Lansing Eastern's Pre-Season Scrimmage

For the second year, Lansing Eastern is bringing over 15 teams to the Don Johnson Fieldhouse for what should make for an excellent day of basketball two weeks before Michigan's season officially starts.

Here's a look at Saturday's schedule where the talent will be as good as the teams:

9 a.m.Kalamazoo Central vs. White Lake Lakeland, Birmingham Country Day vs. Warren De La Salle, Lansing Sexton vs. Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, Lansing Everett vs. Detroit Loyola

9:45 a.m Romulus vs. Benton Harbor, Lansing Eastern vs. Detroit Pershing, Detroit Southeastern vs. Saginaw Arthur Hill, Ann Arbor Huron vs. Muskegon Heights

10:30 a.m. Everett vs. Lakeland Romulus vs. Ottawa Hills, Loyola vs. Heights, Kazoo Central vs. Huron

11:15 p.m. Pershing vs. Arthur Hill, Eastern vs. De La Salle, Southeastern vs. Country Day, Sexton vs. Benton Harbor

NoonEverett vs. Kazoo Central, Huron vs. Arthur Hill, Sexton vs. Loyola, Ottawa Hills vs. Lakeland

12:45 pm.Southeastern vs. Heights, Eastern vs. Country Day, Pershing vs. Benton Harbor, Romulus vs. De La Salle

1:30 p.m.Sexton vs. Kazoo Central, Country Day vs. Pershing, De La Salle vs. Southeastern, Lakeland v. Loyola

2:15 p.m. Benton Harbor vs. Arthur Hill, Romulus vs. Eastern, Huron vs. Ottawa Hills,

Second helping of scrimmages this weekend.

Westerville North will be hosting a basketball preview this Friday night.
The schedule is:
6:00 Toledo St. John's Jesuit vs. Grove City
7:00 New Knoxville vs. Mentor
8:00 Westerville North vs. Johnstown-Monroe

Our Saturday run down goes like this:
Canton Glenoak at Warren harding 10:00 AM

Dublin Scioto will be hosting a 3 team scrimmage this saturday and that will feature Division 1 marquee Columbus Northland.

Gahanna-Lincoln scrimmages a young Canton McKinley squad on Saturday morning at Gahanna-Lincoln.

Friday Feast of Scrimmages in Columbus!

While many families will be up at 5am this Friday trying to find deals for the Holiday season, we will be in Central Ohio trying to find college coaches Christmas gifts as well! IPS will be getting one last pre-season glimpse of nearly 30 teams at the Berliner Athletic Complex and at the World Harvest Prep All-Ohio preview.

Here is what we have in store from 11-2 at Berliner:
Session 1 (11am to 11:30am)
Toledo Libbey vs. Canton Timken (Ct. 1)
Dayton Dunbar vs. Cincy Lockland(Ct.2)
Wayne vs. Shaw (Ct. 3)
Mansfield Sr vs. Whetstone (Ct. 4)
Bye: Africentric, Walnut Ridge
Session 2 (11:30 to 12pm)
Walnut Ridge vs. Timken (Ct. 1)
Mansfield vs. Lockland (Ct. 2)
Africentric vs. Shaw (Ct. 3)
Dunbar vs. Whetstone (Ct. 4)
Bye: Wayne, Libbey
Session 3 (12pm to 12:30pm)
W.R. vs. Mansfield (Ct.1)
Libbey vs. Wayne (Ct. 2)
Lockland vs. Africentric (Ct. 3)
Timken vs. Dunbar (Ct. 4)
Bye: Whetstone, Shaw
Session 4 (12:30pm to 1pm)
Africentric vs. W.R. (Ct. 1)
Dunbar vs. Libbey (Ct. 2)
Wayne vs. Whetstone (Ct. 3)
Shaw vs. Timken (Ct. 4)
Bye: Mansfield, Lockland
Session 5 (1pm to 1:30pm)
Timken vs. Whetstone (Ct. 1)
Libbey vs. Africentric (Ct. 2)
Wayne vs. Lockland (Ct. 3)
Walnut Ridge vs. Shaw (Ct. 4)
Bye: Dunbar, Mansfield
Session 6 (1:30pm to 2pm)
Whetstone vs. Shaw (Ct. 1)
Libbey vs. Lockland (Ct. 2)
Wayne vs. Timken (Ct. 3)
Dunbar vs. Walnut Ridge(Ct. 4)
Bye: Africentric, Mansfield

