3/29/10

Lansing, MI.- College coaches from Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio stopped into Lansing's Court One Athletic Facility to recruit many of the Michigan's top unsigned seniors this past Sunday. The opportunity allowed under the radar players as well as known players to showcase their talents through drills and games in front of twenty college coaches and scouts. Coaches met with the players directly after the showcase and many walked away with college scholarship opportunities. Here's a look at the standout-unsigned seniors:

6'7" small forward Austin Barnes (Lansing Waverly) - Is this kid done growing? He was 6'5" at Inside Prep Sports' Super Camp in September. He beat bigger defenders off the dribble with a huge first step and was efficient around the rim. While he's not strong he doesn't shy away from contact in the post. In drills, he showed an effective midrange jumper. He's only played organized basketball for two years as he like TJ Kelley chose the tougher sport of hockey in his youth.

6'4" small forward Marcus Cain (Lansing Sexton) Super athletic and still had bounce after a championship game that ended about 12 hours before he took to the court on Sunday. The lefty has great size and he plays hard with a decent spot up jumper from 19' and in.

6'6" small forward Conor Clark (Parma Western) Maybe I missed a few things between September 21^st and March 28^th but Clark showed a better handle and shot than I remembered 6 months ago. He has a nice frame that should take on muscle well and showed that he could throw it down efficiently. He also carries a an A average and has a solid ACT score.

6'7" power forward Mickey Devries (Lansing Christian) "Class D" is what I think I heard some of the other participants calling him as he through down a dunk before the game ending buzzer sounded. Devries shot the ball with confidence from deep and was able to put the ball on the floor. He's a skilled four man on many different levels and he plays with a cool toughness about him. He has a great frame and great grades.

6'8" small forward Kalen Foreman (Detroit Allen Academy) He was the player that every coach marveled over as he hit three pointers, played above the rim, and grabbed rebounds time and time again. He's very long and as one coach said, "Peanut butter and honey has lots of protein" as Foreman does need to put on some weight. He'll be a solid small forward on the division one level in four years. On what level will be up to Kalen. He picked up an offer from Kankakee CC (IL.).

6'4" small forward Michael Furlong (Orchard Lake St. Mary's) Fulrong showed a knack for getting open and was primarily a shooter from 15'-19'. He does have nice size and did a good job of finding rebounds outside of the paint. Improving his ball handling and defensive footwork will make his college coach very happy.

6'5" small forward John Gaston (Detroit Douglass) Gaston's length and footwork are his strongest assets, as every coach loves a great defender. He hit jumpers consistently from the mid-range and from time to time from beyond the arc. He rebounds with extended arms and two hands while keeping the ball away from opponents. He's a qualifier who had an unmentioned Division 2 school calling to check on his performance the day after. Wayne State U. called about his performance on Monday.

6'4" small forward Nathan Guinane (St. Claire Shores Lakeview) He knocked down some pull up jumpers as he worked his way to the free throw line and was an efficient shooter in drills. Shooting is his bread and butter as he finds open spots on the floor. He has a good frame that will add muscle well when he hits the weight room on a full time basis.

6'3" guard Kenneth Harper (Oak Park) Many others may have been tired after playing four or five games but Kenny had no problem elevating in between games showing off his hops. He's a solid wing at this stage of the game and in many ways reminds me of Rashad Hosea (Detroit Cody '07- Morehead State-current) as he needs to work on his guard skills but has athleticism that can't be denied. He doesn't turn 18 until the start of summer with a bright future ahead of himself as long as he puts in the work.

6'1" point guard Jairen Hunt (Wyoming Godwin Heights) Hunt was one of the quickest guards at the showcase and he handles the ball well with either hand. He made the right passes and created space while showing that he could run the show.

5'9" point guard Andrew Scarton (Flat Rock) One of the state's most athletic kids showed that he could dunk and brought ooos and aaaahs from other unsigned seniors. He spotted up from deep and knocked down threes from the corner as well as the top of the key during games. He has decent handles and is a strong kid.

6'2" guard Sultan Muhammed (Grand Rapids Catholic Central) Muhammed knocked down some pull up jumpers off the dribble and has improved his ball-handling where he can play some point. He rebounded well as is his forte' and is a little bit taller than what I remember from over the summer.

6'2" point guard Cameron Sanchez (Lansing Eastern) One of the state's most underrated guards was one of the best on Sunday as he played solid defense, scored, and distributed. He has good size and could add another 20 pounds while keeping his mobility.

6'5" wing Michael Sims (Eaton Academy) He was liked by Division 2 and Juco coaches alike. He's a new player to many of these coaches and the last time I saw him he was more of an athlete playing basketball but that was two summers ago. He's a monster in the open court and was able to hit pull up jumpers in the mid-range when there was more of a half court setting.

6'8" center James Suttles (Lansing Sexton) Suttles also picked up an offer from Kankakee CC (IL.) as the big fella showed off his athleticism and rebounded well. He was the only true post player at the showcase and is one of the state's most sought after unsigned seniors. Working on his post moves and face up jumper will land him on at least a mid-major roster in two years.

6'6" power forward Evan Walker (Macomb Dakota) Perhaps the state's biggest sleeper combines 215-pounds of muscle with athleticism and an ability to hit the perimeter shot. It didn't take long for him to gather attention on the court as he stood out physically and then showed that he could hoop a little too as knocked down three after three. He has a very good ACT score and a GPA to go with it. He's a definite GLIAC player.

5'10" guard Evan Webster (Orchard Lake St. Mary's) Webster seemed to have a game plan when he came into the gym and that was to find open spots on the perimeter and knock down the jumper. He has a solid basketball IQ and moved well without the ball. He can handle it a little but his bread and butter is the perimeter shot.

6'7" power forward Brandon Williams (Detroit Denby) The lefty has nice size to go with his athleticism. He showed that he could do more than block shots and rebound as he threw down some dunks and stepped out to hit a three-pointer. He's an underrated shooter as he performed well in drill work.

6'5" wing Renel Woods (Lansing Eastern) Woods is a solid perimeter and mid-range shooter who moves well without the ball. His length and defensive footwork was bothersome defensively. He needs to hit the weight room but has the potential and grades to play at a four-year college.