The prep school transfer list is starting to hit Macomb County and the state of Michigan hard when it comes to the sport of boys basketball.
Several of the state’s top prospects in the Class of 2027 and Class of 2028 have left the state in recent months or announced this week that they plan to leave Michigan and compete for some elite prep school high-school-aged prep academies designated for elite basketball players.
This week, Roseville sophomore-to-be Jordan McDaniel, a 5-foot-9 point guard, and New Haven junior-to-be Kayden Harmon, a versatile 6-foot-8 forward/center, announced their upcoming departures from their schools and communities to attend these prep academies. McDaniel announced he would be attending Scottsdale (Ariz.) CIA Bella Vista Prep for the 2026-27 school year, while Harmon also announced Wednesday that he would depart for Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Prolific Prep and Eceed Preparatory Academy.
Versatile Roseville junior guard Carter George, a 6-foot-7 passer and shot blocker, annouced Thursday that he was also heading west to Bella Vista Prep as well.
McDaniel attended Birmingham Brother Rice as a freshman, where he averaged around 20 points a game and scored 20-plus or 30-plus points several times, including 31 points in a Division 1 state semifinals loss to East Lansing (55-52) back in March. He was voted All-State First Team by numerous publications including the Michigan Sportswriters Association (formerly the Associated Press) and BCAM All-State First Team (Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan) along with All-Catholic High School League Central Division.
McDaniel was a top-three prospect in Michigan for the Class of 2029 and is currently a top-50 prospect nationally in his age group. His family moved from Redford Township to Roseville in June and McDaniel practiced and played in summer leagues with Roseville’s varsity players over the past couple of months and enrolled at Roseville High School before announcing his intentions on Wednesday.
Roseville is still expected to be a Division 1 state title contender in 2026-27 even without McDaniel and George.
Harmon, who was considered a top-10 prospect in a loaded junior class in Michigan, will head south later this month. He plans to reclassify to the Class of 2027 even though he still has two years of eligibility to play high school athletics. Harmon had a fine season this past winter for New Haven, helping his team to a top-15 ranking in Division 3 and earning All-State First Team status by Michigan Sportswriters Association and BCAM to go along with All-Macomb Area Conference Silver Division and All-Macomb County Tier 2 First Team honors.
George, who spent his freshman year at Pontiac Arts & Technology Academy before transferring over to Roseville last summer, also had a breakout season with the Panthers this past winter and helped them finish 19-7 and reach the Division 1 state quarterfinals. George averaged 12.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.9 steals and 4.6 blocks as a guard.
Roseville guard Carter George (1 in white jersey) drives past Macomb L’Anse Creuse North guard Julius Wilson (1) during a Division 1 regional finals game at Troy High School on March 5, 2026. (GEORGE SPITERI — For MediaNews Group, file)
The trio is amongst several Michigan players to announce their decisions to leave the state for the 2026-27 school year.
In Oakland County, Christian Cast of Detroit Country Day, a 6-3 senior combo guard, announced he was heading to Kansas City (Mo.) Collegiate Preparatory Academy. Connor Brown of North Farmington, a 6-6 senior forward, departed this summer for LaPorte (Ind.) La Lumiere Academy, while Royal Oak’s CJ Hairston, a 6-1 shooting guard in the Class of 2027, announced he was heading to Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy for this upcoming school year.
Several other high-level basketball prospects across the state have also announced their respective departures in recent months:
— Kingston Thomas, a 6-4 senior shooting guard from state powerhouse East Lansing, is also heading to LaPorte (Ind.) La Lumiere Academy.
— Marrion May, a 6-2 junior guard from Lansing Everett, is headed to Mesa (Ariz.) Sequoia Prep.
— Davier White, a 6-5 senior guard/forward from Kalamazoo Central who would have been one of the leading candidates for Mr. Basketball in Michigan for 2027, is headed to Huntington (W.Va.) Prep.
— Richard Holland, a 6-0 senior point guard from Dearborn Divine Child and a Dearborn-area resident, announced his departure in July to attend Midwest City (Okla.) Grind Prep Academy.
Each of these players also competed for high-level AAU programs in the state and attended a wide variety of basketball showcases and events in the spring and summer months.
The basketball-oriented prep academies is is a similar situation to the club boys soccer world, where rising players in grades 8-12 head off to MLS Next (Major League Soccer) Academies to train and play 10-11 months out of the year, traveling the entire country seeking future college scholarships or opportunities to climb the professional ladder or maybe make the U.S. National Team in their respective age groups all while living in dormitories and attending classes, being home schooled or attending traditional high schools and living with host families while solely playing soccer through their respective academies.