Season Preview: Northern Michigan Fab 40 1-10

And then there were ten…..   After a one year hiatus. I'm going to take on the daunting task of compiling a list of the top 40 players in Northern Michigan. It is a herculean task as this is a vast geographic region.   I am including the Upper Peninsula and the Lakeshore/Interstate 10 corridor. The UP is two years removed from a legitimate Mr Basketball candidate (Foster Wonders). While also only a year removed from nearly taking two state championships back across the bridge (Menominee/Ewen- Trout Creek) This will encompass a lot of rural land and a lot of players. But it's also historically a region that does not get as much statewide coverage. I'm going to do four installments of 10 to get to an even top 40.   Sticking with the purpose of this site. I am going to focus on college potential and not just statistical output. In most cases (not all) This focus focus will also exclude players who will most likely play another sport at the next level.   Be sure to check out part 1 (40-31), part 2 (30-21), and part 3 (20-11)   10. [player_tooltip player_id='1223509' first='Johnny' last='Ingalls'] 5-11 2024 St Ignace Not very big. But there is a lot of game packed in his frame. Excellent ball handler who can take just about anyone to the hole. Well schooled player who knows what to do with it when he gets there. Good passer who gets the break started quickly. Makes up for a lack of size with a text book high elevation jump shot. Earned All UP Second Team honors. Averaging 17.6 points in the process. Comes from a basketball family and plays with a “gym rat” mentality. Should be locked in a pretty good two year battle with Iron Mountain's 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1441371' first='Oskar' last='Kangas'] and AAU teammate Rudyard's [player_tooltip player_id='1523041' first='Cameron' last='Peterson'] for top players on the peninsula honors.   9. [player_tooltip player_id='1300876' first='David' last='Shillinger'] 5-9 2024 Ludington (pictured) Very similar player to Ingalls. Has everything you want in a point guard. Except elite size. Makes up for it with a high level of strength and speed in his lower body. Has killer stop and start acceleration. Really can put defenders on skates. Has plenty of big game experience already in his brief career. Not afraid of the moment. Hit a game winning district championship shot on the road as a freshman. Also has played with some high level national AAU programs. Got stuck a little bit in the AAU transfer portal. But ended up having a good summer with MBA. The Orioles graduated a lot of production from last years squad. Could really take off statistically in his junior year.   8. [player_tooltip player_id='1112371' first='Jaxon' last='Childers'] 6-3 2024 Benzie Central Athletically advanced two guard who has plenty of big game experience already in his career. Helped lead the Huskies to regional final appearance. Big time shooter despite an unorthodox release. But the mechanics are repeatable and consistent. Also gets it off very quickly. Additionally one of the more explosive athletes in the region. Easily makes plays well above the rim. Will move into more of a primary ball handling role as his brother has graduated and moved onto Albion. Had a good grassroots campaign with Grand Rapids based UTS Elite. Should be in line for a big junior season.   7. [player_tooltip player_id='1633804' first='Blake' last='Dezeeuw'] 6-5 2023 McBain Northern Michigan Christian Under the radar player who “could” have a big senior season. The parentheses are needed as he unfortunately broke his foot in one his final soccer games in the fall. Has a frame that was born to play the game of basketball. Long, left handed, and very athletic. Had a huge junior campaign as he helped Trevin Winkle (Calvin) lead the Comets to an undefeated regular season and a regional final appearance. Will move into more of a featured role this year. Not active in grassroots basketball. But showed he can play with anyone at the Trevor Huffman Elite camp in June. That camp featured six of the top ten on this list. Including the top 3. Really excelled in that setting. Covers so much ground defensively. Offensively can play both inside and out. Also explosive in transition. I hope he gets the opportunity to show it off in his senior season.   6. [player_tooltip player_id='986885' first='Dylan' last='Barnowski'] 6-1 2023 Lake Leelanau St Mary Left handed point guard who has done nothing but win in his high school career. Both on the gridiron (with Suttons Bay co op) and the hardwood. The fulcrum of the Eagles run to the final four. Averaged 21.3 points per game to go along 6.5 rebounds. But statistics only tell part of the story. Appears to have the extra competitive gear that special players have. Wasn't fazed by lights of the Breslin Center and a big second half deficit in the semis. Wasn't fazed in the regional finals when his team trailed in the fourth quarter to undefeated and #1 ranked McBain Northern Michigan Christian (see above) He is just going to keep coming. Despite skinny frame. Is effective driver who absorbs contact well. Has trigger quick release from beyond the arc. Unfortunately dealt with an injury this summer. Otherwise he is a “gyms open” type of player. Meaning if you open a gym he will be there. Can play with anyone and I hope he gets a chance to prove it at the next level.   