Camden Karel, Makhi Leach Sign With Falcons
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University men's basketball program and head coach Todd Simon announced the signing of Camden Karel and Makhi Leach on Wednesday (Nov. 13) as part of National Signing. Karel, a 6-foot-9 forward, will join the Falcons from Byron Center, Michigan. As for Leach, a 6-foot-2 guard, he will come to Bowling Green from Toledo, Ohio.
Camden Karel (Byron Center, Michigan / Byron Center)
Camden Karel will come to the Falcons as the No. 3 ranked player in the state of Michigan, according to Prep Hoops, and the No. 1 ranked power forward. A four-year varsity starter for Byron Center, Karel was selected as a participant in the NCAA College Basketball Academy in both 2023 and 2024. He earned First Team All-Conference this past season as well as Second Team All-State. Karel was selected to the top 10 on the Detroit Free Press' 100 Players To Watch ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. As for AAU, Karel was named First Team All-Gold twice on the Adidas Circuit during the 2022-23 season and was a founding player for WM Lakers (Blast) in West Michigan and Michigan Unified out of Detroit 2022-23 season. He is also the grandson of Alan Gibbs who served as a graduate assistant for football under legendary coach Doyt L. Perry from 1964-65.
Coach Simon on Karel:
"Camden is a versatile player with size that fits our system of play. He has the ability to play inside and out, run the floor, make smart basketball plays and has a competitive nature that we like. His upside is very high because of his intangibles and work ethic. Additionally, he fits our culture. We are excited to have him part of our team next season."
Makhi Leach (Toledo, Ohio / Whitmer)
Makhi Leach will join Bowling Green from just up the road, coming to the Falcons from Whitmer High School in Toledo where he played for BGSU Athletics Hall of Famer Anthony Stacey. A three-star prospect, Leach is ranked as the No. 6 player in the state of Ohio by 247Sports after leading Whitmer to a state semifinals appearance last season. For Leach, the season earned him All-Ohio honors, First Team All-District and First Team All-Conference. He was also named to the Toledo Blade's Top 25 players list for the second straight year. As a sophomore in 2022-23 he was named Second Team All-Conference and Second Team All-District. As for AAU, Leach competed with the Ohio Buckets EYCL, ranking in the top five for points per game in the Nike EYCL.
Coach Simon on Leach:
"Makhi is a dynamic guard that plays on attack. His ability to score at all three levels makes him a tough player to defend. We think he will thrive in the open floor in our uptempo system and also put pressure on defenses in the half court. He has been a part of winning for Whitmer High School and the Ohio Buckets. He's been coached at a high level by Falcon legend Anthony Stacey. We love his culture fit as a driven young man with high character. We look forward to having Makhi a part of our Falcon family."
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