Mitten State Mash: 15U All Stars, part 2

This is the second half of our look back at the best performers from this year's Mitten State Mash in Dearborn Heights, listed in no particular order.   ICYMI, part 1 of this series can be found <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/05/mitten-state-mash-15u-all-stars-part-1/?coupon=prephoopsevents21">here</a>.    It took a day for Caleb to really get warmed up, but when he started dicing up defenses, there was no stopping this kid.   Caleb is actually an 8th grader, who played up this weekend against kids 1-2 years older than him. But he was sensational for his Jackets Elite team. He possesses very smooth moves to the hoop, and an ability to finish with a soft touch.   Defensively, he has a great presence of mind and an ability to adjust to whatever defenses throw at him. Plus his arm length gives him a great ability to reach for rebounds, and drop in putback shots.   What's going to make Caleb so dangerous is his fearlessness in driving to the rim. He attacks the basket with ferocity, and if he's not converting a layup-then he's probably drawing a foul call. I lost count of the amount of free throws Caleb took on Sunday, due to fouls drawn in the paint.   Caleb had an incredible 32-point performance on Sunday, and followed that with 15 points in his weekend finale. He'll be a major player to watch in the class of 2030.     Christian's LaSalle Guardians team played a magnificent set of games, going 4-0 on the weekend. His whole starting lineup was impressive, but Christian was a standout player every time I saw him.   Christian plays very strong and confident offensively-taking aggressive drives to the basket, with an innate ability to maintain control of the ball. He can convert on layups, but he's also got a nice midrange game-pulling up from all over the floor inside the arc.   Christian prides himself on being a great passer for his team, as well as his on-court leadership. He's got elite court vision and the ball comes off his hand well, be it on a pass or a shot.     Jordan's [program_tooltip program_id='3590048' first='Mid' last='[program_tooltip program_id='2077023' first='Michigan' last='Mustangs']'] went 3-1 this weekend in Dearborn Heights, and his command of the floor helped keep them in every game.   Jordan is a magnet for the ball-always finding himself in on a play. He's trustworthy on a fast break; knowing the right times to pass vs. when to take a shot for himself.   Jordan has some of the best footwork I saw this weekend; he has a vicious euro-step, and deadly hesitations that help him beat a double-team.   Jordan's also got great defensive awareness-he gets in the way of passes up court, and can disrupt a team's offensive motion.   One thing Jordan prides himself on doing especially well is getting points from all over the floor. At 5'11", he's already taller than a lot of kids his age-but he doesn't just hang around the paint and wait for shots to come to him. He's running all over the court, looking for an open shot.     Elijah is a multi-sport athlete, who suited up for his varsity football team as a freshman. And his athleticism and physicality is already coming to form.   Over the few times I saw him play this weekend, Elijah had some of the slickest handles of anybody on the floor. He's completing no-look passes, underhand dishes to the wing, firing it the length of the floor in transition; he's got some uncanny abilities as a passer.   As a whole, he says that he's come a long way in his court vision. Outside of just passing, he's great at finding a seam and driving to the hoop. And when he's setting up the offense, he's unbothered by defenders who try to disrupt his dribbling.   He also has a good head on his shoulders and doesn't get frustrated. When one of his games looked out of hand early, falling behind by 20+ points in the first half, Elijah kept his team fighting and managed to get the deficit back to single-digits for most of the second half.     James is already developing into a very skilled shooter for the [program_tooltip program_id='2076061' first='Detroit' last='Bulldogs']. And he put on some really impressive performances over the weekend.   He's your prototypical spot-up 3-point shooter, but if you put the ball in his hands, he's fearless driving to the hoop and dropping in a floater.   James is an elite catch-and-shoot kind of player. He hit a combined seven 3-pointers between the two games he played on Saturday. But he also has good footwork and can drive the baseline with the ball in his hands.   James prides himself on being a team-first player. That was on display during the final games of Sunday. Some prior commitments forced some of his teammates to leave the tournament early, but James stuck around and kept battling-even against teams with a much deeper bench. He's the kind of player who will put the greater good ahead of his own.     Juel is a player that you'll want to keep watching in the coming years. He attracts attention the second he steps on the court, and usually can deliver with elite play in the post.   As a 6'4" freshman, his height is incredible, but he's already gotten so strong as well. He imposes his will in the paint, and has tremendous body control when he's backing down a defender.   Juel will often have a size advantage, but he's not one to only put up shots down low. He's willing to kick the ball to the outside, or make an extra pass to an open teammate.   And defensively, the kid is just a brick wall. He makes it nearly impossible for an opposing offense to drive to the rim, and he can just rip rebounds away from his opponents. Plus he's not afraid to come out to the perimeter and play on-ball defense as well.   At times, Juel looks like an unstoppable force, and he's only going to get better.

This is the second half of our look back at the best performers from this year's Mitten State Mash in Dearborn Heights, listed in no particular order.