August is a time or College elite camps and a chance for basketball players from all over to play in front of coaching staffs on their campus. For some it’s all about the offer but for most it’s all about getting on the staff’s radar and competing against some top competition. Yesterday was Detroit Mercy’s turn and there were definitely some players that caught my eye and made it on the LBI radar.
Madeline McChester 2028 Guard Michigan Storm (Detroit Rennaissance)
Maddy is always aggressive looking to score the rock and today was noting different. Maddy has a sweet shot and a physical presence that allows for her to hit the shot from deep but also get to the basket take the hit and finish. Maddy definitely shoed she is ready to start her high school career.
Ella Swanson 2026 Post Michigan Crossover (Birmingham Marian)
Ella just continues to impress me with her consistent improvement. She was tough on the boards today rebounding with two hands and confidently squaring back up to score. She ran the floor well caught and finished through contact.
Breasia Gamble Jones 2025 Wing Michigan Crossover (West Bloomfield)
Breasia was one of the best players at camp today. She dominated in scrimmage play getting to the basket off the bounce scoring over defenders and showing great athleticism. She impressed me today with her explosive second jump for rebounds and her ability to defend every position on the floor.
Halen McLaughlin 2025 Guard Michigan Mystics (Boyne City)
Halen is a tough physical guard who plays the game the right way. She makes the right pass and read on the offensive end, is a vocal leader and works hard on defense. But what separates her is her ability to score the rock. She can score it from all three levels, has great footwork and is strong enough to finish with defenders hanging all over her. I look for Halen to score a ton of points this year for her high school squad.
Alexis Neely 2026 Guard OPS Black (Warsaw HS)
Alexis just might have been the MVP of the camp. She was unstoppable all morning knocking down the jump shot, attacking off the bounce, easily finishing at the hoop and dropping some sweet passes to teammates. She was aggressive all day but still managed to play team ball leading her team to multiple wins in the scrimmages.
Kaiya Mahabir 2028 Guard Michigan Mystics (Midland)
Kaiya is a coach’s dream and the perfect combination to be a standout PG1. She is tough and quick, plays with a crazy high motor, locks up on Defense, is a vocal leader, can shoot it and is not afraid to handle it under pressure. Today’s camp she had a chance to show off all of her qualities and she did it with her usual smile on her face. Only a 2028, there is a lot of room for growth but with her love for the game and work ethic the sky is the limit for Kaiya.
Malia Taylor 2028 Guard Queens (Ferndale)
Malia is a cat quick guard with an elite handle. She did a great job today running the show using her slick handle and speed to break down her defenders and get in the lane to make a play. She hit big shot after big shot all morning, showing a clutch gene not usually seen from a guard who still has not started high school. Malia with be tough to contain for the next four years and beyond.
Averie Zinn 2026 Guard Always 100 (Genesee HS)
Averie is a long athletic guard who is a playmaker on both ends of the floor. She does a great job using her length, quickness and skill to cover a ton of ground on defense and dominate in transition. She can shoot it from deep, create her own shot off the bounce and is capable of playing and covering the 1 through 4. I wouldn’t call Averie a project but I have a feeling that she is only scratching the surface of just how good she will be, coaches don’t be late.
Samantha Fuhs 2027 Wing Michigan Factory (Dearborn Divine Child)
Samantha caught me off guard today. In camp settings sometimes it takes a while to match faces, new numbers with the name but Samantha decided to let me know I needed to figure out who she was right away. Coming out firing, she hit consecutive threes, dropped a pretty assist and scored getting to the basket, immediately I was able to connect the dots. Samantha is a stretch wing who can hurt you inside and out, she had a great day of camp.
Demi Bolton 2025 Guard Always 100 Anarchy (Ferndale)
Demi is a physical guard who does a little bit of everything on the floor. She knocks down the three, uses her physical handle to get to the basket and score with a variety of finishes in traffic. Demi is a tough defender that did a get job turning defense in to offense. During a camp setting usually the player that hustles the most makes the most plays and Demi made a ton of plays.
