Michigan High School Basketball Preview

High school basketball officially kicked off last night with the first game of the season for most teams across the state.  Last year I did a class by class preview of the season, but sadly I do not have the time for that this year.  However, I will break down a few candidates for the political Mr. Basketball award that is awarded to the state’s top senior player.

James Young Rochester

Young is a top 10 player nationally based on talent level, but there is a lot more going on below the surface so that both Michigan State and Michigan limited their recruiting efforts with him.  Young transferred from Troy Athens to hopefully go deeper in the state tournament next March.  This guy is an athletic 6’7” wing that likes to score.  He will likely score 24+ points per game, but the supporting stats are what interest me this season.  A player this athletic on the high school level should be pulling down at least 7 rebounds a game, and if he is serious about leading his team to the Breslin he should be dishing out 4 assists as well. James Young has committed to Kentucky as part of their 2013 reloading campaign.

Martez Walker Detroit Pershing

The Doughboys have two preseason all-staters, but I think Walker has the better chance at bringing in the end of the year honors. He is a 6’5” shooting guard that thinks he is in range at half-court and in.  Pershing will likely be one of the best regular season teams in Class A this season, but they will likely have to get through other power, Romulus, just to get to the Breslin.  Walker will average around 20 points, but could be looking to increase that this season since Pershing plays at one of the highest tempos in the state.  Martez is being recruited all around the Midwest, and seems likely to end up at a Big Ten school.

Derrick Walton Harper Woods Chandler Park

As most of you know, Walton will be the starting Michigan point guard next season. Walton leads Chandler Park in a wide open Class B race this season.  He has steadily climbed up the recruiting ratings to a mid-40s national recruit at this point. He is a smooth 6’ guard that continues to improve the smaller details of his game that will really benefit him being college ready sooner.  Yes we know he can shoot and score, but he has worked hard on his ball handling and defense.  At this point, I believe he is the best player in the state of Michigan, regardless of what the recruiting rankings say. 

Byron Zeigler Detroit Community

At one point Zeigler was a top 10 national player along with James Young, but he didn’t impress as much over the summer on the AAU circuit and has steadily dropped.  Zeigler is a 6’7” scoring wing that has a very big tendency to take plays off and just stand in the corner of the court.  He is not as polished as Young, and by playing in Class B he is forced inside more than he is comfortable with.  Community is a very talented team, so if they can have a 18+ win regular season Zeigler will be on a lot of ballots.  Zeigler has committed to South Florida.

Monte Morris Flint Beecher

Morris has single-handedly led his Bucs team to at least the semi-finals his first 3 seasons, finally winning the title last year.  I really like complete players, and Morris is the definition of that.  He averages close to a triple double as a 6’1” point guard.  Flint Beecher is the favorites in Class C again, and with Morris putting on a show in the Breslin last year he has an upper hand at winning Mr. Basketball.  The problem is the Iowa State recruit plays in a small division and that will be used against him.  Morris sees the floor extremely well and has a very good mid-range jump shot.  I don’t think he is as college ready as Walton, but he sure is fun to watch right now. 

Underclassmen to watch

While there are quite a few juniors to keep an eye on across the state, I like looking ahead to the youngsters around the state that made a splash over the summer in AAU ball.

Eric Davis Sophomore Saginaw Arthur Hill

Davis is one of the top prospects in the country in the class of 2015.  He is a 6’3” shooting guard that will likely grow 2-3 more inches and put on 20 more pounds by his senior year.  He could very easily lead Arthur Hill to a deep March run this year.

Trevor Manuel Sophomore Lansing Sexton

Manuel is a 6’9” skilled big man that is looking to continue Sexton’s Class B dominance.  At this point he is a little more of a finesse player, which is expected from a 15 year old.  He will need to assert himself more down low and keep getting stronger to be a top 50 player, but he definitely has the ability. 

Joshua Jackson Freshman Detroit Consortium

Jackson is currently rated as the second best player in the class of 2016, which I mean these kids are 14 years old so a lot will change in the next 4 seasons.  Consortium is Beecher’s toughest competition in Class C, and it is frustrating that these two teams will meet in the Regional Final.  Jackson is a 6’6” athletic wing that will be helped out by a lot of talent around him.