Michigan hosted a pair of camps this weekend and UM Hoops was in attendance on Friday and Saturday for both the College Practice Camp and the Team Camp events. Here are scouting and evaluation notes from myself and Orion Sang.
Pete Nance – F – 2018 – Revere
Nance started the day slowly, failing to make a basket in the first half against L’anse Creuse North, but he had a handful of early assists and his offense heated up in the second half. He finished with 12 points and easily a half dozen rebounds, assists and blocks.
Nance had a big impact on defense, where his length affected passing lines and his lateral quickness allowed him to switch on screens with ease. He has a nice pull-up jumper in his arsenal, and with his height, should be able to get it off against 99 percent of the competition he’ll face.
Nance’s team struggled when matched up against East English Village’s pressure defense and took a 20 point loss. Nance only had 5 points in the loss, but he did drain a NBA range three-pointer from the top of the key. In the final game of the night, Nance reached double figures once again in a narrow win.
Nance is so difficult to evaluate because he’ll make plays that wow you in one moment. Say, a blocked shot followed by a behind the back dribble in transition and a pull-up jumper. Then he’ll drift out of the game for long stretches as well. His shot is still a bit inconsistent, but he’s able to shoot over just about anyone. He’s also a great passer, both in transition and the half court, and has an impressive handle for his size.
It’s easy to see why John Beilein was watching every game that he played very closely and gave Nance plenty of attention (he even appeared to introduce DeJulius and Nance after they played head-to-head). His potential at the four spot in Michigan’s offense is obvious, but there could be some time — preferably time spent in the weight room — before he can realize it all.
Dave DeJulius – PG – 2018 – EEVP – Commit
David DeJulius had 12 points and handed out 6 assists in his first game of the camp, a 59-39 win over Revere. He controlled the game early on and was content to find his teammates (he could have had a few more assists with better finishing), but early in the second half he put the game out of reach with some ball screen scoring.
You can’t go under screens against DeJulius or he’ll kill you with the jumper off the dribble. In his second game, DeJulius hit back-to-back step-back 3s and basically got his shot whenever he wanted to.
The Saturday nightcap was a blowout win over Libertyville, who lost Drew Peterson to an injury, and DeJulius started out with a few dagger threes and then blew things open handing out alley-oop lobs and dishes for easy dunks.
DeJulius probably won’t ever be the most athletic point guard, but he’s incredibly strong, knows the game and can shoot the ball very well off the ball screen. Those elements make him a perfect fit for Michigan moving forward.
Brandon Johns – 2018 – East Lansing – Elite Camp
Brandon Johns has been almost scouted to death at this point after playing two years of Nike EYBL 17U and being highly touted at a young age. The knocks on Johns were always about his motor and production, but suddenly he’s turning a lot of that early potential into consistent productivity. At 6-foot-8 with long arms, Johns has improved as a rebounder and is more aggressive looking for his offense. He’s capable of stretching the floor and driving to the rim and looks like the total package as a stretch four.
Johns backed up his improved numbers on the Nike EYBL circuit with a very impressive afternoon at Michigan’s College Practice Camp and reminded everyone why he’s been on Michigan’s recruiting board for so long.
Harlond Beverly – G – 2019 – Southfield Christian
Beverly might not have as much hype as some other in-state guards in the 2019 class, but he impressed everyone in the gym for two consecutive days in Ann Arbor.
His highlight in an afternoon game against Williamston was picking Sean Cobb’s pocket on an attempted behind the back dribble and then dunking over him. The next possession? He had another steal and eurostep in transition for a pretty layup. A couple possessions later he added another poster dunk on the break.
Beverly plays off-guard right now for Southfield Christian and might need to grow a couple inches to stick there for a high-major school, but he’s young and has a lot of tools. Athleticism and shooting are a plus right now, and he was a very opportunistic and tenacious defender, as well, picking the pocket several times throughout the day.
Drew Peterson – Wing – 2018 – Libertyville
Peterson had a really nice game against Massillon Jackson. As soon as I started watching, he blocked a shot and scored three times in quick succession. He’s got a good looking shot; had no trouble getting it wherever and whenever he wanted. Created off the dribble a lot as well and had several nice drives, where he showed off nice touch near the basket. Had one play where he hung in the air for a couple seconds before finishing — Chris Hunter, Ibi Watson and Saddi Washington seemed to enjoy that one. Hunter and Washington paid a lot of attention in general to Peterson, as well.
Peterson’s day was cut short after an apparent ankle injury ended his second game early and forced him to miss game 3.
Marcus Bingham Jr – Forward – 2018 – GRCC
One GRCC coach mentioned that Jon Sanderson was impressed with Bingham’s athleticism and I can’t disagree. He’s really long and lanky prospect, but he’s also incredibly skinny.
Bingham can hit the three from the top of the key, but he also kind of seems to float in and out of the game at times. He had a giant putback dunk in one afternoon game, but never really got going in another game later that afternoon.
He’s a bit bigger than Nance, but might even be skinnier. While he has a solid looking stroke, his ballhandling abilities appear to be a few notched behind Nance.
Carlos Johnson – Forward – 2020 – Benton Harbor
Johnson looks like he’ll be one of the top 2020 prospects in the state and he’s already bigger than just about anyone in his class. He’s 6-foot-6 and is built like someone who should be going into his senior year not his sophomore year. He got the better of Sean Cobb in their matchup earlier in the day.
Sean Cobb – Forward – 2019 – Williamston
Cobb has a smooth shooting stroke and good size, but he’s still a bit stiff to play on the perimeter. He doesn’t handle the ball much and seems uncomfortable when called to do so. Part of that may stem from having to play the ‘5’ for Williamston out of necessity, but when compared to players like Johnson or Nance — wings who played out of position for their high school teams — the difference is noticeable.
Souleymane Koureissi – 2018 – Iona Prep – Elite Camp
Koureissi is an intriguing wing or combo forward who made it in for Elite Camp. He doesn’t look to be completely the part of a high-major player yet, but he clearly has the potential. Long arms, the ability to stretch the floor and some impressive handles at times. He had some turnover issues and wasn’t always consistent, but had a few bright moments in five-on-five play.
Walter Ellis – 2018 – Adams – Elite Camp
The son of LaPhonso Ellis, Walter showed great ability to score the ball and get in the paint. Some players just have the ability to control a game, even in a camp setting with new teammates, and Ellis was clearly that guy. He dominated the ball and was able to get his shot off from anywhere on the floor, but at the same time he did a good job of finding his teammates (especially in transition).
Bryce Washington – G – 2018 – SCS
Washington is a decent-sized guard with good athleticism and a nice shot. Formed a deadly trio of guards for GRCC along with Beverly and Caleb Hunter — son of former Piston Lindsey Hunter. Washington is the younger brother of Brock, a walk-on for Michigan State.