Notebook: East Kentwood senior star joins AAU team hoping to draw college interest
East Kentwood star Marshaun Flakes joined the MBA National 17U team last weekend at the Storm Classic in Grand Rapids. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Travel basketball tournaments essentially are like a job fair. At least on the top courts.
Players are hoping to attract the attention of college coaches and colleges are looking for the right players.
That’s why Marshaun Flakes was playing last weekend at the Storm Classic.
The East Kentwood star is a senior, but he has no offers yet.
So he has joined the MBA National 17U team, which has a strong roster of juniors, such as Marc Whitfield (Wyoming Lee), Trevor Zamarron (Greenville) and Montreal Oliver (Muskegon). Flakes averaged about 25 points per game for MBA.
“I don’t know, man,” Flakes said frustrated. “It’s though. I hadn’t thought about it much during the season. I’m just waiting now. I’m still eligible to play AAU this spring.”
Flakes, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound guard averaged 21.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.1 steals and was named first-team All-State in Division 1 for East Kentwood, which finished 18-7 after falling to Muskegon in regionals.
“It was great,” Flakes said of winning All-State. “But since we came up short during the season, it’s not as special. I was still mad we lost. We did better than a lot of people thought. But we still came up short.”
East Kentwood coach Mike Thomas said Flakes has fallen through the cracks when it came to recruiting.
“He’s trying to create interest and create some options for himself,” Thomas said. “With today’s college game with the transfer portal, this is an example of really, really good high school player being impacted by the portal. He’s first-team All-State, he’s done some good things, he’s a nice size guard. We get it, this is the way the cards were dealt.”
Flakes said he’s also considering a prep school in Texas.
“He’s had a huge impact,” Thomas said “He’s a winner. Look at some of the games he’s played this weekend, he pushed his 17U team to the (Final Four) of the Storm Classic. He can do a lot of good things.”
There’s a handful of other area 2023 players who also were playing at the Storm Classic, hoping to draw attention: Joe Russau (Wyoming Lee), Ronnie Burton (Union), Tayshaun Allen (Union), Julian Hardy, (Grand River Prep).
BYRON CENTER: Junior Jayden Brock has become a track star. The bouncy basketball player tried out track this spring for the first time and set the school record in the long jump last week with a leap of 23 feet, 3 inches.
EAST GRAND RAPIDS: Senior guard Simon Neuhaus has committed to play basketball at Hope College.
EAST KENTWOOD: Sophomore guard Jah Hatchett got an offer from Ferris State University on Sunday right after he won tournament MVP at the Storm Classic in front of many college coaches. He plays for a team of all-stars on the Storm 16U UA Rise. “He played great this year,” said teammate Marshaun Flakes. “He’ll need to be more of a leader next year.”
GRANDVILLE: Senior Logan Stoep-Stockwell has committed to play basketball at Albion College.
MICHIGAN STATE: NBA player Xavier Tillman is hosting his annual basketball camp this summer. The former Michigan State and Grand Rapids Christian star has the Tillman Elite Basketball Camp on June 12-15 at MSA Woodland in Grand Rapids. There is one group for 3rd to 6th graders and another for 7th-11th graders. Check out the MSA web site under “camps” for more information.
SOUTH CHRISTIAN: Sophomore Carson Vis said he will be ready to return to the basketball court in two weeks. He broke both wrists during a playoff game last month.
ZEELAND EAST: Trip Riemersma has entered the transfer portal. The redshirt freshman played this year at Saginaw Valley State. The Zeeland East alum has three years remaining.
ZEELAND WEST: Junior Merritt Alderink took an official visit to Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. It is the same school that former Northview star Kyler VanderJagt goes to.
