- Michigan
STATE CHAMPS! SCOUT TEAM: Michigan basketball recruiting notebook — Holder heads for Northwood, Hines picks UIndy
The GLIAC finally smartened up and brought Linden Holder into the fold.
What took you so long, fellas?
Warren De La Salle’s senior point guard signed with Northwood last week. The 6-foot sparkplug, smart-as-a-whip floor general didn’t have any D-II offers until Northwood came into the picture this spring.
To use the word steal would be an understatement in this situation. Holder was one of the most lethal hardwood quarterbacks in the MHSAA the past two seasons. As a senior in 2021, he took De La Salle to a surprising Top 10 ranking and a memorable trip into the Division 1 final four. He averaged 18 points and five assists per game for the campaign.
“Linden is as well-rounded as they come out of the backcourt,” De La Salle coach Jon Djokaj said. “He just has a great feel for the game and the point guard position. The way he sees the court is phenomenal. His leadership ability is contagious and raises everyone’s level of performance. He’s a natural scorer and a playmaker who makes his teammates better.”
Holder will be with the Timberwolves as they begin their transition from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference after the 2021-22 school year.
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Hooping & Hounding
Macomb Dakota senior guard Josh Hines, the No. 1 player in Macomb County in 2021, will sign with the University of Indianapolis. The 6-2 Hines chose head coach Paul Corsaro and his UIndy Greyhounds over Air Force. He pumped in 26 points per night this past winter for Paul Tocco’s Dakota Cougars cage troop. With Hines taking his game into high gear for his senior campaign, Dakota won a Division 1 regional and appeared in the state quarterfinals.
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Preferential treatment
Frankfort all-state senior forward Jack Stefanski, one of the best small-school hoopsters in the MHSAA, has accepted a preferred walk-on slot with Western Michigan. Stefanski recorded 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per night in 2021, while once again proving one of the most versatile players in the state regardless of school-size. With Stefanski captaining the ship, Frankfort advanced into the state championship game in 2019 and won a regional back in April.
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Five Names To Know In June
Grant Gondrezick II (Stevensville Lakeshore 6-2 G Class of ‘23) — About to have a volcanic eruption in his recruiting stock, this kid as all the tools for greatness…..can you say Swag Nasty?
Devin Lilly (Chippewa Valley 6-2 G Class of ‘22) — Might be the best player in Macomb County next winter, straight TNT in the open floor.
Trey McKenney (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 6-5 G/F Class of ‘25) — The MHSAA’s next phenom, Romeo Weems 2.0, just got offered by DePaul and will start for the powerhouse Eaglets as a fab frosh in ‘22.
Semaj Ramsey (Madison Heights Lamphere 6-2 G Class of ‘23) — Diamond in the ruff out of Oakland County, dynamic combo guard who recently snagged his first D-I offer from U-D Mercy.
Parker Swartz (Mona Shores 6-7 F Class of ‘23) — Workhorse wonder on the wing to watch the next two years on the west side of the state.
