Prospect Spotlight: Michael Ward (2017)
The mark of a great player can often be measured by the ease with which he appears to play the game. That’s not to say things on the basketball court ARE easy for these players, just that they’re preparation, work…
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Continue ReadingThe mark of a great player can often be measured by the ease with which he appears to play the game. That’s not to say things on the basketball court ARE easy for these players, just that they’re preparation, work and talent provides that impression.
Mead’s 6-foot-1 junior guard Michael Ward is a player who fits this mold, a guy who smoothly affects the game in nearly every way without having to force the action.
“He can pretty do much anything on the floor,” Mead coach Darin Reese said. “He’s a good defender, good ball-handler, can shoot it, get to the rim. For the most part, he’s our shut down defender. He’s got good instincts and is a hard worker, constantly working. When he lets the game come to him, he’s pretty darn good.”
“Pretty darn good” is almost an understated way to describe Ward’s play in a lopsided victory over Green Mountain on Saturday, when he scored 28 points in a variety of ways — steals that turned into transition buckets, hot perimeter shooting, smooth drives to the rim.
“I’ve improved my shot a lot,” Ward said of what he views as his biggest improvement between his junior and senior seasons. “Also, driving. I didn’t drive it much last year, was more catch-and shoot, but over the summer I worked on both.”
Ward is the catalyst for much of what Mead does, and that begins with Reese’s squad on the defensive end. Ward is one of the top on-ball defenders on the Front Range, adept at cutting off angles and using his active hands to disrupt passing lanes. He’s got a got a great motor and a toughness coaches covet.
“Playing defense is something I take pride in,” Ward said. “Our coach always says, ‘Defense turns to offense.’ So I try to get out there and play tough D, and that gets my offense into gear. From there, it’s ‘Let’s go.’”
Ward, who is averaging a team-leading 17 points per game, has the potential to be an impact player at the next level. He’s one of the more all-around point guards we’ve seen this season. He will be certain to garner college attention come this spring, when he figures to play a key role for the Colorado Titans on the grassroots circuit.
For now, he’s determined to help a talented Mead team reach its potential.
“We’ve got to come out and play every game like we did today,” Ward said after Mead’s 67-47 win over Green Mountain on Saturday. “We can win conference. We want to go far in state, obviously. We just want to win.”