Grand Valley Elite Camp: Next Generation - Prep Hoops (2024)

After covering the Ferris St elite camp last weekend. I decided to take a walk down memory lane for the next stop. Heading back to my alma mater for Grand Valley St’s first prospect camp of the spring.

While the usual diet of upperclassman stood out. A handful of underclassmen also announced themselves. Following are five that caught my eye.

Marrion May Marrion May 6'0" | PG Everett | 2027 State MI 6-0 2027 Lansing Everett (pictured) Sometimes you can’t overthink things too much. Second time I have seen May in the less than a month. Just has the look and feel of an elite prospect. Plays with a confidence and swagger beyond his years. Simply knows what to do when the ball is in his hands. Is already a next level passer with an advanced court vision. Really excelled as a live dribble passer. Frequently finding cutters with simply a flick of wrist. Is a good finisher at rim despite not being the tallest prospect. Has one of the tightest handles I have seen all spring from any player. Regardless of class. Could be the next one up from the storied Lansing high school that produced Magic Johnson.

Alex Dunn 6-7 2027 Quincy With his older brother and current Laker watching as a counselor. Dunn turned a solid performance. Simply oozes physical upside. Has a long and athletic frame. If he was a senior, he would have extremely fluid and smooth movement for a 6-7 prospect. The fact that he looks this advanced after just completing his freshmen year is impressive. This was especially evident in the defensive drill station. Showed the lateral agility and length to stay in front of smaller and seemingly quicker players. Used the length on offensive end to rise up and shoot over defenders. Has a smooth and efficient release from the perimeter. Easily makes plays above the rim. Like most players in his age group. Needs to improve his strength. However there is so much to work with already. After a good spring with the Grand Rapids Storm on the Under Armour circuit. The developmental curve is pointed way up.

Brayden Carpenter Brayden Carpenter 5'10" | PG Three Rivers | 2027 State MI 5-10 2027 Three Rivers First time catching this physical point guard prospect. I came away very impressed. Not very tall. However that is the only “small” part of his game. Has thick and mature upper body that he uses the shed defenders on penetration. And penetrate he did. Lived in the the lane with a quick first step. Showed a well schooled euro step that he used to create space and create unique finishing angles. Also displayed a lethal crossover and the ability to change directions quickly. Despite the bulk, also showed plenty of speed and explosion. Really liked this player and hope to catch him more this summer and in the coming years.

Kaleb Kirian 6-2 2027 Perrysburg (OH) One of the few out of state participants in the camp looked very comfortable far away from. Showed a mature and patient drive game. Was left handed and leaned heavily toward that side. Had nice elevation on a well schooled jump shot. Got to his spots easily on the perimeter with sound ball handling ability. However was also in constant motion off the ball and found seams to get open. You like to see that from such a young player.

Austin Taylor 6-2 2028 Allendale From the player who might have traveled the farthest. To a player who probably traveled the least. Taylor was also the youngest player in the camp by grade. Didn’t play like it all. Was aggressive and got to the basket seemingly at will. Showed an explosive spin move that covered a lot ground. Got from the extended wing all the way to the cup with only one dribble. Drawing a foul in the process. Did that more than once. After a season of transition in the midst of a coaching change. Allendale has some young talent to grow with. Fellow camp participant 2027 Jackson Handa Jackson Handa 5'10" | PG Allendale | 2027 MI and Cole Bundy Cole Bundy 6'1" | SF Allendale | 2027 MI are nice building blocks.