NMU Team Camp: Who to Watch

Some conversation with Northern Michigan University Coach Matt Majkrzak today teed up some great talent at his upcoming NMU Team Camp. Let's see who is ready to lay down the biz when it comes to gym domination.    Small schools always draw my attention when it comes to coverage. They usually enter the stage with limited numbers, low participation rates, mixed with a broad coverage area. Whereas most schools struggle, Dollar Bay seems to buck this trend and carry success on the court. Liam's work ethic seems to be a big part of the Blue Bolt's success. Last year, Liam and Co. brought home a district crown in District 98. They lost an OT squeaker to Bessemer in the regional QF, but this upcoming season, they look to come back with authority. He's been hitting the weights hard in the offseason and looks poised to dominate in the Copper Mountain Conference during the 2025-2026 season.     Rolling along the Division 4 spectrum of UP basketball brings us an extremely talented new face in the basketball world in Noah Tourtillott. Iron always sharpens iron, and nothing sharpens better than brotherly competition. I watched Noah at the Mother's Day Classic with his travel team, Superior Select, and he absolutely dominated. He played above the rim all afternoon and kept his team in contention the entire day. Plays downhill and is never intimidated by anyone who might be in a higher grade. I would not be surprised one bit if I see Liam and Noah T. punch above their weight and easily roll with all of these Division 1 through 3 teams this weekend.     I want to continue along the up-and-comers trail with Gladstone's [player_tooltip player_id='2626487' first='Alex' last='Prins']. Alex continues to impress with his ability to hang with upperclassmen. I've watched Alex in his travel setup and his high school play, and what continuously impresses me is his ability to play unselfish basketball. Alex swings from the branch of hard work, integrity, and accountability. Match that up with extraordinary coachability, and you have yourself a kid who will not only be successful on the floor but most certainly successful at anything he puts his mind to.     It's the fourth time I've mentioned Ethan in the last two weeks, but when you're one of the most coveted players in the Yoop, it demands coverage. Ethan had a long stretch of basketball over the last few weeks, between attending the Zero Stars Event, multiple college camps, and AAU practice, which surely left him rolling within the dog days of summer. We will be watching to see how Ethan responds to the workload and how the rebound plays out on the court. My guess, he doesn't skip a beat and shows all of us why he's considered by many to be the best all-around baller in the UP.     How do you dive into an NMU camp without dropping a Marquette name?.....Well, you don't. Depending on who you ask, most in the UP basketball circuit think that Marquette is in somewhat of a reloading year. I don't agree. Yes, they lost three of the best players in the UP, but they have an amazing upcoming class to fill said void. Winston Leonard dominated last year and will excellently fill the void left by the outgoing wing/stretch-4 and MTU commit MacPhee. Once he finds his place in the starting rotation, I would not be surprised to see consistent double-doubles out of this young man on any given night.     Another sure-fire performer tomorrow will undoubtedly be Brody Clements. He's a gym rat, but maybe not in the way you might think...he spends A LOT of time with core, strength, and plyo. The things that not a lot of kids and trainers think about. Brody continues to impress upon all who watch him with his ability to find his way to the rim. No fight, no fuss, no BS....the kid just gets to the rim. Can shoot beyond the arc when tasked, but particularly shines when he uses his skill in and around the block. Brody is surely on some next-level radars, and I'll be curious who will be in the gym to witness what he has to put on display.     Negaunee WILL reemerge as a dominant force in the WEST-PAC Conference. Miner standout Bill Hill was recently hired as the new head coach for Negaunee, and rumor is, he careened hall of famer Tom Russo to ride the bench with him as an assistant. Alongside Jason Price and Terry Smith (CFFP), I'm not sure I can think of a better Yooper coaching duo. Kyle Waterman enters his junior year in a setup role that will see him play the power forward often. He is spending a lot of time with trainers working on footwork and agility, so we should see some excellent numbers out of Kyle and his fellow Miners. What will be fun to watch this weekend?...a hard-nosed coaching style that fits perfectly among Yooper mentality. Kyle and company are my early favorite to make the 5 on 5 finals against Marquette.

Some conversation with Northern Michigan University Coach Matt Majkrzak today teed up some great talent at his upcoming NMU Team Camp. Let's see who is ready to lay down the biz when it comes to gym domination.