SVSU Team Camp - A Referee's Perspective

<p>I was fortunate enough to be assigned 12 varsity games to officiate at Saginaw Valley State University yesterday. It's very interesting to see how players respond not only to officials, but also their teammates and coaches. Personally, I find it way more helpful for me than just sitting in the stands. Being on the main court, there were a couple high-profile teams and players that I got to see up close. Below are four impressive players that I saw play for the first time.</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Taking into account class, Cooley is the most impressive player I've seen so far this summer. A true point guard who can play without the ball, but his team is better when he has it. His passing is already elite, and he's smart enough to not force the issue. The rising sophomore has a pass-first mentality with the ability to make open 3s and finish at the rim, already a solid offensive player. My favorite part, however, of Cooley's game is his aggressive on-ball defense. Usually, if any players choose to give less effort in the summer, it shows on the defensive end. This was not the case for anyone on Grand Blanc and Emmanuel in particular. It was fun to watch him move his feet, utilize his wingspan, and defend without hand-checking! Cooley should find himself near the top of the 2028 class this fall. <br></p>     <p>If I could only describe Elling in one phrase, it would be something along the lines of, “Offensive threat and defensive anchor”. He was one of the better overall shooters in the gym yesterday. Aside from making multiple threes, Brennan also hit a few semi-contested mid-ranges and had some nice interior finishes. His frame also enables him to set solid screens to get his teammates open. On defense, Elling did a solid job protecting the paint and securing rebounds. I'm a big fan of post-players like Brennan who wall-up rather than spam-jump for blocks. It seems as though every time he subbed out, the opponent scored on their next possession. After graduating quite a few seniors, it will be interesting to see how Elling does as the focal point of opponents' scouting reports. Based on what I saw yesterday, he'll be just fine.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">One of the more basketball-savvy players I've come across in a long time. Bowden is able to create advantageous situations throughout a game for his team by using his brain and voice. On offense, he plays at his own pace when he has the ball but is frenetic off-ball in the best way possible. He scored on numerous simple cuts for layups that most other players are too lazy to make. Jackson is also a great communicator, equally as much on offense as defense. I say all of these things before mentioning that he's about 6'4 and left-handed, a sweet combination.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Moore is the floor general for a very unique Muskegon Reeths-Puffer squad. He's another great example of an unselfish guard who plays the right way. A team-first guy who isn't worried about the opponent or officials, just plays extremely hard. I'm sure if he took more shots, his teammates wouldn't be upset, but that's not the way Moore plays. He is a calm and confident ball-handler that can create good shots for others or himself. I'm looking forward to seeing how Moore and the Rockets perform this upcoming season.</p>    <p>I will have more from yesterday coming soon. Check out my other recent articles:</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-prep-hoops wp-block-embed-prep-hoops"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://prephoops.com/2025/05/ready-for-june-2028-guards/ </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-prep-hoops wp-block-embed-prep-hoops"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://prephoops.com/2025/04/rumble-in-the-rapids-jennings-fab-five/ </div></figure>

I was fortunate enough to be assigned 12 varsity games to officiate at Saginaw Valley State University yesterday. It's very interesting to see how players respond not only to officials, but also their teammates and coaches. Personally, I find it way more helpful for me than just sitting in the stands. Being on the main court, there were a couple high-profile teams and players that I got to see up close. Below are four impressive players that I saw play for the first time.