Laker MLK Classic: 2025 and 2026 Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Bloomfield hosted their Laker MLK Classic on Saturday, January 18th. Twelve teams attended the event as Grosse Pointe South defeated Riverview 56-43, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep defeated Walled Lake Northern 43-41, West Bloomfield defeated Detroit Cass Tech 54-27, Detroit Renaissance defeated Grand Blanc 67-43, Orchard Lake St. Mary's defeated Lake Orion 62-43, and Clarkston defeated Avondale 62-48. These upperclassmen guards had a great day at the showcase. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["419536"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1160597,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67929ef1d9e09"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Eliza may be going to Oakland University for track/cross country, but she has had a memorable basketball career at Arbor Prep, including a state championship. Eliza was dialed in from beyond the arc at the Laker MLK Classic. She drilled two wing 3s including one beyond the college line at the end of the 1st quarter. After WLN hit a 3-pointer late in the second quarter, Eliza used her track speed to push the ball down the floor, cross over a defender, and swish a runner 3 at the buzzer. Eliza showed poise with the ball, creating space from pressuring defenders to set up the offense. She gave the Gators 12 points in their victory. Eliza could have been an excellent NAIA/D3 point guard if she chose to play basketball in college and she's a great example of a prospect who has excelled while playing multiple sports in high school. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["424562"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67929ef1d9ef8"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Amal was Michigan's Dec. 29th-Jan. 4th Player of the Week and she had another productive day for Walled Lake Northern at the Laker MLK Classic. Her defensive pressure caused a double dribble and Amal buried four triples, including two in the fourth quarter. She created steals, caused fouls with her hard drives to the basket, and produced 15 points for the Vikings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1158212"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1160619,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67929ef1d9fe3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Nyla demonstrated her toughness and determination during a tough opponent at the Laker MLK Classic. She created space with a pivot to score a floater over her defender and dropped in another contested floater off the dribble. Nyla attacked the paint to cause fouls and knocked down free throws for Cass Tech. She continued to work hard on defense and compete throughout the game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["998214"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1160607,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67929ef1da0cb"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Mia helped St. Mary's Prep win at the Laker MLK Classic by contributing in every area of the game. She pursued offensive rebounds, made accurate passes for assists when she drove to the basket, and pressured the ball on defense to create steals. Mia shot with balance and accuracy from 3-point distance, draining two 3s from the corner. One of her most exciting plays was when she secured a defensive rebound and raced up the court to fire in a volleyball line 3-pointer that unfortunately happened just after the buzzer, but still got the fans out of their seats!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["375849"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67929ef1da18b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Izzy was firing on all cylinders for Lake Orion at the Laker MLK Classic and her performance helped keep the team within striking distance most of the game. Izzy sliced through the defense with her aggressive downhill drives to score several layups, buried mid-range jumpers off the dribble, converted free throws, stole passes, and knocked down 3s. Some of her top plays included two emphatic and-one drives and a shifty crossover straightaway triple off the bounce. Izzy scored 27 points against a ranked St. Mary's Prep team and I enjoyed being in the gym to see her best basketball on display. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["614650"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1160601,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67929ef1da273"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Elliana has a smoking gun 3-point shot, but she showed her ability to do more than shoot at the Laker MLK Classic. Elliana tossed a long assist to a sprinting teammate for a transition layup, grabbed an offensive rebound to score a putback, and added steals on the defensive end. She fooled her defender using a fake-pass move twice for layups and made a backdoor cut to catch and finish a left-handed layup. She hit free throws, a smooth pull-up jumper from the free throw line, and a straightaway triple. Elliana tallied 19 points in a Clarkston win. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["796707"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67929ef1da333"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Amaria made a big impact for Avondale on both ends with her assertive style at the Laker MLK Classic. She attacked down the baseline to score a layup off the window, used a quick spin move to score a baseline floater, and caused defenders to collapse with her dribble penetration before dishing out an assist to her teammate. Amaria corralled rebounds, created steals, and scored many layups for the Lady Jackets. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1158215"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1160636,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67929ef1da428"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Morgan was money from beyond the arc at the Laker MLK Classic, burying three triples from the wing and corner. She drove down the lane and used a eurostep to score a layup. Morgan added another finish off two feet and converted a free throw. She has the versatility to play inside and outside for the Lady Jackets. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">At the Buzzer</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Evan Bell</strong>&nbsp;is currently a scout for Prep Girls Hoops and Director of&nbsp;<a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='923712' first='Prepare' last='2 Win Basketball']</strong></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;. Our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prepnetwork.com/frequently-asked-questions/">mission</a>&nbsp;at PGH is to cover as many athletes with D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO potential in the state as possible. If you know a prospect off our radar, please DM Evan through Twitter @CoachEvanBell or email him at coachevanbell@gmail.com</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->