MHSAA Finals Report: Saturday Superlatives

After the typical grumbling in the stands about the usual “r” suspects i.e recruiting and regional rivalries. In the end it turned out to be a pretty balanced year. Two public and two private schools won titles. Additionally two from schools from the east side won it all, while two from the west side did as well. Following are list of superlatives from Saturday action. With some Thursday and Friday notes sprinkled in.   Best Player- [player_tooltip player_id='1437536' first='Trey' last='McKenney'] (pictured) Were you expecting someone else? Simply put, an elite performance from an elite player. The 6-5 junior firmly established his plaudits as the best player in the state, regardless of class. Let's get the box score off the way. A double double of 32 points and 10 rebounds. The shooting percentages were eye opening, 8-11 from the field and 14-14 from the free throw. As close to a perfect performance and you will see. But the numbers only tell part of the story. Did it against a suffocating and extremely physical North Farmington defense. Despite giving some words to the opposing benches and players. For the most part, kept his composure and things got a little sideways late. The “maestro of midrange” he had the full bag of pivots and spin moves working all weekend. In the annals of dominating finals performances. This goes up there with the Foster Loyer and Cassius Winston's of the world.   Best Scorer- [player_tooltip player_id='1437541' first='Markus' last='Blackwell'] With his familial backcourt partner [player_tooltip player_id='1437547' first='Moses' last='Blackwell'] going scoreless on Friday evening. Markus stepped up and bailed out the Abe's with a big scoring night. With Moses having a better Saturday. Markus kept going at his same pace. A true three level scorer. Can score off the bounce and can rise athletically at the rim. Solid shooter in both the mid range and from beyond the arc. Went 4-5 from the three point line. He seemed to be able to get a basket whenever his team needed it. The 6-1 junior finished with 24 points to give Warren Lincoln its first state title in school history. The young squad returns a lot and should be the front runner for next years crown as well.   Best Competitor- Jaremiah Palmer It might have the singular play and moment of the weekend. After a tight first half. The 6-0 Niles Brandywine senior kicked off the second half with a steal and emphatic dunk in transition. It woke up Brandywine's substantial cheering section, and set the tone for half. It was also emblematic of Palmers play all weekend. Aggressive, tough, and most importantly— timely. Relentlessly attacked the basket on both Thursday and Saturday. At the forefront of helping the Bobcats snag an overtime victory from jaws of defeat on Thursday. With his aggression, spent a lot of time at the foul line. I previously mentioned his height. Not sure of what is actual position is. How about “alpha” or “baller”. Those might apply best. Spent a fair amount of the weekend guarding the post. But also showed plenty of backcourt ability. Especially off the bounce. Finished with 18 points and six rebounds on championship Saturday.   Best Shooter- [player_tooltip player_id='1111918' first='Daniel' last='Smythe'] I'm cheating a bit on this one. Long considered one of the best shooters in the state. Smythe showed it— on Friday. Began the game a perfect 5-5 from beyond the arc. Cooled a little as the game continued but still finished with 18 points off six threes. Showed a trigger quick release and did not need much room to get his shot off. North Farmington's defensive game plan did not provide a litany of open looks in Saturday's final. Smythe handled the pressure well. Spent much of the day calmly at the top of fierce half court trap. In the modern three happy game. There is a home somewhere at the next level for a player who can shoot like Smythe.   Best Post Performance- [player_tooltip player_id='1223513' first='Jaylan' last='Ouwinga'] The 6-8 Toledo commitment exploited a decided size advantage all weekend. Showed excellent footwork in the post and soft touch around the basket. His first half work on the block played a role in forcing Warren Lincoln into a second half zone. It was more than just post work for the Grand Rapids Christian standout. Had three steals and proved capable in leading and starting transition opportunities. Matched his steal totals with three blocks as well. Finished with points 16 points in six rebounds. Wrapping up a career that saw huge developmental leaps. If he ca. take another leap at the next level. The Rockets might have snagged a major steal.   Breakout Performance- Ja'Torian Smith I've been coming to the Breslin Center for a very long time. In the old pre-internet days. It was always fun to see players standout that you had never seen or heard of. With more technology and the nature of this job. Those instances are becoming more rare. Smith broke out in a major way. After hitting the game winning shot and scoring a team high 19 points on Thursday. Continued his strong play for the Bobcats Saturday. Only scored seven, but was major presence on the glass and defensive end. Finished with 10 rebounds. Did it despite playing against next level competition and his very slender 6-6 frame. As a senior it's a little late in the recruiting process. However he could be a late bloomer who might pop at the next level for patient coach.

After the typical grumbling in the stands about the usual “r” suspects i.e recruiting and regional rivalries. In the end it turned out to be a pretty balanced year. Two public and two private schools won titles. Additionally two from schools from the east side won it all, while two from the west side did as well. Following are list of superlatives from Saturday action. With some Thursday and Friday notes sprinkled in.