Here is the evening recap at Harvest Prep:
4:00pm Linden McKinley vs. Africentric
4:45pm Independence vs. Portsmouth
5:30pm Gahanna vs. Ottawa Glandorf
6:15pm Walnut Ridge vs. Cincinnati Woodward
7:00pm Eastmoor vs. Bowling Green
7:45pm Harvest Prep. vs. Cincinnati Western Hills
8:30pm Columbus East vs. Trotwood Madison
9:15pm Columbus Brookhaven vs. Cincinnati Aiken
10:00pm Columbus Northland vs. Cincinnati Princeton

Built tough, HoningFORD tough!

6-foot-7, 2011, Sugarcreek Garaway, forward Paul Honigford showed us Saturday why he is one of the top 10 prospects in Ohio's 2011 class. Honigford who already holds an offer from Michigan State displayed his game verse 2010, 6-foot-9,high-major prospect Adreian Payne via Dayton Jefferson. Honigford did a good job of beating Payne to the cup off rip-thru drives and held his own down under on the boards. Payne of course has go-go gadget arms and contested a share of Honigford's field goals, but Honigford fared well against the older and more athletic foe. Honigford who already has a great feel for the game,possesses a nice stroke, he can shoot it up to 17 feet with good mechanics, he runs the floor well, he passes well and he is physically tough for a young big. Paul reminds us of Notre Dame forward Zach Hillesland with similar attributes. We will keep you posted on Paul's progress as he is the focal point for a young Garaway Pirates team.

Fick,Vitale or Pastos? Either way you can't go wrong!

We at IPS have never specifically pointed out a college program or college coach before, but this is just too good to be true!
When I was a young school boy back in the early 90's I remembered watching a fiery college coach from Morehead State tear his jacket off, pull his tie apart,literally roll on the sideline floors, yelling, screaming, working the crowds and made real life stories that Mitch Albom couldn't write up. Well that was nearly 20 years ago and Morehead State legend Dick Fick has passed upon us.
Now there is a new sheriff on these sidelines and his name is Pastos, Jimmy Pastos the Loyola Maryland head mentor has been putting on a clinic over the last few weeks. Recently against Cornell Pastos removed himself from the game after getting a technical foul and let his staff coach the game and run timeouts while he ate popcorn and interacted with the players at the end of the bench. Against Davidson he ran a "glue-gun" 2 man shadow approach on Davidson's Stephen Curry,which they did hold the Davidson sharpshooter scoreless, but losing by more than 20 on that attempt.
I have not been fortunate enough to meet this charismatic soul, but I do know one thing, Dick Vitale better have a good contract because this guy is made for ESPN!
We will keep you posted on Loyola Maryland as there season continues...

Desmar Jackson, High Major and smooth as icing on a wedding cake!

Last Wednesday I ventured up to the Warren Harding 4-team scrimmage with Garfield Heights, Massillon Jackson and Lakewood St. Ed's and after watching 3 hours of highly competitive hoops I walked away with a new light for Warren Harding's 6-foot-4combo guard Desmar Jackson. This kid can flat out go, yes his left hand is shaky, yes his shot is mechanical, but his vision is infrared, his athleticism is Olympic and he's smooth as fresh icing on a wedding cake! The thing about Desmar's silent recruitment is he really wasn't out during the open months.He attended a few events, but HE was sidelined with academic issues and attended summer school during the July Period. He has been plagued with words such as "lazy,questionable and a poor student." I can honestly say I haven't seen a better athlete in Ohio's 2009 class and that includes Jon Smith from Grove City. The question is...will Desmar ever put it all together? He is soo explosive that you don't realize he just dunked on your face or sent your shot back into section C until the student section reminds you who's house it is! He also can thread the needle with pin-point passes along with a inside out, retreat and go attack series. I am going to sum the critics up right now...Desmar Jackson will be a star if someone can polish his downsides!

Sophomore Sensation at South

6-foot-3, 2011, combo guard, Traevon Jackson is one of the top prospects in Ohio's 2011 class. Jackson who has lens craft vision and a EA Sports create a player body is going to be something special in years to come. The thing about Traevon that really separates him from other prospects in this class is that fact that he can score/shoot with either hand. He has a great feel for the game and has shown development with his mid-range shot. Once only known for his ability to shoot the ball, he now looks to create more off the dribble and overpowers defenders with an inside out or hesitate and go crossover into a mid-range jumper. Lastly let's not overlook his ability to rebound on both ends and also his darting outlets with either hand! Oh and by the way, his dad's name is Jimmy Jackson (Former OSU Hooper)!

