Five Players that will Decide Division III

We are approaching the most wonderful time of the year. Not Christmas— but the madness that is the month of March (I'm told the real name is copyrighted) Let's start by digging into the bracket and doing some forecasting.   This is not meant to be some type of bracketolgy. I am not going to try and name the teams that are going make it to the Breslin Center. I am going to identify the players that will need to perform well in order for their teams to win the state championship.   [player_tooltip player_id='1277369' first='Malik' last='Olafioye'] 6-3 2023 Ecorse (pictured) One of two players on this list with experience at the semifinal level. Olafioye led the Raiders to the semifinals last year where they fell to Menominee. Ecorse returns most of their rotation along with fellow guard Kenneth Morrast Jr. So a repeat trip could definitely be in the cards. However to take the next step into finals. Oliafoye will most likely need to lead the charge. Scoring should not be an issue. Oliafoye recently scored his 2,000th career point. That is an eye popping accomplishment when you consider the cancellations and shortened seasons players from this generation have faced. Less than fifty players have accomplished that feat in Michigan high school history. He is an electric penetrator and gets to the basket with ease. I have seen him do it against top competition nationally as well. Ran with Chicago based Team Rose on the Adidas circuit this past summer. I think the sting of last years loss could propel the Raiders one round further and earn a spot on championship Saturday. Once there anything can happen.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/Bryce-Eaton.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/Bryce-Eaton.jpg?w=1000" alt="" class="wp-image-1187797" width="464" height="309" /></a></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='986241' first='Bryce' last='Eaton'] 5-10 2023 Detroit Edison After a short stint playing in the Division II classification. The Pioneers are back in Division III where they raised a state championship banner in 2019. If they are to make back to the Breslin it will be behind this lightning quick point guard. The Central Michigan commit might be the fastest player in the state will the ball in his hands. He balances that speed with traditional point guard skills that allow him to keep teammates involved. Fellow backcourt partner [player_tooltip player_id='1437543' first='Jace' last='Petree'] is one of the top players in the 2025 class. However it is Eaton's show. Like Olafioye Eaton has national AAU experience. Eaton ran with The Family on the famed EYBL circuit. Edison has more losses than you would expect from a final four contender. But they played a brutal schedule that might have been the toughest in the division. They will need to get through a similar gauntlet if they are going to get back to East Lansing. Eaton has the type of game that can carry a team on this herculean task.   [player_tooltip player_id='987622' first='Robert' last='Lee'] 6-2 2023 Flint Beecher Lee has the most tournament experience of any player on this list. After a 2021 state championship. Beecher advanced to the semifinals last year where they lost to the eventual state champion Schoolcraft. The Buccaneers are the gold standard in Division III. After playing more of a supporting role in the first three years of his career. Lee has broken out in a big way during his senior campaign. Making him the focal point of the Beecher attack. Lee is a muscular well built athlete. At the division III level I would label him a “positionless” basketball player. Simply too strong and explosive around the basket for most defenders in the regular season. He can't do that as easily in the summer. AAU basketball allows him to show off his perimeter skills. Has done that mostly with Flint's Finest. Helped his squad win the prestigious Brawl for Ball while playing up an age level two summer ago. It's always going to be a team effort around Buc town. However if Beecher is going to raise its 7th state championship of this century. Lee will need to play well.   [player_tooltip player_id='985667' first='Wyatt' last='Nausadis'] 6-4 2023 Traverse City St Francis Due to simple geography. Northern Michigan players tend to get branded. Their athleticism, composure, and competition levels are often questioned. Sometimes justifiably so. That is not the case with this player. Competition— he has taken care of that in AAU with the Grand Rapids Storm and an ambitious out of conference schedule. Went toe-to-toe with #1 ranked Detroit Cass Tech about a month ago. The lights and pressure of the Breslin Center— they aren't any bigger than the lights and pressure at Ford Field where he has appeared twice in his career on the gridiron. As far as the basketball. Nausadis is a super sized lefty lead guard prospect. Top shelf athleticism allows him to easily play above the rim. Runs the point at this level and does an excellent job distributing the basketball. His teammates know and play their roles well. As you would expect from the football exploits they are a big and physical group. They have proven me wrong before. But for the Gladiators (great mascot) to be state championship level good. They are going to need at least one or two big games from Nausadis. Recently scored 26 points in a win against a good Boyne City squad that had previously defeated St Francis. That is the type of performance that might help the Glads raise a banner.   [player_tooltip player_id='986252' first='Jamison' last='Eklund'] 6-5 2023 Pewamo Westphalia Struggled with this last spot in the bracket. Grandville Calvin Christian is really good but balanced. The defending state champion Schoolcraft could make some noise as well. But I think [player_tooltip player_id='1356947' first='Shane' last='Rykse'] and company are a year away from being banner contenders again. If there is one player who can singularly put a team on his back it might be this versatile forward. The Pirates have a rich recent high school history with multiple state championships in football, basketball, and baseball. You simply can't count this program out. To top it off. Ecklund might be the best individual college prospect they have produced in this run of excellence. A versatile and multi faceted forward with excellent size and length. Has national AAU experience with Nausadis on the Grand Rapids Storm. Won't be intimidated by anyone. Feels strange to write this. But it would be a minor upset if Pewamo were to make the short trip to the Breslin Center. However I think Ecklund has the ability and big game experience to make that a possibility.

We are approaching the most wonderful time of the year. Not Christmas— but the madness that is the month of March (I'm told the real name is copyrighted) Let's start by digging into the bracket and doing some forecasting.