Top 10 Mr. Basketball Candidates
Let’s pretend, if only for this article’s sake, that the predictability of the POTY award resembles more of a Powerball lottery scenario than it does a coin flip. And instead of limiting the candidates to seniors, effectively making this list…
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Continue ReadingLet’s pretend, if only for this article’s sake, that the predictability of the POTY award resembles more of a Powerball lottery scenario than it does a coin flip. And instead of limiting the candidates to seniors, effectively making this list verbatim of our current 2020 top ten, let’s stir in some names from the junior pool.
In a vacuum, this list ranks the players predicted to have the best of these three criteria: stats, team record, and dominance with a slight senior and divisional bias.
1) Johnny Davis: The La Crosse Central guard is Wisconsin’s top senior and a Wisconsin basketball commit. How comfortably would a Mr. Basketball trophy fit onto that mantel?
Even if his senior year is more preparing for college than anything, he’s talented enough to win at the State Tournament and walk away with the award, no sweat involved. The criterion spells his name, now he just needs to deliver.
2) Patrick Baldwin Jr.: Baldwin Jr. is doing most of the heavy lifting for the State’s national reputation as the only five-star remaining from last year’s promising bunch of college crop. But he wouldn’t be the third-best player in the country, he wouldn’t have every blue-blood in the college basketball realm anointing him as the next (insert tall, lengthy NBA player), heck, he wouldn’t be a frontrunner here if he couldn’t pull that weight.
The Sussex Hamilton megastar will mark every criterion with a bold check. But he’s second, and what it comes down to is this: He’s a junior. The award tends to fall in the lap of a worthy senior, so his season will have to be overwhelming for voters to pass up on Davis.
3) Carter Gilmore: The Arrowhead forward is steady across the board in terms of skill and stats. But even exceptional consistency doesn’t give you this award on a silver platter, as the title adheres more to all-encompassing dominance. Gilmore is capable of that, hence why he’s third on this list. Through aggressive paint play and rim-rattling dunks, he averaged 19.9 points last year, even scoring 38 . in one outing.
That said, Davis and Baldwin have executed more on the grassroots circuit, which has proven to be the best ladder to the top of this list.
4) Dalton Banks: Not a sour note about Banks spilled off the lips of our Prep Hoops staff this summer. That’s in part because he’s essentially a college coach’s nirvana.
On the summer stage, Banks played the role of hustle guy, pesky defender and do-it-all offensive guard. The performances he engineered last school season — combining for an average of 23.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 2.6 steals a night — became a throbbing headache for defenders. When a player diversifies his stat line that much, allocating his talents to four key areas, there’s not much you can do as a defense.
5) Jacob Ognacevic: I alluded to the importance of both statistical output and team success, so we don’t need to look through a rose-colored lens to take Ognacevic seriously for this award. He plugged in 30.2 points and 15.7 rebounds a night, ludicrous numbers in every sense of the word. As for his effectiveness in a team setting, Sheboygan Lutheran trotted to a State title last season, ending the year with only two losses on their record.
So, why isn’t he number one?
The divisional bias is a massive roadblock, as his stats and team success are easier to come by in division five. But if legitimate improvement can be tracked statistically and he, by some unthinkable development, dominates even more, then the award is his for the taking.
6) Max Klesmit: Throughout his sophomore and junior season, Klesmit’s recruitment prodded with much less urgency than his flourishing skillset would suggest. It’s safe to call what followed this past summer a breakthrough, as in a matter of months he nabbed a fistful of division one offers and committed to Wofford.
His toolset accounts for every skill or trait needed to thrive at the next level. He’s a division one athlete, and his rebounding and defensive skills remain criminally unnoticed.
Still, scoring is his calling card. He broke the 40 point threshold twice last season and averaged roughly 25 points a night. Look for 40 point games to become a frequent stat this year, only more acknowledged this time around.
7) Isaac Lindsey: I think Lindsey’s POTY potential hit me all in one sitting.
In the auxiliary gym at Kaukauna high school, Lindsey proved that not any amount of lunging defenders or wild closeouts can stop an elite offense. He toyed with an entire roster, avoiding defenders as if he had known their movements before they did.
Lindsey plays in division five, so the same roadblock for Ognacevic applies to him. But in terms of dominance, he is just below Baldwin, Davis and Ognacevic.
8) Darius Hannah: After returning from a career-ending ACL injury, Hannah’s first steps to full recovery were on display this summer. It was a glimpse the Prep Hoops Staff can vouch for, but the lack of real film makes his status still guesswork.
As a prospect, his size, length, and athletic talent are miles ahead of the next best forward in the division four field. For the Bradley commit, dominance is not only likely but expected.
9) Cade Meyer: If Meyer can provoke the same rankings shake-up he did with his dominance this summer — a stretch in which he took the reins of the best 2021 squad in the Midwest — then a dark horse campaign is likely. He’s surrounded by a roster that could piece together a State-run, and he’s talented enough on offense to put up similar numbers as his peers.
Still, a lot is left to prove for the youngster this season if he wants to contend for POTY.
10) Terrance Thompson: Having the award frontrunner also on this list and another Dark Horse not far behind is essentially friendly fire. Thompson still cracks this list, though, as he’s good enough defensively and powerful enough down low to win it.
Dark Horses:
Caden Boser: Boser is a dark horse if I can think of one. The forward shoots with a feather touch created by smooth maneuvering and body control. It’s a death-dealing combo and could make serious noise this year.
Brandin Podziemski: This isn’t the most predictable selection, but he fits comfortably within the criteria. He’s a junior, and at multiple junctures this year he’s outshined older peers. It might be a stretch to see him as a frontrunner, but to furnish a campaign with big numbers isn’t so out-there.
Jordan Davis: As a Wisconsin basketball commit, lockdown defender, offensive threat and athletic freak, what’s stopping him from being a dark horse? Well, first he must out-play his brother and then Terrance Thompson outright. The odds favor others here. But he has top-tier skill, so he’s not out of the race just yet.
Karter Thomas: Thomas punctured defenses with a three-pronged offensive game last year. He should play the longevity game with his ACL injury, but with full minutes, he plays with enough explosiveness to be a contender.
Malik Abdul-Wahid: If anything resonated from the Top 250 Expo it’s that he’s on a vertical trajectory right now. A big year is in store, just how big is the question.
Alex Antetokounmpo: You’re getting a lot of talent and athleticism with Antetokounmpo. If his jumper gets rolling and his frame produces enough highlight tape and dominance, then he could be an easy contender.
Honorable Mentions: David Joplin, Jake Buchanan, Anthony Washington, Kaleim Taylor, Alex Huibregstse