Jason Davis is off the Board!

5-foot-10, 2009, combo guard, Jason Davis from Westerville South has signed on to play next year at Walsh University. Davis who wears many hats is capable of knocking down the deep ball or setting the table for others. Davis impressed us this summer with his fearless play against Lawrence North (IN) at the Ohio State shootout in June.

Taylor picks up another offer!

5-foot-9, 2011, pg Stevie Taylor from Gahanna Lincoln in Columbus, Ohio picked up another offer this weekend. Ohio University CEO John Groce gave the nod just recently according to Taylor's father. Stevie who already has offers from Akron, James Madison and now Ohio University will most likely wait and do his homework as the recruiting process continues.

Weather Forecast: Storm available!

6-foot-10, 2010, Center Storm Stanley from Toledo St. John's recently opted out of his verbal commitment to WVU. Stanley who jumped on the offer over the summer most likely came to a realization by both parties. Storm who is a young, raw and developing post will most likely gather strong interest from MAC and Horizon level schools.

Friday Night at Columbus State

I just got back in from the Columbus State vs. Clark State junior college game, when trying to think about what I saw only one word comes to mind...Athletes! Columbus State featured athletes from top to bottom and a handful of Division 1 prospects from the post to the wing positions. It is too early to make any assesments considering the level of competition, but we will have a good feel after watching another 40 minutes of competition.We will be back at Columbus State on Saturday at 3pm to see them take Kellogg Communiy College.

Our Saturday Schedule:

Pre-game Meal: Bob Evans shoot around at 7am.

1st Quarter: Columbus Beechcroft vs. Westerville South 8am.

2nd Quarter: World Harvest Prep Fall Preview

Half-time: Motivational speech at Smokey Bones over Ribs and the OSU/Michigan Game.

3rd Quarter: Kellogg CC vs. Columbus State at 3pm

4th Quarter: On the road again....

Road Warrior: Columbus Session I

This weekend Inside Prep Sports will in Columbus for a jam packed weekend full of juco games,high school scrimmages and maybe take a peak at the Michigan vs. OSU updates on ESPN mobile.Friday night we will be at Columbus State as they host Clark State at 7:30pm. On Saturday at 8am we will be at Westerville South as they host Columbus Beechcroft. Following the Westerville South scrimmage we will then venture down to World Harvest Prep (Canal Winchester,OH) as they host; Dayton Jefferson, Grove City Crossings, Marion Franklin, Walnut Ridge,Mansfield Sr,Columbus East,Cincy Hughes,North College Hill,Cincy Withrow,Dayton Jefferson, Toledo Woodward,Findlay Liberty-Benton and Sugarcreek Garaway.

We will have an outline of all of these scrimmages next week!

If your going to be in Vegas...

Take the Tressel chess match! OSU 27 - Michigan 10

Lakewood St. Ed's vs. Cleveland Heights Scrimmage

Our very first Varsity scrimmage of the year took place at Cleveland Heights REC center last Saturday. The scrimmage consisted of 6 quarters that displayed talent for all college levels. Cleveland Heights came out with their trademark run and jump pressure defense, while St. Eds stuck to their more traditional man to man half court defense. Ed's also ran the flex offense which gave us a small window at what 2011 prospect Zach Price could do around the cup. He showed us flashes of going over his right shoulder mixed in with flashes of a weak-hand baby hook and the ability to run the floor. Reggie Keeley was dominate inside the lane considering the inexperience of St. Ed's interior defense and credit Keeley's ability to score with his back to the basket. 2012 Heights' guard Tyree Gaiter played really well considering his age, size and lack of varsity experience.
Cleveland Heights will be one of the Top 5 teams in North East Ohio this year and are always competitive under 3rd year head coach Barry Egan. Keep a close eye on this L.E.L. squad to make a DEEP run this March. Lakewood St. Ed's who lost 4 of 5 starters from last year's State Runner-Up team is starting from the ground up, but CEO Eric Flannery can coach his tail off and he will have this team competiting day-in and day-out and winning in due time.
Key prospects from the event were:
Lakewood St. Ed's:
2011, 6-foot-9, center Zach Price.
2011, 5-foot-10, shooting guard Delbert Love
2009, 6-foot-4, power forward Jiorgio Lacey
2010, 6-foot-8, power forward Andy Stanbrook
2012, 6-foot-1, guard Miles Hamilton
2010, 5-foot-6, guard Ryan Angers
Cleveland Heights:
2009,6-foot-7, center Reggie Keeley
2009,6-foot-4, combo guard Sir-Christian Williams
2009,6-foot-1, wing Caleb Hicks
2010,6-foot-5, wing Aaron Ashley
2012,5-foot-5, guard Tyree Gaiter