5. [player_tooltip player_id='1352899' first='Alex' last='Calcaterra'] 6-3 2023 Boyne City A mature and diverse offensive game makes this player one of the better scorers on the list. One of the best finishers around the rim you will see anywhere. But does it with a wide variety of creative and crafty ways. Not necessarily just overwhelming above the rim athleticism. Now don't get me wrong. He has plenty of athleticism.. Earned first team all state honors as a WR/TE on the gridiron. Averaged 15.7 points per game fighting through injuries in his junior campaign. Once healthy exploded during the summer in a variety of settings. Wrapped it up by earning an offer from Lake Superior St.   4. [player_tooltip player_id='1434245' first='Charlie' last='Howell'] 6-5 2024 Cadillac Might not have the offers or the statewide reputation of the other players in the top 10. But I think that could change with a big junior season. I don't want this to come across wrong or heavy handed. But the only thing really holding him back is focus. And by that I mean the focus of his sport of choice. He is the rare three sport standout. Hasn't been as active on the grassroots scene due to this. You have to happy in the long run and playing multiple sports isn't going to hurt (as this list shows). But he can play with anyone. Showed this at an elite prospect camp at Ferris St in June. That camp featured players like [player_tooltip player_id='1300920' first='Carson' last='Vis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1356946' first='Travis' last='Ambrose']. He made the it into the final group/all star game portion of that camp. Has plenty of length but is not a rail thin wing. Plays with strength and is a explosive finisher at the rim. Versatile enough to play and guard all five positions at the high school level. Really cams alive during the Vikings quarterfinal run. They return quite a bit so the statistics still will not pop this year. But once again he can play with anyone.   3. [player_tooltip player_id='985668' first='Luke' last='Hazelton'] 6-7 2023 Glen Lake Allow me to digress for a moment. Early in his career. Hazelton fell victim to the “Loyer Syndrome”. Foster Loyer won Mr Basketball and two state championships before heading to Michigan St/Davidson. His younger brother Fletcher could not have been any different as a player. A slender two guard who took a little longer to develop. Well I think most hoop heads know how the story ends. The younger Loyer looks well on his way to a nice career in the same league with Purdue. That analogy applies to the Hazelton's. Luke's older brother Reese was a new school stretch four who led the Lakers to a finals appearance before heading the Division II national champion Ferris St. Luke is a completely different player. An old school back to the basket big. Injuries and that little thing called the pandemic stunted the start of his career. Like the Loyer's. The familial comparisons probably didn't help his statewide reputation. But he has kept working and was rewarded in a big way at the end of the summer. Wrapped a big AAU season with a commitment to his brother's GLIAC rival Michigan Tech. I think that is a good marriage of prospect and program. While he is a back to the basket big. He is also very skilled and versatile. Has good ball skills. I have seen him operate as a point forward due his court vision and passing. Left handed but excels going to both directions.   2. [player_tooltip player_id='1111925' first='Anthony' last='Ribel'] 6-3 2024 Traverse City Central A unique prospect due to his size and positional fit. He is the rare true pass first point guard. But is much bigger than most prospects that fit into that category. Has good length that makes him play bigger than his listed height. This also allows to easily see over defenses. Aiding his already next level court vision. Dealt with injuries in his junior season. Also played with Indiana based Kyle Guy Elite. So might be a little off the radar statewide heading into this season. But college coaches know who he his. Turned in one of the better camp performances I have seen in June at Lake Superior St's Elite camp. Earned an offer from the Lakers in the process. The stats will never jump off the page. Because that just isn't his game. He is a mature floor general who almost always makes the right play. Type of prospect who I think could blossom at the next level with rim running teammates and less scoring responsibility.   1. [player_tooltip player_id='985667' first='Wyatt' last='Nausadis'] 6-4 Traverse City St Francis When I first did this list two years ago. Nausadis was #2 behind the aforementioned Foster Wonders (Southern Illinois). Two years later and with improvement. Nausadis snags the top spot. Has always been a step ahead of his peers athletically. Now has filled out his game with intangibles. These intangibles allow him to toggle between both backcourt positions. Too big and powerful for nearly any point guard. More skilled than most two guards. Good with both hands making him a creative finisher around the basket. Explosive in the open court and able to finish above the rim. Had a huge junior season. Then followed that up with a big grassroots campaign on the Under Armour circuit with the Grand Rapids Storm. Earned an offer from the new staff at Grand Valley St. The fall has been about the gridiron. Has quarterbacked the Glads to an undefeated season and an appearance in the Division 7 finals this Saturday. A true next level all around athlete. St Francis should be one of the top teams in the region. They have beefed up their schedule accordingly. So he will have ample opportunity to bolster his statewide reputation.

And then there were ten…..