Buy Low Prospects at the Bank

After a late change of venue the Bank Hoops All State camp went off without a hitch at the Morey Courts in Mount Pleasant. Sticking with the thematic name of the camp I’ve chosen to evaluate prospects in financial terms (buy low, hold, blue chip) Here are five “buy low” prospects. Not meant as a negative connotation, simply prospects whose reputation or exposure might not match the skills they showed at the camp. The hold and blue chip prospects will come at a later point. <ol> <li>Sam Leppien 6-8 2022 Alma Alma was a strong presence at the camp in more ways than one. The full staff from Alma college was out in force watching prized commitment Landen Moore (Flushing). The local high school program sent a strong contingent as well showing they will be an team to watch in Mid Michigan. Among them was this young big man who I was viewing for the first time. Leppien’s standout portion of the day were in the drill stations. Proving to be very mobile and light on his feet Leppien fit right in with such highly touted prospects as Ryan Corner (Allendale) and Nathan Claerbaut (Zeeland East). The agility is all the more impressive when you take into account that Leppien is not rail thin. He possesses broad shoulders and long arms to go along with a thick lower base. He aggressively competes and is not going to get pushed around under the basket. Where he needs to show improvement is in overall ball skills. This was apparent as the camp moved to 5-on-5 scrimmages. He struggled to catch and gather as the pace picked up. While he is athletic he does finish above the rim at this point. Those factors combined mean he needs to be set up pretty well to be a factor on the offensive end. Fortunately 2021 teammates Paul Gadde and Cade Frillici showed out for the Panthers and should aid in this process. Alma has a recent history of sending big men to the next level. When I first saw alum Dylan Carl (Purdue Fort Wayne) at the same stage I wasn't sure he could develop into a D1 big. He Is currently a Summit League starter and has proven me wrong. </li> <li>Riley Scofield 6-6 2021 Allegan Another big man who does not pass the initial eye test. Scofield’s day was perhaps the inverse of Leppein’s. He did not stand out in drill stations but flipped the switch in the scrimmages to show some long term potential. Scofield has a stocky build but showed deceptive quickness. This was especially evident in his go-to spin move which he used well in the post. Once at the rim he finished efficiently with both hands and showed a soft touch. He has a crafty post game and cleverly used the rim as a shield to make up for a lack of elevation. Additionally I believe Scofield is in a good developmental environment with head coach Jeff Turner. At Turner’s last stop (Traverse City Central) I watched and wondered if a young gangly prospect named Jackson Schrameyer could play at the next level. Schrameyer is currently contributing at Lake Superior St. While Schofield does not have the length and athletic profile of Schrameyer, having the same coach can only help in his development. </li> <li>Rasmus Vindfeld 6-4 2021 Mio I have written rather extensively about Mio’s Drew Hess previously for this publication. After viewing this prospect for the first time I am pleased to report Hess has a pretty good partner in crime. Vindfeld's greatest strength is one of the hardest intangibles to teach. He moves very well without the ball and is constantly in motion on both ends of the court. This will come in handy as Hess should demand a lot of defensive attention. Don’t misinterpret this to mean that Vindfeld is just a pick up the scraps type of offensive player. He is skilled in the mid range and showed the ability to finish with both hands at the rim. Highly competitive he frequently got easy baskets by simply beating his man down the court. Not the prettiest of ball handlers but that did not stop him from going coast-to-coast on more than one occasion. Will need to refine a somewhat slow and awkward release on his jump shot. There is a lot to like in this prospect and Mio is going to be a tough out in Class D. </li> <li>Tyler Johnson 6-5 2021 Crosswell-Lexington The physical skills are readily apparent at first glance. This is a long, tall, and rangy athlete. Moves very well with good lateral speed and quickness. The light really came on in the scrimmage portion as his perimeter shot started falling. Johnson showed deep range and a release with little wasted motion. I wonder if he is a little bit of streak shooter, simply because once it started falling for him it didn’t stop. Also sports an excellent academic profile. Could add a little more weight to his frame. Johnson should form a nice front court with fellow 2021 teammate and camp participant Hunter Soper. Furthermore if you combine these performances with the three 2023 prospects Crosswell-Lexington sent to the Prep Hoops 250 Expo the future is very bright for the Pioneers. </li> <li>Aidan Brehm 6-4 2021 Boyne City From the first Redmen brother to Mason Gardner (another Alma reference) Boyne City just seems to churn out these type of athletes. Brehm is next line for the Ramblers. Brehm showed a great motor playing extremely hard throughout the long day. He is a powerful leaper jumping off both feet. Displayed an excellent spin move that he used to finish with both hands at the rim. Shot was was falling throughout the camp and showed no mechanical issues. Appears to be a well coached and fundamentally sound player. Highly competitive prospect. In scrimmages his games seemed to come right down to the wire and he was always right in the middle of the deciding plays. Should team with similar prospect Pete Calcaterra to make Boyne City a team to watch in Northern Michigan. </li> </ol>