Recruiting in Michigan

The Great Lakes State is loaded in the 2010 class. Nationally ranked guards and forwards await the upcoming season. There are also plenty others across the state that Division I programs are taking notice of and Inside Preps caught up with five:

Brian Bollin, 6'6, Brighton-Bollin has put together a solid inside-outside game over the last year and schools that are paying attention to the evolving forward are Detroit, Oakland, Central Michigan, Wright State, Northern Iowa, Holy Cross, Lehigh, and Townsend State.

Maurice Jones, 5'6, Saginaw Arthur Hill- This winning point guard has had offers from Central Michigan and Fordham and now has Oregon, Texas, Northern Iowa, and Florida paying attention.

Sultan Muhammed (top right picture), 6'1, Grand Rapids Cathoic Central-The best 2010 guard on Michigan's west side has had Virginia on him for a while but would like to add that Miami (FL), Wright State, Providence (recruiting pretty hard), Michigan, Dayton, Xavier, and the entire MAC Conference.

Devin Oliver, 6'5, Kalamazoo Central-Oliver is a top ten player in the 2010 class and could move up as he has a solid skill package. The schools recruiting him are Detroit, Western Michigan, Michigan State, Providence, Butler, Southern Methodist U, Stanford, Michigan, Dayton, Central Michigan U, Oakland, Purdue, and "others."

Corey Petros, 6'9, Utica Eisenhower- Petros is one of the best post players in Michigan's 2010 class and he has drawn offers from Bowling Green, Central Michigan, and Detroit. Since the Super 75 showcase in Detroit he has also gained interest from Virginia, Richmond, Michigan State, MAC schools, and others.

Super 75: Detroit 2010

This group of guards and wings round out Inside Prep Sports' Super 75 at the University of Detroit-Mercy:

Montrell Grimes, 6'1, Lansing Eastern- Grimes is a junior to watch as he proved a well-rounded skill set and made many of the right decisions that guards should make during game play. He has a solid build and shot the ball well in game play.

DeAndre Edwards, 6', Detroit Midtown Academy- Edwards has the size and skill to compete on the high school level. Working on his point guard skills before the high school season starts will help the talented athletes he has on the wing and in the post.

Jalen Lee, 5'10, St. Claire Shores Lakeview- Lee was another sophomore guard who has size for the gridiron. He showed his ups in rebounding drills and while he can sharpen up his ball-handling drills he performed well in games.

Carl Stallworth, 6'3, Midtown Academy- His athleticism stood out in the rebounding, post work, and in game play. Developing his guard skills is keen to what level he plays on in two years. Carl could wind up a sleeper in Michigan's '10 class.

Tory Crusoe, 6', Lansing Eastern- Crusoe stood out among many talented juniors as he showed an ability to knock down a three, handle the rock, and man up on defense. He's an intriguing player in a deep class of guards.

DeAndre Caldwell, 6'2, Ann Arbor Huron- Caldwell combined played solid defense and went through the drills well. He has nice size which is fit for the two guard on the next level…he just has to continue to work on his guard skills to get there.

Demarco Walker, 6'3, Detroit Community- Walker is a tweener as of now as he's strong and a grunt player. His size and better than average footwork were shown in post work and working on his guard skills will make him a tough match up with many guards on the next level.

Michael Walker, 5'6, Detroit Community- Walker has nice size and is a solid point guard who went through drill work and the games with purpose. Improving a pull up jumper will help as it's close but not quite there.

Jaleel Wilson, 5'8, Detroit Community- He's quick but not quite a lock down defender as he works his angles that will change. He has a solid handle and getting stronger will help his shooting mechanics.

