Prospect Spotlight: TJ McKenzie (2019)
North Muskegon 6-foot-3 point guard, TJ McKenzie, brings a lot to the table.
Not only does he have great size for a point guard, but he prides himself on being the best version of his position he can be.
McKenzie defined his skill-set, strengths and perceived weaknesses, during a recent phone interview with PHMI.
“When I step on the court, I’m always looking to get people involved, and defense is a key for me. My high school coach is always talking about defense, and how it wins championships,” said McKenzie.
“And this offseason, I’ve been working on my 3-point shot, and expanding my game.”
Last season, as a sophomore, McKenzie was the starting point guard for the Norseman, but broke his wrist in the second quarter of the first game.
When he returned, he slid right back into his true point guard role.
“Before, my role was to score and get people open by driving the lane and kicking out,” said McKenzie. “Once I got back into the rotation, my role was defense, and getting people open.”
This season, as a junior, his role will be much more substantial.
“This season coming up, I’m going to have a bigger scoring role. I’ll have to fill some big shoes from the seniors that left, and will need to help my team score more,” said McKenzie. “I’ll still have the same role on the defensive end.”
In regards to his offseason, McKenzie spent his spring with MBA 16U. But has spent his summer working out on his own for the most part, and not playing grassroots ball.
“I’ve been developing my left hand more and more every day, finishing with my left around the rim,” he said. “And then just my 3-point shot, really.”
With still plenty of time to be recruited, McKenzie isn’t too concerned that it all hasn’t started up for him yet. But he’s being as proactive as he can while trying to get noticed.
“No schools have really reached out to me yet, but I’ve been invited to a lot of camps so that schools can evaluate my game,” he said. “I’ve just been trying to get to as many camps as I can.”