Northwood Elite Camp: 2023 Standouts

<p>After covering Lake Superior St back in June. Then Ferris St last week. We’ll continue the GLIAC (for one more year) elite camp tour with a visit to Northwood. Here are five players from the Class of 2023 that stood out. <br /> <br /> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="986249" first="Caron" last="Williams"] 6-2 L’Anse Creuse (pictured at top of article) </b>The highest ranked player in the camp and backed it up with his game. No sense of entitlement and competed hard on both ends. Showed off the top shelf athleticism and burst that has put him on the recruiting map. I was impressed with his shooting ability. Shot it confidently and quickly from deep. I think this will be very important to his development as a prospect. At 6-2 he will probably have to be a two guard at the next level. </p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1076030" first="Andrew" last="Turnquist"] 6-8 White Lake Lakeland </b>Statistically the tallest player in the camp. But also passes the eye test with a sturdy frame and broad shoulders. I might even be tempted to give him 6-9. Moves well for his size and has good ball skills for a big. Is fluid and coordinated but not the most explosive athlete at this point. Highly competitive in all aspects of the camp and appeared to like contact. Finishes with both hands at the rim. Had a good summer with DTO Elite. Bigs tend develop late. If Turnquist can increase his explosiveness he could be a big time recruit. </p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1212741" first="Christopher" last="Williams"] 6-4 Ferndale </b>This one comes with a bit of an asterisk. Williams was literally and figuratively taking off in the scrimmages before cramps limited him for the duration of the day. Before the injury was very explosive in transition. Made several plays above the rim plays both offensively and defensively. Should get plenty of opportunities to work the glass for a loaded but smaller Ferndale squad. You could tell he is good at picking his spots. Has to do that on a Eagle squad featuring [player_tooltip player_id="863920" first="Jason" last="Drake"] and [player_tooltip player_id="863927" first="Treyvon" last="Lewis"]. Showed toughness by playing through the cramps. </p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="986883" first="Nino" last="Smith"] 6-0 Warren De La Salle </b>When I saw Smith with the Michigan Playmakers a few weekends ago in Fort Wayne. I was impressed with his maturity in handling the point down the stretch in a close victory. It was a different intangible that stood out on this particular day. His defense in the scrimmages was intense and caused problems for his opponents. Was sent as the trapper and played this role well with quick hands and aggression. This competitiveness will be needed as he will be seeking minutes in a deep and talented backcourt. Fellow camp participants <b>Caleb Reese, [player_tooltip player_id="983510" first="Tamario" last="Adley"], </b>and [player_tooltip player_id="986245" first="Triston" last="Nichols"] also stood out at Northwood. </p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="986252" first="Jamison" last="Eklund"] 6-5 Pewamo Westphalia </b>I was not able to catch the Grand Rapids Storm’s 16U squad this summer. I was pleased to see this forwards name on the list after enjoying him last summer with the Lansing Prospecters. Last summer I thought he had good long term potential but needed to grow into his body. Consider it done. His skinny frame has filled out nicely. While still on the lean side it is clear he has added quite a bit of strength. Wasn’t going to get pushed around by anyone at the camp. Showed an excellent outside shot that featured a high release point. This made it a very hard shot to block. Playing at a program like PW you do not have to worry about defensive knowledge or effort. Set up for a big final two years and could be one of the best to come out of the storied small school program. </p>