Seth Collins, 5'8, Old Redford Academy- Collins is coming along well as a point guard and getting stronger is one reason. He makes the right decisions and while he can score at times he's a pass first point guard. He hit a couple of threes in game play.

Jordan Pruitt, 6'2, Midtown Academy- Working on the mid-range jumper and expanding out towards the perimeter will help shape Pruitt's game. He's a better than average ball handler but spending that extra time working on the little things is what will eventually put Pruitt on the map.

IPS Super 75 from Grand Valley

Another solid list of guards from IPS Super 75 at Grand Valley State

Kevin Rohner '09, 6', Rochester Adams- Rohner is known within I.P.S. as a sharp shooter and withstood his reputation as a solid shooter in station work, drills, and games. He moves well without the ball to find his spot beyond the arc and has a solid pump fake. Tightening his handle will only move him up the scale amongst the DIII Coaches.

Amani Pritchett '09, 5'8, Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills- One of the quickest players at Grand Valley while making the right decisions in transition time and time again. He has a solid handle now and tightening that skill will really draw the attention of the next level.

Isiah Law '10, 6'4, Grand Haven- Law is a solid spot shooter who might grow another couple of inches. He improved in the post station and he's a solid mid-range shooter. Gaining muscle is necessary for the next level and as he'll get plenty more looks during the high school season.

Eric Smith '09, 6', E. Lansing- The Class A state semi-finalist from a year ago has sound fundamentals that can be taken to the DIII level. Improving his speed will decide what caliber and playing time on the next level.

Arie Elder '10, 5'10, Rochester Stoney Creek- Elder does a nice job of shifting gears to get into the lane and his pull-up jump jumper was impressive. Working on his explosion will help his finishing abilities as he has the tools that will have DIII programs on the look over the next two years.

Ray Barcenas II '09, 6'3, Lincoln Park- Ray is long and likes the perimeter. Working on his guard skills and getting that shot off faster will further put him on the map of coaches on the next level. Gaining foot speed will do the same.

Anthony Guyton '10, 6'2, Grand Rapids Catholic Central- Guyton is a Divison I athlete who banged on the rim time and time again. He was solid in all aspects of the camp. "Fish" is another guard in the deep 2010 class that showed many flashes of improvement including a perimeter shot.

Jonathan Austin '10, 6', Rochester Stoney Creek- Austin used strength to his advantage against smaller guards. He'll take the open shot and was an efficient guard in the post. A solid competitor who should draw looks on the DIII level.

Tyler Stanford '10, 6'2, Ann Arbor Pioneer- Sanford improved through the drills and absorbed the coach's information. Improving his foot speed will lead to better perimeter defense and he has decent size, which helped in the paint.

Scrimmage Season, Get a Notepad!

INside Prep Sports will be on the road this weekend checking out the Lakewood St. Ed's vs. Cleveland Heights scrimmage. "Ed's" features a young roster ooozing with potential at each position; Zach Price is a 6-foot-10, 2011, left handed-Center that is getting high-major interest(OSU,MSU,WAKE,WISC), Delbert Love is a 5-foot-10, 2011, combo guard that is a mid-major coaches dream, Jor'gio Lacey is a 6-foot-5 ,2009 undersized, but hard nosed bruiser that will make a difference on the inside. Ed's also brought in stellar freshman (2012)prospects 6-foot-2 combo Miles Hamilton and 5-foot-10 lead guard Mike Newton. Cleveland Heights which also features a full deck of talent with 6-foot-7, 2009 PF Reggie Keeley(Ohio U.) and 6-foot-3, 2009, Combo Guard Sir-Christian Willams(Rider). In the 2010 class they also have a Mid-Major prospect in 6-foot-4 hybrid-wing player Aaron Ashley. We imagine this scrimmage will be extremely competitive considering both programs head mentors are coming off deep tournament runs in 2008. We will have the results soon!

Balkema signs with Eastern Michigan

6'9" 275 pound senior center Matt Balkema of Warren Cousino sent off his letter to the Eagles yesterday. He and his family were very impressed with the recruiting of assistant coach Carl Thomas.

Balkema averaged 14 points and 10 rebound per game as a junior. He also shot near 50% from deep. He's a pre-season All-Macomb County member this year.

He's benching 250 pounds and puts in time to work on his conditioning. The Inside Prep Sports' Showcase Alumni's goal is to slim down to 260 pounds.

