Mitten State Mash: 15U Best of the Big Men

We saw two days of outstanding 15U talent at this year's Mitten State Mash. Let's take a look at some of the best centers/power forwards that we saw on the floor in Dearborn Heights.    Nick is still developing into a scoring threat, but even if he's not dropping more than 6-8 points a game, he's a defensive dawg, and a nightmare opponent in the paint.   He's already a big dude as a freshman, and he is fearless going up against his fellow big men. He's tough and gritty, and plays a hard-nosed brand of basketball that coaches would envy.   Nick spent his Sunday locking down [player_tooltip player_id='3601848' first='Juel' last='Turner']-another up-and-coming big man in Michigan-holding Turner to only 5 points, while forcing him to commit 4 fouls. But that's not all he can do for you on defense. He's not a guy you want to see standing in your way when you drive the lane; a major paint disrupter who's already got a lot of bounce in his young career, and can pull down a ton of rebounds.   Once his offensive game develops a bit more, he'll be a double-double threat every night.     Carter is a big man, who cuts an imposing presence the second he steps on the court.   He'll do exactly what you expect of him down in the paint: block shots, disrupt the post, pile up rebounds, etc... but he's also a pretty good passer for a player of his size. His passing is an area of the game that he believes sets him apart from other centers.   Carter's offensive game is still developing, but on defense he's the kind of guy that will make opposing teams adjust to him every game.     This is a kid who's more than just a big man; he makes outstanding plays every time the ball gets near him.   During the two games I saw with Juel, he ripped a rebound away with two defenders draped all over him. And at another point in the game, he caught a pass mid-air and was able to convert it into a layup before he hit the ground. And then late in the game, he had a defender nearly tackling him, but he still was able to convert an and-1 basket. Not only does he get his team fired up, he even had observers going crazy for some of his highlights.   Juel makes his team function so well. He's an obvious weapon in the post, both on offense and defense. But more than that, he's a really capable ball-handler and distributor. He won't just convert a putback shot, he'll grab a rebound and try to find an open teammate if there's a better option.   And on defense, his shot-blocking and physicality comes naturally. But he's also unafraid to come outside the arc and guard the point if he needs to.   Juel is turning into a jack-of-all-trades, and will spend the next three seasons as a constant double-double threat.     Gavin is the kind of guy you want patrolling your paint. He's reliable with the ball in his hands, and if nothing is immediately open-he can dribble out of pressure, or dish the ball to an open teammate.   Gavin's growing nicely into a big frame, which allows him to enforce himself in the post. He's got the size and speed to track down rebounds, and he's a prototypical rim-runner; moving up and down the floor with the size and speed to grab a board and convert a transition layup on the other end.   Gavin can serve as a big man, but he's also proud of his 3-point stroke and his overall court vision.     Kellen had baseball practice for the first day of the tournament, so we only saw him on the final day of action. But this multi-sport standout is growing into a force on the court.   Already standing 6'4", Kellen has the size and the build to be a problem for opposing defenses. He has the footwork to skate around the defense on his way for a layup, and his arms are long enough to corral errant passes that are in his vicinity.   Kellen controls the glass well and can distribute the ball after a rebound. He says that he's grown in his defense and post game.     Yes, Marcus is officially listed as a shooting guard. But this weekend he may have been the biggest player on his team, so he was forced into the work of a big man. And he's got the grit to look the part of a power forward.   Marcus' game stood out to me more than almost any other player I saw this weekend. He's so good at all 3 levels; he can bring the ball up the court and distribute, he can take care of the midrange game, and he can bang around in the paint with the biggest guys you throw at him. At one point, I saw him steal away a rebound from a defender, and battling through a double-team he went up for a putback basket.   He's also such an unselfish player. During a win on Sunday, he had a wide open look at a 3-pointer, but was willing to make the extra pass to a man down low for a higher-percentage basket.   Marcus is gutsy and never gives up on plays. He dives after loose balls and battles in the trenches. After one of his games, I was asking for his height and he told me that he feels like he's 6'5", but in reality he's just 5'11"... though you wouldn't guess it by the way he fights out on the court.     Tyrese is another player who's not officially listed as a typical big man. But when pressed into service, he can fill the role nicely.   Back at Old Redford High School, Tyrese is actually a point guard. But lacking much size on the roster for the Mitten State Mash, he filled in as a power forward and hardly missed a beat.   Tyrese has great toughness, spending a lot of time on the floor, diving for loose balls. But his point guard background also gives him the capacity to bring the ball up the floor and distribute to his teammates.   He's got a quick release on his 3-pointers, and prides himself on helping his team out. He says that even though he's normally a guard, he likes to think he proved this weekend that he can handle the big boys.   Tyrese also seems very coachable. Every trip to the bench, he was taking direction from his coach and seemed to receive everything with humility.

We saw two days of outstanding 15U talent at this year's Mitten State Mash. Let's take a look at some of the best centers/power forwards that we saw on the floor in Dearborn Heights.