Mitten State Mash: 15U All Stars, part 1

At this year's Mitten State Mash, we got to see some of the best 15U players that the Great Lakes region ahs to offer. In this 2-part series, we'll run down some of the top performers at this year's event-in no particular order.    When I think about standout performers at this year's event, the kid wearing #0 for Jackets Elite is one of the first that jumps to mind.   [player_tooltip player_id='3316885' first='Milan' last='Bland'] was on an absolute tear during his team's 3-1 performance this weekend. He's so smooth when playing in traffic, and can skate through opposing defenses. And when he gets to the rim, Milan has a very smooth finger-roll on his layups.   Defensively, he's a terror. He will come after you relentlessly and force you to make mistakes. In his first game of the weekend, I saw him force at least 3 turnovers in the second half. And then when he turns you over, he's got great court vision and can get the ball up the floor in a hurry.   And don't overlook his shot-making abilities. Milan piled up 26 points in two separate games this weekend, and in those games had at least 12 field goals.   Milan prides himself on his defense and scoring ability, and says he's improving on getting his teammates involved.     As his team went 4-0 over the weekend, [player_tooltip player_id='2957220' first='Max' last='Westerdale'] was electric in every facet of the game.   In Max's first game of the weekend, he dropped 33 points with five 3-pointers. He followed that with another 15 points and three 3-pointers in game two, and ended the weekend with another 24 points and five 3-pointers.   Clearly this kid can shoot. He's capable of beating his defender off the dribble and pulls up with a quick trigger behind the arc. But he's more than just a 3-point specialist; he's got impressive speed and footwork when he's driving to the rim. And when he draws a double-team, he finds a way to distribute to an open teammate.   Not only is he an elite scorer, but his presence on the court is noteworthy. Everything seems to flow through Max, and he's the clear floor captain for his Michigan Unified team. Even during the final game when his team had a comfortable lead, Max wasn't trying to pad his own stats-he was happy to give the ball to teammates and made sure to distribute to others before the final horn.   He's got a pure stroke, and a good head on his shoulders. He said what he was most proud of this weekend was not committing many turnovers, or taking a lot of bad shots.     I saw Breonn play three times over the weekend, and each time he found a way to look like the clear best player on the floor.   At 6'1", he's far from the tallest player at the tournament, but few players know how to use their size quite like Breonn. He's got tremendous length that makes him a double-double machine, ripping down rebounds on both offense and defense. And His scoring ability is off the charts.   Breonn attacks the glass and finishes well. He's so comfortable with the ball in his hands, and when he wasn't scoring-he made some of the most dynamic passes that I saw all weekend.   This is a kid you can't forget about on defense. Several times over the weekend, an opposing team looked like they might have a wide open layup-only for Breonn to track it down, either for a block or a poke-away steal.   He draws so much attention that he does take a lot of hard shots from the defense, but there is no keeping this kid down. He just keeps going every single play, and has a tremendous motor.     Devon played only two games this weekend, as his time was cut short due to an ankle injury. But in just a game and a half, he showed why he's an emerging talent in the class of 2028.   Devon is so physical and is an imposing presence on offense; he takes strong drives to the hoop and finishes with a soft touch. And his ball-handling skills are advanced for a kid his age.   One aspect he prides himself on is the ability to drive to the basket and kick the ball out to teammates. He makes no-look passes and has a knack for finding an open man. This makes him a clear leader on the floor; you can tell that he's the guy that his teammates look to in late-game situations.     After his LaSalle Guardians team went 4-0 over the weekend, it was hard to decide which member(s) of the team to choose as an All Star. But over the 4 games, Carmelo's game showed its diversity.   The first thing that stands out is that this kid is a very gifted deep-ball shooter. He's eager to pull the trigger on a deep 3, and the ball looks comfortable coming off of his hand.   But Carmelo is comfortable everywhere on the floor. He has the ability to find open teammates on a fast break, and he's got the speed and size to track down rebounds.   And even after showing his deep-ball prowess, he proved that he can take the ball inside as well. After scoring in double-digits with multiple 3-pointers in his first three games of the weekend, Carmelo capped off Sunday by scoring 12 points-all on shots inside the arc.   He's going to impress teams with his deep shooting, but there's no doubt that Carmelo is an all-around threat.     Julian plays on a talented all-around team, but his smooth play made him a standout over the 4-game weekend.   This is another shooter who is supremely confident with his deep stroke; he has no hesitation when he gets an open look. But he can also lull you to sleep if you think he's just a 3-point threat, because he'll beat you off the dribble and lay it in with a soft touch at the rim.   At one point I saw Julian secure a steal near the sideline, and tiptoe his way out of traffic before pushing the ball down the floor on a fast break. He has speed with the ball in his hands, and prides himself on getting downhill in a hurry.   Julian also is a lock-down defender, who can poke the ball loose, and disrupt a team's offensive movement.

At this year's Mitten State Mash, we got to see some of the best 15U players that the Great Lakes region ahs to offer. In this 2-part series, we'll run down some of the top performers at this year's event-in no particular order.