Balkema also had offers from the University of Detroit-Mercy and Bowling Green State U. He also drew the attention of Big Ten programs like Michigan State and Wisconsin on the grid iron as a defensive tackle and offensive tackle. He also is a first baseman and pitcher for the Cousino varisty team.

2009 and 2010 Standout Guards from Grand Valley

This solid groups of guards from IPS' GVSU camp:

Luke Holtrip '09, 5'9, Cedar Springs- Luke was one of a fine list of guards that were fundamentally sound with flash that raised the eyebrows of coaches and Inside Prep Sports. Holtrip made sound decision after sound decision and the result was usually for an easy bucket or a three off the lefty's fingertips. He's a solid player on the DIII/NAIA level and if someone stretches him to 6' then I couldn't imagine why the DII programs wouldn't send offer after offer.

Robert Kaschalk '10, 5'9, Rochester Stoney Creek- Kaschalk was one of the better shooter of the day as he scorched the nets shot after shot. He was one of the better ball-handlers in drills but there is still room to improve his point guard skills. Growing may be in his cards while developing dynamic point guard skills is something he has the ability to control.

Mike Alden '09, 6'1, Roscommon- Alden is a solid two guard on the DIII-NAIA level and he should be a solid player on that level as long as he keeps a consistent stroke on the perimeter as he did on Sunday. Spending extra time wherever to develop his point guard skills will only broaden his horizons over the next months.

Bobby Naubert '10, 5'10, Livonia Stevenson- This point guard stood out to IPS in one-on-one drills and getting to the bucket or dishing off for a lay-up Naubert was efficient. The junior shot the ball well in station work and although I didn't witness his shot from three-point land his form wouldn't suspect that he couldn't.

Casey Pratt '09, 5'11, Portage Central- Three notes that IPS made from Pratt were decisions, quickness, and explosiveness to the hoop. Pratt was a standout that drew the looks of the DIII and NAIA coaches in attendance. He shot it well but what stood out was his ability to push the ball up the court.

Andrew Scarton '10, 5'9, Flat Rock- "The Flash" I recognized his style from warm-ups in the Super Showcase and National Championships this past July in Orlando. He can handle the rock and set up his teammates. The frosting on the cake is has ability to get to the hoop and score. He's a lefty that draws many similarities to a D1 Athlete, Dearborn Devine Child's Pat Biondi, who's headed to the Univeristy of Michigan for baseball. Scarton is a true basketball player who DII, DIII, and NAIA programs should pay attention.

Jordan Deane '09, 5'9, Southfield-Lathrup- "Tenacious" should be his moniker as he pesters the guards, post players, and battles in the paint. Improving his left hand and perimeter will move from one level to the next. Spending extra time in the gym developing his left hand and shooting fundamentals will only help his recruiting.

Colton Overway '09, 6'1, West Ottawa- Overway shot well from the perimeter and like any experienced senior used that to his advantage as pumping the jumper and driving to the hoop is what IPS as well as colleges observed time and time again. Pick your poison. He as well others could benefit from a pull up jumper to go along with their jumper or drive to the hoop lay-up.

Two from Michigan headed to Texas

Benton Harbor has plenty of talent and winning is the goal for the 2008-09 season. But before the season tips off Texas Southern will gain a couple of recruits for the 2009-10 season.

6'6" 225 pound Tyrone Black '09 (bottom picture), IPS' #7 power forward, and 6'5 210 pound Aaron Clayborn '09 (top picture), IPS' #7 wing are headed to Houston to play for Tony Harvey. Harvey played for Benton Harbor way back in the 20th century.

Benton Harbor's Head Coach is confident about the decision and both are planning to sign later this month.

Coincidentally both Black and Clayborn attended Inside Prep Sports' Super 75 at the University of Detroit-Mercy at the end of September.

Coaches and fans should take note of this date: Benton Harbor visits Kalamazoo Central on December 19, 2008. Rims beware.

Lehigh nabs two from Michigan

6'10 center Kevin McCarthy '09 of Warren DeLaSalle has nice size for a high school senior in the post. He's fndamentally strong and only going to get stronger.

6'8 forward Holden Greiner '09 of Traverse City St. Francis is versatile and isn't afraid to put the ball on the floor. Greiner could be a sleeper for the Lehigh squad.

Jon Horford: Healed, Bigger, and Stronger

Almost six months ago an aspiring sophomore was gaining the attention of Division I programs on every level and then it happened. A routine rebound resulted into a freak accident that left the 6'8 forward lying on the ground wriggling in pain and grasping his dislocated left knee.

