The Milwaukee Academy of Science Could Be Next Year’s D4 Powerhouse
The Milwaukee Academy of Science (MAS) dons a straight-jacket as an independent team. A lack of a conference has led to a lack of notoriety and a weak schedule, among other things. But when stacked up against Wisconsin’s best teams,…
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Continue ReadingThe Milwaukee Academy of Science (MAS) dons a straight-jacket as an independent team. A lack of a conference has led to a lack of notoriety and a weak schedule, among other things. But when stacked up against Wisconsin’s best teams, MAS has the roster to compete with anyone in the state.
Initially, the first thing you notice when perusing through film and their player stats is that Kaleim Taylor’s production is unmatched. The guard averages 22.7 points per game on 59 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from three. He hauled in 10.5 rebounds per game while swiping away 2.4 steals, dishing out 5.5 assists, and blocking .6 shots per game. His skill set is all-encompassing, which is why the four-year varsity guard has had a death grip on the offense since his sophomore season.
Their frontcourt is helmed by another senior in Darius Hannah. In his sophomore season (his last full year of basketball), Hannah’s length and interior skill set led to averages of 15.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 4.8 (!) blocks per game. There were people liberally hyping up the forward’s potential to play at a high-major school, but as a junior, Hannah suffered a season-ending ACL injury. It wasn’t until the Prep Hoops Summer Challenge two weekends ago when the Wisconsin Staff watched him so close to full tilt (which became a much-needed reminder of his skill and potential).
But, in life and injury narratives, there always seems to be a silver lining. In Hannah’s case, there was the seamless entrance of Donald McHenry and Amari Jones into the starting lineup.
Head coach, Agape Keys, didn’t punt on tossing Jones into the fire early. As a freshman last season, he played in 23 games and averaged 16.3 points on 62 percent shooting from the field. Aside from Jones being thrust into the number eight spot in our 2022 rankings and a precipitous rise in his stock, there were inklings of the inevitable passing of the torch from Taylor to Jones.
The senior Taylor is teetering on graduation while Jones is gearing up for another three years with MAS. It’s only right his shoes are filled by another guard who fits the bill of his predecessor. As a freshman, Taylor and Jones offered up similar strengths and numbers. Taylor averaged 16.6 points while Jones averaged 16.3. They both showed prowess beyond the arc, whether that was Taylor shooting 76 percent from range or Jones converting on 44 three-point attempts. Right now they are integral parts in a three-headed backcourt. Next year, Jones will have unquestioned authority on offense.
Last year, Donald McHenry had something of a meteoric rise from the gut of the JV squad. In his first year on varsity, the 6-foot, 140-pound guard put up numbers akin to Taylor’s, scoring 20.2 points per game, dishing out 2.9 assists, and shooting 69 percent from the field. It was a pleasant surprise last season, but this year, his production could make MAS the division-four State frontrunner.