New Year’s 2028 Arrivals

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the Earth gets ready to revolve around the sun one more time. And I find myself coming off a three gym Holiday Hoops swing. I was able to catch some of the new names in Michigan's 2028 class. Following are five that caught my eye. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2194490' first='Andre' last='Cast Jr.'] <strong>5-9 Harper Woods (pictured)</strong>Has one of the bigger early reputations statewide within the class. Lived up it in a Sunday morning victory against Fraser. Cast isn't very big, but highly skilled and has plenty of time to develop physically. I mention the diminutive size to highlight the fact that Fraser featured a big backcourt that applied pressure. Cast handled the pressure with relative ease. Was one of better ball handlers I saw all weekend at the star studded Motor City Roundball Classic. Got wherever he wanted on the perimeter. Also seemed to have a knack for balancing playmaking and scoring already. He wanted the ball as the game and pressure tightened up late. Seemed to take his game to new level in the waning moments of the contest. Finished with 14 points in the victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2758270' first='Mateen' last='Cleaves Jr.'] 6-3 Orchard Lake St Mary's </strong>I really hate to do this, but when you have the name it is going to get mentioned. Not necessarily what you would expect when you see this famous name in the program. For starters he is tall. Secondly while he is young, he does not appear to be a point guard. Now that we have gotten legacy comparisons addressed. What type of prospect is Cleaves? A physically advanced and mature wing. Came into a big stage game with confidence and knew where he needed to be. Showed the quickness to stay in front players defensively and was not timid on either end of the court. The law firm backcourt of Barnes, Hines &amp; McKenney has been the anchor for the St Mary's program for quite some time. Cleaves appears more than ready to step into that void next year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2715417' first='Dexter' last='Lillmars'] 6-1 Fruitport </strong>I was very impressed with Lillmars in a Holiday tournament earlier in the week in Grand Rapids. Nothing about his game says “freshman”. From his physicality to the mature calm confidence. This looks like a player who has played a lot of basketball. Excellent shooter from all three levels. Especially from three and in the mid range. Has a smooth effortless release. Doesn't need much room to get it off. More of a crafty finisher at rim as he doesn't have overwhelming elevation at this point in his development. Makes up for it with clever body use and pump fakes. A member of the 2028 [program_tooltip program_id='2077017' first='Grand' last='Rapids Storm'] group that earned national plaudits this summer. The future is very bright for this multi sport standout. Put up 20 points in a victory over a tough Fowler squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2420889' first='Kardion' last='Colbert'] 5-8 Portage Central </strong>Looks like a freshman, but didn't play like one in the Mustangs loss to Holt in a Grand Rapids Holiday tournament. His opponent that for the Rams [player_tooltip player_id='1588212' first='Brandon' last='Mercer II'] is one of the quicker small guards in the state. The fact that Colbert competed with him for four quarters speaks to his upside. Was aggressive defensively and decisive with the ball in his hands on the offensive end. Looks comfortable in the possessions he played the point. This allowed Mustangs junior standout [player_tooltip player_id='1588234' first='Benjamin' last='Johnson'] to move off the ball. Passes with precision and purpose, and the ball did not stick in his hands. Will need to add muscle to his frame to take the next step. However there is a lot to work with the Kalamazoo area prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2708450' first='Eli' last='Tuson'] 6-2 Warren De La Salle </strong>Tuson didn't go a lot time in the Pilots loss to East Lansing. However in the limited glimpse you could see why he has started to earn early attention. The first thing you notice is the size. Is a legitimate 6-2 (maybe bigger) with guard skills. Historically De La Salle has been an excellent developmental program that excels with this type of prospect. Tuson is definitely a prospect to watch over next three and half years. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->