Today, Jon Horford is a junior at Grand Ledge High School in Michigan and on pace to become the player he envisioned before the injury ended his summer. He's bigger, stronger, more skilled, and determined to help his high school team win.

"Winning and improving are my goals," the 6'9" Horford told Inside Prep Sports Tuesday night.

One of the big contests that Grand Ledge faces early is a match up in the Meijer Holiday Classic against one of Michigan's premier programs, Detroit Country Day, on December 27th at Michigan State's Breslin Center. Country Day features a senior front court of 6'11" Da'Shonte Riley (Georgetown), 6'9" Donnavan Kirk (Miami, FL.), and 6'5" Jordan Dumars (South Florida). He also has two games against Lansing Eastern who features sophomore sensation, LaDontae Henton

While Horford's injury kept him from competing on the court he's put plenty of time in the weight room as he's bench-pressing 200 pounds and has gained weight in the last year. He has also spent time improving his ball-handling skills, passing, and his shot is becoming more consistent from the perimeter.

He admitted that his right quadriceps is slightly bigger than his left but he expects to be "100%" when the high school season starts in less than a month.

He's also received plenty of encouragement from older brother Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks) who tells him, "Keep working on your game. Do a little bit of everything. 14 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks." Jon talks with the second year NBA player five times a week and Jon is excited about the Hawks 5-0 record to start the season.

The Grand Ledge junior has offers from the University of Detroit-Mercy and the University of Miami (FL.). He also mentioned that Memphis, UCLA, Big Ten schools, Kentucky, and Florida are also interested. His brother's Alma Mater Florida is in his "Top Five."

Stay tuned as Inside Prep Sports checks in with Horford and others throughout the season.

IPS Super 75: Grand Valley State

Allendale, MI.- Grand Valley State's Fieldhouse, the attendees, coaches, and all others involved provided a wonderful day for basketball. High School players and two standout 8th graders from around the state of Michigan and from Ohio were competitive throughout the day, which included stations, drill work, and games.

Here's a look at some of the day's standout:

Matt Carden '09, 6'6, Fraser- Carden is becoming a more intriguing target for more programs as he is a sleeper that could find his way on DII roster if he continues to show improvement. He's an exceptional student, worthy of Ivy League standards. Working on his mid-range game is what should propel him onto the DII radar.

Jacob Wheeler '09, 6'6, (Sand Lake) Tri-County- Wheeler is very intriguing as he looks to play the wing position and he can hit the three with consistency. He's a whose abilities could get lost in the mix once high school ball starts but in a atmosphere like the Super 75 he was able to showcase the abilities that should raise an eyebrows of DIII, NAIA, and even some DII programs. He was the best ball handler of all the bigs (6'6"+) in attendance.

Mike Morrow '09, 6'7, Forest Hills Central- Morrow is another big with outstanding grades and is bound for a roster spot on the DIII or NAIA level. I'd like to see him work on go to moves in the post, such as a determined drop step that will in turn lead to the easy buckets that coaches desire in post players. He still might have some growing left in him as he had the biggest shoe that I noticed in the camp.

Joey Asbury '10, 6'7, Warren Mott- As long as Joey continues to develop his game for the next level he'll find a quality program on the DII level and maybe more. He needs to get that three-point shot off faster for that level and keep working on his ball handling skills. He's a football player who has a frame that should take on added pounds well as he hits the weight room.

Patrick Graham '09, 6'7, Bowling Green (OH.),- Graham has nice size and his work in the post drills stood out amongst the other post players in the group. He showed athleticism that allowed him to finish with authority around the hoop on a consistent basis. He has the talent that GLIAC and other DII programs want in a big man. He reminds me in some ways of current Grand Valley State sophomore Mike Przydzial.

Nate Schmidt '10, 6'4, Ann Arbor Huron- Schmidt is a solid 200 pounds who found his spots beyond the arc on the wing and the lefty knocked down the three with consistency. His size in the post cleared space and he was able to fight through fouls and score around the bucket. I'd like to see Schmidt use his ability to hit the three to drive past overplaying perimeter defenders.

Tim Jenson '10, 6'5, Manistee- He's built like one of the front seven on the football field and a former quarterback the big guy knows how to find his spots and can shoot the three. Jenson uses his size well as he should to clear space on the blocks and grab boards. Adding more post moves will compliment his perimeter shot.

