Recruiting Report: Michael Wang (2018)
Senior forward Mike Wang had a pretty direct response to the question about the goals for the Mater Dei high school basketball team this season.
“We have to win a state championship,” he said. “There’s no excuse this year.”
The Monarchs are loaded again with four returning starters, a couple of key bench pieces and impact freshmen, and the addition of four-star wing P.J. Fuller by way of Seattle Nathan Hale.
Mater Dei survived its first test of the season, beating defendng Open Division state champion Bishop Montgomery in the championship game of the Ron Massey Fall Hoops Classic earlier this month despite being without five-star center Bol Bol and the above-mentioned Fuller.
Wang had a team MVP performance on the weekend as he caught fire from 3-point range, and even though he had one of his most consistent scoring weekends of recent memory, the 6-foot-9 forward was focused on what he needs to do to help the Monarchs win when it matters.
Mater Dei senior Mike Wang is hearing from a variety of schools after a strong summer on the EYBL Circuit.“I’ve been working on my overall game all summer, especially shooting.” Wang said. “I hope this year I can contribute a lot for my team.
“I definitely need to get better with my rebounding,” he added. “Our team this year needs someone that can rebound and I like to think I can be the guy to step up and do that. Also, defensively, I need to stop whoever I guard. Our team is big, so there will be a lot of times where I end up on a guard. I have to be able to switch on them and keep them in front.”
Wang said that one of his favorite things over the last few seasons has been playing with a point guard the likes of Harvard-bound Spencer Freedman, as well as seeing how an impact center can open up the game for him.
“I love it,” he said. “Spencer is one of the best passers in the country. When I’m open he always hits me for a 3-pointer. With Bol, every team’s focus is going to be on him, so I get more shots.”
Wang, who averaged 10 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season, and boasts a 3.85 grade point average, is hearing from a variety of schools.
“I’m hearing from a couple of Ivy League schools like Princeton and Penn,” he said. “I’ve heard from some Patriot League schools and also Santa Clara, UC Santa Barbara.”
The senior notes he’s looking for the right combination of academics and basketball opportunity.
“I’m looking for a pretty good academic school,” Wang said. “And team-wise, my game has to be able to fit in. I’d like to play my first year.”