the basketball court. She is a fearless driver that has developed a midrange game. She is one of those do-it-all kids that just makes things work. She averaged over 12 points a game and came close to 200 rebounds last season.    The Glen Lake team has been captained by Maddie's older sister, but she gets her chance to shine this year. Expect big games on both sides of the ball from the senior big. She is active in the press, where she gets her hands on a ton of passes. She can put up big rebound numbers, and she is a good rim protector. Her scoring has been up and down in the past, but expect her ppg to skyrocket this year.

The Northern part of the Lower Peninsula has some of the most beautiful beach towns in the country. The glistening waters of the Great Lakes is a must see- the Girl's Basketball ain't bad either. While a lot of people sleep on these northern communities, they produce some solid teams and some amazing players. Teams like Frankfort and Glen Lake have both won multiple State Championships, and schools like Charlevoix have put kids into P5 programs.