Midwest Live: Mike's Michigan Standouts

I attended Midwest Live this weekend and while I was focusing on the top Ohio prospects and teams, I also got the opportunity to see some of the top talent from Michigan as well. In this article, I'll break down the Michigan standouts I caught.    East Kentwood has a lot of long athletes which gives them one of the best defenses in Michigan. Kenyi is a key piece of that defense as he protects the rim as a help-side defender and is scrappy going for loose balls and isn't afraid of contact. Kenyi also had a couple finishes in the paint in the game I caught as he looked to seal his defender under the basket and catch the ball as close to the rim as possible. I'd expect East Kentwood to be one of the top teams in Michigan once again next year thanks to guys like Kenyi.     The defending state champions from Michigan were back in action and they looked like they were gearing up for another deep run with a team full of talent. I ended up spotlighting Fisher as my standout performer from their team with his ability to knock down shots off the catch, impact the game defensively off the ball as he was a secondary rim protector and cut off driving angles. On a balanced team, Fisher will go games where he isn't a featured scorer, but his defensive impact can be brought every single night.     Clarkston has a couple solid prospects in their program right now and I picked Walters as my standout from their team as the rising senior lefty point guard made a big impact in a morning showdown with Patrick Henry. Walters displayed impressive feel for the game as he didn't force the issue offensively, made the right pass and knocked down shots on the perimeter. Smaller guards always fight an uphill battle to be recruited but Walters checks so many boxes that I think he should have a handful of opportunities from regional small college programs by the time his senior year wraps up.     My biggest stock riser from the weekend, Bush was flat out dominant as a scorer against the best of the best from Ohio. One of the most skilled guards in the midwest from the class of 2029, Bush is able to change pace and directions effortlessly with the ball in his hands. Bush was shooting the ball at an extremely high clip on the perimeter, both off the catch and off the dribble. Bush hit a four-point play late in a thrilling contest Vs defending Ohio state champion Cincinnati Princeton. One of the top scorers at the 15 U level on the 3SSB circuit for Phenom United, Bush is looking like a recruit who could make the national rankings if he continues to develop and expand his game past just being a scorer.     Voyageur Prep has a dynamic duo from the wing guard position and Holt had a big game on Sunday in a main court battle that went down to the wire. Holt has a lot of natural ability to score the basketball as his combination of positional size, explosive athleticism and shot-making ability. Holt scored probably close to half his teams points in the game I caught as he almost brought them back from a double-digit deficit as he got hot late with jumpers in the corner and cuts from the baseline. With Holt and [player_tooltip player_id='3642648' first='Kyle' last='Hunter'], Voyageur Prep is a team to watch in Michigan this season.     On Sunday at Midwest Live there is usually a lot of tired legs and guys playing exhausted on the court. Maybe Jeremie was feeling what a lot of other players felt, but he certainly didn't play like it. Jeremie was getting offensive rebounds in traffic, forcing turnovers, setting strong screens and using his physical advantages on both ends of the court. A junk yard dog style of player, Jeremie is advanced physically for his age and should have a huge grassroots summer against players his grade on the Made Hoops Circuit.

I attended Midwest Live this weekend and while I was focusing on the top Ohio prospects and teams, I also got the opportunity to see some of the top talent from Michigan as well. In this article, I'll break down the Michigan standouts I caught.