Andrew VanDiernDonck '09, 6'5, Wyandotte Roosevelt- Andrew performed as well as anyone in the day's camp as he showed the can handle the rock and shoot in station work. He scorched the nets from deep and was equally impressive finishing on the break or in half court sets as he finished with authority more often than not. This was VanDierenDonck's third IPS camp. He verbally committed to Northwood U. on Sunday, November 9, 2008.

Jamar Ragland '09, 6'4, Detroit Loyola- Ragland slashing abilities and athleticism was evident throughout the day. Spending extra time to hone his shot could put him on the radar of Division I programs, as that is his biggest weakness as of now. His energy,defense, and hustle caught the eye of coaches in attendance and that is something they can count on game in and game out.

Larry Smith '09, 6'3, Lincoln Park- Smith was another player who attended both camps this year and his mid-range and touch around the basket was impressive. He gained the attention of DIII and NAIA programs in attendance as he also provides nice bounce. Improving his guard skills and improving his range to 19 feet would do his game wonders.

Kelly Brown '10, 6'2, University Prep- He's long and active that helped his cause on the defensive end and you can't beat that. Brown needs to work on his foot work and guard skills. Spending an extra hour on the gym working his shooting form is an area which he can greatly improve his game. I'm not sure if he's done growing or not.

Michael Hollingworth '09, 6', Utica- Hollingworth was a standout in games and in drill work as he showed off his athleticism around the rim along with showing a nice shooting touch in the mid-range. He's a solid guard that is capable of playing on the DIII/NAIA level right now and DII programs shouldn't pass up taking a look at him over the high school season. He has DI athleticism and as he improves his point guard skills then he should be a lock for the DII level.

Marcus L. Jones '09, 6', Redford Thurston- Jones has a solid build (176 pounds of muscle) and drew the attention of all the coaches in attendance as he combines athleticism, guard skills, and a competitive edge that all coaches crave. He has range on his jumper and a soft touch around the basket. His size allows him to mix it up with post players and he gets after it on the boards.

More standout Senior and Junior guards next…

Pipeline from Columbus to Akron?

Westerville South's basketball team was well represented Thursday night at The JAR arena in Akron, Ohio, as a handful of their team took in the Akron Zips exhibition game vs Walsh College. Jalen Robinson, Traevon Jackson,Jason Davis and Zeke Rogers were all in attendance. Of those four prospects;6-foot-3, 2011, SG Traevon Jackson (who's also the son of former NBA player Jimmy Jackson)is one of the top prospects in Ohio's 2011 class is also one of the Zips top targets for 2011. Jalen Robinson and Zeke Rogers are both young 2012 prospects and Jason Davis is a 2009 prospect that already has offers from Walsh College and St. Joe's(D2). Akron has done a good job as of late recruiting the Columbus area with current Zips players: Nate Linhart(Gahanna),Humpty Hitchens (Chillicothe), Ronnie Steward (Eastmoor), Brett McKnight, (Lancaster) and Chris McKnight (Lancaster). Will this pipeline continue?...only time will tell.

Dayton Offers 2010 Prospect!

6-foot-6, 2010,Small Forward, Ralph Hill from Westerville North picked up a recent scholarship offer from the University of Dayton. Ralph who also plays his summer ball with Team CBIZ is also getting interest from Akron, Ohio University and numerous other Mid-Majors. We will keep you updated on his progression during his junior season.

Xavier lands Spoon!

2010, 6-foot-6, 4/3, JD Weatherspoon from Columbus Northland gave Xavier a verbal today after contacting Xavier CEO Sean Miller. Weatherspoon who is one of the top prospects in the state of Ohio was also getting interest from Akron, Butler, Purdue, Ohio State, Dayton and a handful of others. JD is one of the most athletic players in the country, now we will see how hard he works on polishing the rest of his game and finishing out his last 2 years of high school.

Taylor gets another offer!

5-foot-9, 2011, PG Stevie Taylor from Gahanna Lincoln H/S in Columbus, Ohio was offered a full scholarship this weekend while visiting James Madison University. James Madison which is a member of the CAA is all over Ohio prospects and has numerous offers and a handful of Ohio ties with their current 08-09 roster. Taylor will also visit Virginia Tech on Sunday according to his father.