Rumble in the Rapids: Southwest Michigan Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While the Rumble in the Rapids took place this past weekend outside of Grand Rapids. The diversity of the field stretched far beyond just West Michigan. One area that particularly stood out was the sometimes overlooked Southwestern Michigan region. Folowing are five standouts form this little corner of the Mitten </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2427556' first='Nylen' last='Goins'] 5-11 2026 Niles Brandywine (pictured) </strong>Goins has something on his resume that few in the gym could match. That being a state championship. Goins was the floor general as a sophomore for a Brandywine banner. With the Bobcats rebuilding, I wasn't able to see Goins in the past year. It appears I missed a fair amount of development. Much bigger, stronger, and assertive with the basketball as an upperclassman. Goins excelled in two man situations with a creative use of a snake dribble. Also used his increased strength and explosion to be an effective finisher at the rim. Still not the biggest prospect. However is now pushing 6-0 and has a strong upper body. Since seeing him as a ninth grader at the Breslin Center, I have long thought Goins was underrated. After leading Team Soil to an undefeated record he looks poised for a big senior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1420408' first='Jacob' last='Pleyer'] 6-4 2026 Watervliet </strong>Sometimes you can tell a lot about a players skillset by his ability to blend into a new situation. Pleyer is in his first year with an established group in the [program_tooltip program_id='2077017' first='Grand' last='Rapids Storm']. He appears like he has been playing with them for a long time. That is partly due to his pliability as a player. Can score without needing sets run for him. Is an efficient player who isn't a ball stopper. Impressive that he is doing this in grassroots basketball, as he shouldered a heavy load during the regular season. Has long been a good shooter. Now has the strength to finish at the rim at a high level. Also gets after it on ghe defensive end. Won't be a Southwest Michigan prospect much longer. Is slated to play at a prep school in Florida to wrap up his career.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2454031' first='Zameir' last='Clayton'] 6-2 2028 Benton Harbor</strong> For nearly my entire life you couldn't write about this region without including a player from “Harbor”. Clayton is next up for this storied and historic program. The skeleton key with Clayton is his versatility at such a young age. Can already play on and off the ball with ease. In the regular season I have watched him operate as a seasoned and “beyond his years” point guard. With [program_tooltip program_id='2077030' first='The' last='Family'] this weekend, seamlessly switched to playing off the ball. Helps that he almost always makes the right play or pass. Is a low maintenance player. Has a lengthy frame that helps him play taller than his listed height. Should form a nice future duo for the Tigers with 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2140507' first='Kesean' last='Hobbs']. It's still very early, but after catching Clayton both this past weekend and at a holiday regular season showcase in Schoolcraft. This is one of my favorites in the infancy of Michigan's 2028 class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2410383' first='Brayden' last='Favors'] 6-4 2026 Niles </strong>The was my first time catching Favors. I was impressed with the plus sized wing. Is a walking mismatch in grassroots basketball. Can use his wide frame to bully guards down on the block. However also has the foot speed and lateral quickness to operate on the perimeter. Caps off the package with smooth effortless release from beyond the arc. Along with Goins was instrumental in Team Soil's undefeated weekend. Hoping to catch more of this player this spring/summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2434102' first='Donovyn' last='Williams'] <strong>6-7 2027 Niles </strong>What a difference a year can make. Especially with the development of a young post prospect. When I first caught this player last summer. He looked like every bit of a freshman. The size was clearly there. However the frame was undeveloped. A year later he has shed some significant weight. However he still retains a fair amount of bulk and strength. Has good lateral quickness and strong hands. This made him a strong finisher at the rim. Knows what he is and doesn't stray far from the post. That being said if he similar leap in coming year, that the last year brought. This is easily a college prospect. I'll just leave this here with the caveat that I could be wrong. Niles is slated to be the largest team in Division II next year. Williams, Favors and a few others could make the Vikings a tough out in March next year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->