NAIA lands number of county hoopers
The NAIA got rich in the men’s basketball recruiting market with the commitments of a slew of Oakland County hoop standouts for the Class of 2021. They all signed Wednesday in the early recruiting period.
Topping the list is Bloomfield Hills point guard Mason Canfield who signed with Concordia University, Troy combo guard Ethan Emerzian who penned his NLI with Madonna and Walled Lake Northern forward Kevyn Robertson who inked with Spring Arbor.
The rangy and versatile 6-5 Robertson will be the No. 1 player in the Lakes Valley Conference later this winter when the 2021 season finally gets off the ground.
“Kevyn has a huge ceiling recruiting wise, he’s still growing into his body,” Northern head coach Ryan Negoshian said. “He’s got a great understanding of the game. He’s long and lanky and can play multiple positions on the floor.”
Emerzian has been ripping nets at a scorching rate since he was a freshman at Rochester Adams. Canfield might be the best pure point guard in the whole OAA.
“Mason is an elite true point guard, his basketball IQ is just ridiculous and he’s a leader on and off the court,” Bloomfield Hills head coach Phil Kurajian said. “He passes and shoots the ball at a high level. Concordia is getting one fierce competitor.”
Sideline vet Gary Fralick at Troy values Emerzian’s skill set.
“Ethan’s a playmaker, he finds an instant rhythm running an offense,” Fralick said. “He scores, he facilitates, he’s unselfish. There isn’t much he doesn’t do in the backcourt. His scrappiness and hardnosed attitude are contagious.”
From the sleeper department on the wing, North Farmington’s 6- 5 Blake Goodman and Ortonville Brandon’s 6-5 Cole Pardon, signed with Sienna Heights and Lawrence Tech, respectively, Wednesday.
Troy’s Jake Emerzian, one of the area’s most feared perimeter defenders, signed with Madonna Uni
versity, along with his twin brother.
Goodman comes over to North Farmington and the ultra- competitive OAA Red from Division 4 Novi Christian where he averaged 25 points per game last season in a first-team all-state campaign. Pardon turned in a very productive offseason on the AAU circuit and gained recruiting interest from the buzz he
created.
One more star
Birmingham Groves junior football star Jaden Mangum (6-3 WR) earned a fourth recruiting star for his college resume this past weekend from Rivals.com. Alabama and Baylor both offered recently. Mangham has 33 total offers and defined the term “big-play receiver” in 2020.
Tweet of the Week
“L Boyz 4 Life!” – West Bloomfield senior wide receiver Jaden Rembert