Cardinal Classic: Underclassmen Standouts

While the highly touted upperclassmen lived up to their billing at the inaugural Cardinal Classic in Davison. A group of underclassmen also showed that the future is bright for their respective programs. Following are five that stood out. *Note- I was not able to catch the opener of the four game slate. This featured an extremely young and talented Flint Hamady team. There is more than one underclassmen to watch on that squad [player_tooltip player_id="1237513" first="Trenton" last="Ruth"] 6-1 2024 Ferndale Ruth’s contributions in Ferndale’s overtime loss to Grand Blanc are not going to show up in the scorebook. However after my third viewing of this prospect this year. His bright future is readily apparent. Skinny and lanky frame. So much so that he looks taller than his listed height. Defense usually develops later in young players. That is why I was quite impressed when experienced head coach Juan Rickman switched him on onto 2023 Grand Blanc standout [player_tooltip player_id="985658" first="RJ" last="Taylor"]. Taylor was on fire offensively. Scoring 20 points through three quarters. Ruth used his aforementioned length to help hold Taylor scoreless in the fourth. Length alone isn’t going to shut down a player of that caliber. Ruth showed good lateral foot speed and instincts. Got a late steal that led to a basket. Also earned a critical offensive board and in crunch time. Offensively knows his role and largely defers to the Eagles 1-2 punch of [player_tooltip player_id="863927" first="Treyvon" last="Lewis"] and [player_tooltip player_id="863920" first="Jason" last="Drake"]. Has a smooth left handed high release point on his shot. Hit a corner three and knew how to pick his spots. If he gets a little bigger and continues to expand his offensive game he could be next up in Ferndale’s assembly line of Division 1 wings. Wade Robinson 5-11 2024 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (pictured at top of article) The eye opener of the event for me. A pass first point guard who is also able to get his own shot. Not a blur at this point of his development but very clever with the ball in his hands. Especially in pick and roll situations. Good passer who played a big role is setting up [player_tooltip player_id="1068124" first="Jon" last="Risi"] for a game high 20 points. Had to adjust a bit and look for his own shot when roll partner [player_tooltip player_id="1211143" first="Jack" last="Olis"] went out with an ankle injury. His primary mode of scoring is a creative and efficient float game. Was able to get the high arching shot off with both hands. Showed a natural ease at drawing defense toward him before dishing to an open teammate. Had a real nice wrap around pass on the baseline pass for a basket. Dealt well with Davison’s length (see below) and aggressive late press. Showed good vision in weaving through the press like a running back. Finished with 13 points but the ball was in his hands a lot. Should form a solid future backcourt for the Fighting Irish with [player_tooltip player_id="1111933" first="Jacob" last="Tuttle"] Greg Lawson II 6-3 2025 Davison Let’s start with the obvious tools. Has a high level of physical gifts for a 2025 prospect. Not one bit of his lengthy but sturdy frame says freshman. Has skills that generally take longer to develop. Good look ahead passer who excelled in getting the Cardinals out in transition. Also is quite unselfish despite having the size to easily get his own shot. Offensively is a powerful driver who absorbs contact well. Is also active on the offensive glass where he was able to earn a few easy points. Kept fighting on both ends and willed Davison back into the contest late with Pontiac Notre Dame Prep. Probably could be more assertive on the offensive end. But there are worse things you could say about a young point guard prospect. New state champion pedigreed head coach Mike Williams is going to get the Cardinal program turned around in due time. The renaissance will most likely be led by Lawson and a deep class of underclassmen (see below) Finished with 10 points. Jesse Cull 6-5 2025 Davison Like most young players took him a bit to get comfortable in the flow of the game. Unlike his teammate Lawson. Cull comes off the bench. Did most his damage from beyond the arc. Has a smooth, confident, and quick release from deep. Showed the ability to put the ball on the deck when defenses ran him off the line. Wasn’t able to finish but did drive hard and without fear. Finished with 10 points. Like Lawson has obvious physical upside for a 2025 prospect. Has length and will not need to add much weight to his frame. Along with his twin brother Dempsey (who didn’t play) and Lawson. Is part of strong Cardinal underclassmen contingent they could turn the program around. Kalieb Osborn 6-5 2024 Waterford Mott The Corsairs (one of my favorite mascots) drew the tall task of Thornton (IL) with national recruit Ty Rodgers. Osborn was closet player physically to Rodgers and took the task of guarding him. Competed hard but understandably struggled to contain the Illinois commit. Offensively displayed a lot of upside. Scored both in the post and beyond the arc. Also handled the ball well and was effective and under control in transition situations. Showed nice footwork in the post and moves fluidly for his size. Mott is a very young squad. But they are off to a 12-3 start against a difficult schedule. Along with 2025 starters Jacoby Menyweathers (5-8) and Devon Lewis (6-2). Something special could be brewing at the brief home of Isaiah Jackson (Kentucky/Indiana Pacers) Osborn probably has the highest ceiling of this group due to his physical gifts.