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LBI Event Recap: Michigan Mega Scrimmage

By Jeff McKinney, 11/23/17, 10:00AM EST

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Pre-Season is underway and there is no better event in our state than the annual Michigan Mega Scrimmage. Most of the top players and teams from across the state were in attendance, and the day was action packed from beginning to end. Multiple college coaches and talent evaluators were on hand for this impressive event.

 

Here are a few standout performances on the day:

6’1" 2019 SF Kiersten Bell - Canton McKinley HS (OH)
Bell was dominant in every facet of the game in each game she played. She got whatever she wanted on almost every possession. With her mature stature and frame, she can play each position on the floor, and did so effectively. What may have impressed the most, was her ability to score the basketball in a variety of ways by attacking the basket, shooting from range, or dominating from the post area. She is ranked among the nation’s top 5 players and definitely backed up that claim.

6’2" 2019 PF Cameron Grant - Macomb Dakota HS (MI)
Grant is another player whose game is filled with versatility; a mold of a Kevin Love type stretch forward, she appeared to favor playing on the wing, shooting and connecting from the three or midrange, but was also extremely effective on the block. She played with a ton of patience and grit on the inside with the ability to keep her defenders sealed and wait for her teammates to find her. 

5’6" 2021 PG Courtney Gardner - Toledo Rogers HS (OH)
The standout freshman continues her pre-season dominance as she also had a noteworthy performance in the Glass City Scrimmage. She is swift with the ball in her hands with the ability to ward off opponents with her menacing handles equipped with speed to blow by them. 

6’0" 2019 F Jayah Hicks - Wayne Memorial (MI) 
One of the faster rising 2019 prospects in the state is Hicks; she looks even more improved from the summer. A high energy hybrid forward, the most valuable thing about her performance was her ability to affect the game without scoring the basketball. Hicks made hustle plays to impact runs, whether it was passing up good shots to find teammates for better shots, blocking a shot to the other end of the floor, or gunning down the floor to stop a break. She is a long defender that is really good at shrinking the floor on the ball and uses her length to get stops inside.

5’8"2020 F Sydney McCaig - Plymouth HS (MI)
McCaig is a wide body wing that contributed a little bit of everywhere for her team. She was able to catch the ball in the middle of the zone, turn and face up, and zip a pass out of the post or get to the basket and finish. She primarily operated out of the post, but did a hit key shotsfrom the short corners as well. 

5’9" 2020 SG Shaulana Wagner - Detroit Edison Public School Academy (MI)
On a team like DEPSA that has a ton of talent, it’s easy to be overshadowed, but that was not the case for Wagner who definitely made her presence on the floor known. She provides a big spark coming off the bench, most notably on the defensive end where she is a ball hawk; deflecting passes or stripping the ball out of the hands of opponents and finishing on the other end to get momentum going. Offensively, she did an exceptional job of getting open to score by slashing to the cup.

5’10" 2021 PG Jillian Brown - East Grand Rapids HS (MI)
East Grand Rapids is definitely a sleeper team to be reckoned with as they played very good basketball throughout the entire day, due in large part to the stellar PG play of this talented freshman. Brown, a long PG, that possesses very sharp mechanics and technique to her game, plays with poise. She knows how to pick her spots when delivering the basketball to teammates, and has a soft touch when scoring at the rim. Brown took a few questionable shots down the stretch vs. King, however she stayed confident and made a big shot to tie the game at the end of regulation.

5’8" 2018 PG Mariah Mitchell - Detroit King HS (MI)
Mitchell has everything you want in a point guard; the ability to lead, she defends with a purpose and gets after the opposing teams best player on every possession, and perhaps most importantly, she does a great job making her teammates better. She got good looks on her jump shot,but it didn’t fall as much as she would’ve liked. She is a high functioning guard that will continually improve. She doesn’t have any offers yet, so if I was a low or mid major school, I would definitely consider Mitchell a soundprospect.

5’5" 2018 PG Camree Clegg - Wayne Memorial HS (MI) - Signed to Clemson
Pound for pound, one of the tougher guards in the Midwest; each and every time the ball is tipped you know what you’re going to see and that’s her giving her absolute best. Wayne Memorial went 3-0 on the day and that was due in large part to the performance of Clegg. She scores the ball in bunches at every level at a high rate and does a good job running her team. At times, she got beat off thedribble, but with fast reaction, was able to recover by knocking the ball out on the release. 

5’6" 2019 G Moriyah Hammill - River Rouge HS (MI)
Raw but talented guard who impressed throughout the day. She controls her handle pretty well and has one gear...GO! Her speed allowed her to break down defenders and finish inside. The key improvement will be increasing her shooting range, as Rouge needs her contributions to win.

6’5" 2021 F Latasha Lattimore - Crestwood Prep (ON)
Canada produces a ton of talent and that’s exactly what Lattimore is! Her game reminds me of Thon Maker, as she is more perimeter oriented and fluent with the ball in her hands on the wing. She got the ball off the rim and was able to handle the pressure up the floor. Her handle is a bit loose but definitely above average for a freshman post player. She altered shots and rebounded very well. Inside,she scored the ball just fine, although with her back to the basket she was bumped of the ball; she has fluid post moves that will also improve. High majors should get involved immediately.

5’10" 2020 SG Gabby Elliott - Detroit Edison Public School Academy (MI)
Gabby didn’t seem to miss a beat as she was in rare form on the day for the Lady Pioneers. A lanky wing that can score the basketball, if left open she will get hot quickly and make you pay from deep with her sweet shooting touch. She slithers by opponents in the open court with a solid handle and she also can play inside when DEPSA goes small.

6’2" 2019 F Taylor Williams - Macomb Dakota HS (MI)
While she didn’t shoot the ball or handle it enough to be classified as a wing prospect when I watched her, she did show that she could play around the horn with efficiency. Her length is intriguing, and she has an all-around game that is effective. She really alters opponents’ shots in the lane and finds herself in spots to finish.

6’0" 2020 F Jasmine Clerkley - Okemos HS (MI)
Clerkley is a bruising forward that doesn’t get moved easily when fighting for position on either end of the floor. She uses a combination of her size and footwork to get defenders off of their feet in the paint; she can step away to about 12 or 13’ feet and get the job done as well.

6’1" 2018 F Maxine Moore - Detroit Country Day School (MI) - Signed to Western Michigan
Moore improves each and every time I watch her play! A thick and mobile post, she can contribute all over the offense when her team has the ball. She is active on the perimeter as she can wiggle past long and slow defenders to get to the rack, and once inside uses her body well to create space. Maxine attacks angles on the short corner, and in the post, uses an array of impressive moves to her advantage to score the ball. Her game from range is getting stronger as well.