Midwest Stampede Charges To Title

<p>The Michigan Stampede traveled to Clay High School in Oregon, Ohio last weekend to play in the FAAST May Bash. They took home a title at the end of the day on Sunday, avenging an earlier loss in the title game.</p> <h2>THE RESULTS</h2> <p>Midwest Stampede defeated NW Ohio 90-50 (Pool Play)</p> <p>Toledo Select defeated Michigan Stampede 45-36 (Pool Play)</p> <p>Midwest Stampede defeated NW Ohio 60-47 (Bracket Play)</p> <p>Midwest Stampede defeated Toledo Select 61-44 (Championship)</p> <h2>NOTABLE PERFORMANCES</h2> <p><strong>Preston Cruz (2025, Midwest Stampede, Clinton)</strong></p> <p>Cruz showed a lot of upside in his game at Clay High School. He’s definitely a plus athlete and you can see that the game is coming to him. Cruz is smooth with the ball and has range beyond the arc on his jumper. He could definitely play his way into being a ranked prospect in the class of 2025.</p> <p><strong>Mason Drummond (2023, Toledo Select, Genoa)</strong></p> <p>Drummond played some really solid basketball this weekend. He was a high percentage shooter and scorer and did a great job weaving through traffic and finding lanes to the rim. Drummond worked hard off the ball and was solid with his handles.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1112317" first="Elyjah" last="Hendricks"] (2024, Midwest Stampede, Grand Ledge)</strong></p> <p>Hendricks showed some explosiveness to his game, earning himself the MVP honors in the championship game. I really like the way he incorporated his mid range game into his arsenal as the day went along. Hendricks has some strength that he can use to play a pretty physical brand of D on the perimeter.</p> <p><strong>Steven Hendricks (2023, Midwest Stampede, Grand Ledge)</strong></p> <p>Hendricks can flat out get hot from behind the arc. He caught fire in 1 game, hitting 3 straight triples and extending a lead for his Stampede team. Hendricks is athletic and fast up the floor, allowing him to play the game at any speed. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1130946" first="Brennan" last="McKenzie"] (2023, Midwest Stampede, Adrian)</strong></p> <p>McKenzie will be an absolute steal for whatever school picks him up at the next level. He’s a point guard to the definition, handling the ball, running the offense, dishing to open teammates, and scoring wisely and efficiently when he had a look at the rim. Let’s not look past the fact that McKenzie can get hot from the field. He had a 32 point explosion during pool play. He’s also extremely coachable and recruitable as well. </p> <p><strong>Carson Pixley (2023, Midwest Stampede, Clinton)</strong></p> <p>Pixley is a good old fashioned success story. I saw him play under a year ago and he was raw and inexperienced as a player. He has worked tirelessly on his game and is now a difference maker in the lane. Pixley proved that with continued work, he can be a big time defensive asset. With some work on his handles and his mid range game, he could end up as a college player.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1130940" first="Micah" last="Saunders"] (2023, Midwest Stampede, Adrian)</strong></p> <p>Saunders has taken his game to a whole new level than when I saw him last fall. He might have been the best pure athlete in the gym this weekend. Saunders is physically strong, can get off the ground, and is dangerous in the open floor. Saunders has definite 3 point range and does a great job attacking the basket off the bounce. Saunders moved up the prospect rankings with his performance this weekend. Trust me when I say, Micah is a future college basketball player.</p> <p><strong>#10 Toledo Select (Name not available)</strong></p> <p>#10 was a playmaker for Toledo Select. He was smart and efficient with the ball, showing patience and a willingness to let the offense work through and create good looks at the rim. </p> <p><strong>#42 NW Ohio (Name not available)</strong></p> <p>This young man has skills to grow his game on. He’s a strong kid that can body under the rim and be aggressive on the glass. Most intriguing though is his ability to step outside and shoot, and even handle the ball a bit.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>