Fantastic Forward Prospects at CMU Team Camp

High school basketball is back, and I couldn't be more excited. I plan to provide Prep Girls Hoops coverage in every region of Michigan this June. It's like following a treasure map, and I know there will be dozens of hidden gems to discover along the way. The first stop on my coverage journey brought me to Mount Pleasant for Central Michigan University Team Camp. CMU has a rich history of hosting high school girls' team camps. Head Coach Kristin Haynie and the CMU WBB brought it back this summer, and the event was a major success. Teams from all across Michigan came out, and I had the opportunity to see a fantastic variety of prospects and teams throughout the day. Prospects fit for every level of college basketball appeared, and one of the coolest features of camp was that every team had an opportunity to play a game on CMU's main court in the arena. To maximize my coverage and ability to see as many teams as possible, I held down the fort in the SAC. Four adjacent courts are a scout's dream, and I had a fantastic time watching the games.   Many prospects stood out and demonstrated qualities in their game that translate to the next level. Here are several who demonstrated the qualities of higher-level forwards at CMU Team Camp.    Ellee has developed into a versatile forward prospect. When you have 6 foot plus length, run the floor well, have good hands, skilled footwork in the post, and soft finishing touch around the basket, that puts you on a higher plane as a forward. In addition to those qualities, Ellee has developed into a perimeter threat. She stepped outside to knock down threes, used the glass very well to score in traffic, and made good cuts to the basket for high-percentage looks and layups at CMU Team Camp for Midland.     Alexis gave Grand Rapids West Catholic a fierce, physical advantage in the post. She also showed the ability to play outside of her traditional role by handling the ball on the perimeter. Alexis went to strong for rebounds, snatching an offensive rebound, spinning, and scoring a tough layup inside off two feet. She finished effectively at the rim with her right and left off two feet. Alexis split the gap on a hard take downhill, motored through the lane, and finished with her left. One of my favorite plays of the day was when Alexis leaped up to block a shot, sending it soaring out of bounds off the back wall—strong performance from the strong West Catholic forward at CMU Team Camp.     Janiah has the length, size, and athleticism to be a high level front court prospect, which was very evident during games for Belleville at CMU Team Camp. She used excellent wall-up technique to block shots inside without fouling and sent a layup attempt flying out of bounds with emphasis. Janiah demonstrated good IQ in the low post, sliding to open space as a guard drove, then caught the dump off for a two foot finish. Janiah used an effective pivot to get the scoring angle for another two foot finish and provided an advantage for the Tigers in the dunker spot throughout the day.     Adrian was a UP prospect I had circled heading into CMU Team Camp, and she consistently delivered standout performances all day for Munising. She communicated on defense, calling out switches, forced missed shots with her length, moved her feet to stop drives, protected the basket as a shot blocker, and made the hustle plays. Adrian showed off her athleticism and strength, hanging in mid-air and finishing a contested layup at the rim with a defender's hand on the ball. She has strong hands and secured rebounds aggressively on both ends, reading the ball very well off the rim, then maneuvering into position to grab the rebound. Adrian worked tirelessly to grab many offensive rebounds, scored putbacks, and patiently used pivots/shot-fakes to get defenders off their feet to earn trips to the free throw line. She sealed a defender in the paint, used an effective hip turn and forward pivot to get the scoring angle, then finished the contested baseline layup from a difficult angle. Adrian is very mobile, and she scored layups off basket cuts throughout the day. Adrian was poised with the ball in the post, throwing kickouts to open shooters for assists, and even showed her own outside range by stepping out to sink a wing three. She didn't shy away from contact and contributed in every statistical category for the team.     Christie has a high ceiling as a super athletic small forward prospect with the strength to play inside, explosiveness to attack downhill off the dribble, slash to the rim, and is continuing to develop her outside game. She seems to always compete with maximum effort, and that was the case again at CMU Team Camp with Traverse City Central. Christie immediately looked to score after snatching defensive rebounds. She motored up the court with a look of determination, driving into contact to earn a trip to the line, and went coast-to-coast, switching hands in the lane to score the layup at full speed. Christie used a quick rip move to get by a defender with a burst off the dribble, then finished strong through contact for an and-one layup--completed the three-point play at the line. Christie used a quick crossover and shifted into high gear for an explosive drive-by bucket from the top of the key. Her positive energy and team-first mindset on the court are contagious. She celebrates the success of others and repeated much of what I saw at CMU the next day at Hope Elite Camp.     Reagan let her defense shine at CMU Team Camp. She moves very well with a long/athletic frame and anticipates drives. Reagan used her volleyball instincts, timing up multiple shot attempts for blocks, while also picking off passes in the passing lanes. She maintains good defensive positioning on drives to disrupt shots without fouling, and her mobility creates difficulty for traditional bigs trying to keep her from getting offensive rebounds. Reagan has good vision as a passer, can sink mid-range jumpers, finish with touch around the basket, and attack as a face-up driver to score or get to the free throw line. She's an incoming freshman ready to make an immediate impact.     Hadleigh proved she can go to war in the paint and hold her own against high-level forward prospects during CMU Team Camp. She has the length, mobility, motor, and size necessary to do so, clearly belonging in that elite group of forwards in this class. Hadleigh was physical and went up strong to secure tough rebounds and earn trips to the free throw line. She knocked down a pull-up jumper in the lane off a crossover dribble and muscled her way into position to secure offensive rebounds. Hadleigh rotated well with great awareness from the help side to block multiple shots and didn't yield an inch. She maintained her position with a strong stance and worked hard to defend the post. Hadleigh has good hands/touch at the rim and can stretch the floor as a perimeter threat. She's poised for a stellar sophomore campaign at Grass Lake.

High school basketball is back, and I couldn't be more excited. I plan to provide Prep Girls Hoops coverage in every region of Michigan this June. It's like following a treasure map, and I know there will be dozens of hidden gems to discover along the way. The first stop on my coverage journey brought me to Mount Pleasant for Central Michigan University Team Camp. CMU has a rich history of hosting high school girls' team camps. Head Coach Kristin Haynie and the CMU WBB brought it back this summer, and the event was a major success. Teams from all across Michigan came out, and I had the opportunity to see a fantastic variety of prospects and teams throughout the day. Prospects fit for every level of college basketball appeared, and one of the coolest features of camp was that every team had an opportunity to play a game on CMU's main court in the arena. To maximize my coverage and ability to see as many teams as possible, I held down the fort in the SAC. Four adjacent courts are a scout's dream, and I had a fantastic time watching the games.