UP Top 25: TOP 5

I'm sure it is no surprise who is in my top 5, however, I did make sure to take a couple extra days to watch a lot of film to make sure I had it where I felt most comfortable. I've had a few folks ask me how I devised my rankings and here are a few of the points I used to collaborate my list:   -Sportswriters and coaches; the All-UP and all-conference lists. These guys and gals have their boots on the ground each night and really have a good feel for who is playing at an elevated level, and it was a first-line basis for building the list.   -Film, film, and more film. I searched high and low and watched countless amounts of film to gauge many attributes of each player's skill level.   -In-person; there's no better way to gauge the talent of an individual than to watch them in person. Throughout the spring grassroots season and some summer team and elite camps, I was able to watch many of these athletes compete at a high level. I was also able to catch many of them during the season last year during the MHSAA tournament.   There is nothing better than getting to watch athletes put the work in and achieve great things as a reward for their hard work. Athletics is definitely an excellent extension of the classroom, and a team sport like basketball really does teach young kids about many key qualities of life. With that and without further ado, here's our top 5:    #5   [player_tooltip player_id='2561786' first='Ethan' last='Marta'] is on an exponential ride to the top of his game. He is another incoming Junior who has already made big waves on the varsity stage. He is one of the most electrifying players not only in the WestPAC Conference but the entire UP. His pull-up jumper is a skill that you will notice right away. Paired with his excellent vertical, he has a shot that goes up very quickly and is very hard to defend. His turn-around jumper is almost unstoppable. Ethan is also a gym rat who puts in countless hours with very respected coaches and trainers. Over the next two seasons, Marta will definitely be in the running for UP Mr. Basketball.     #4   [player_tooltip player_id='2561784' first='Tanner' last='Theurkauf'] is right up there at the top when it comes to being one of the most athletic and versatile players on this list. He and his fellow Menominee Maroons lost an epic game in last year's quarterfinals to McBain, so it's certain with a newly reloaded offense, Menominee should make a deep tournament run. As long as they can make it out of D3 District 66. Last year the Menominee offense was put in the hands of Tanner's brother Trevor, but this year, Tanner will be the one with the offensive reigns. Each night Tanner stakes his claim to the offensive block and stakes it with authority. His quick spin/drop dribble move to the left OR the right will usually catch a defender reaching for his jock. Tanner also has a keen eye for making wise passes and a quick cross-over dribble and three bounds, he can go from the arc to an authoritative dunk. Tanner should make a nice addition to a college roster in two years.     #3   [player_tooltip player_id='1441371' first='Oskar' last='Kangas'] is one of those kids who has been on a lot of radars for quite a few years. He has countless scouting reports from grassroots tournaments from Milwaukee to Chicago. He really is a player who can do just about anything a coach asks of him on any given night. Since his varsity debut, he has amassed just under 1,400 points and racked up two UP Player of the year accolades in Division 1-3. One of Oskar's best attributes is he can play or defend any of the five positions on the floor. His turn-around jumper is lethal and he can dunk with authority while being contested. He and his fellow Iron Mountain Mountaineers look to break through the Menominee team, that has plagued them in District 66 for the past couple of seasons. If this District Championship comes down to Iron Mountain vs Menominee, it will most definitely be a game to watch in the UP. Oskar and my next two picks, as of right now, are in a dead heat for UP Mr. Basketball.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://youtu.be/xkn4fCJmr6o?si=FF0Qi2ymoMV8PCBC </div></figure>     #2   [player_tooltip player_id='2471674' first='Jacob' last='MacPhee']'s basketball stock has been on a HUGE uptick the entire summer. I first scouted Jacob at the LSSU Elite camp a few months ago and he has been catching the eyes of fellow PrepHoops Scouts as well as college-level coaches. Coach Buettner liked what he saw at the MTU Elite Camp and laid out a nice D2 offer for Jacob a few weeks ago. MacPhee has put in countless hours at the gym and has dedicated his summer to not only making himself better, but promoting his teammates and making sure they ALL rise together. Jacob's tall and large frame makes him nearly unstoppable from within the paint. But just about the time his defender decides to body him up or he draws a double team, Jacob can step up with a nice turn-around jumper, or a nice dish to a teammate. Next level coaches should definitely be taking a look at this young man, as not only will he show up and give 110%, but he boasts the stats to make a great teammate and a great community leader. He always has that level of determination as the hardest working kid in the gym.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/MacPhee-Dunk.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/MacPhee-Dunk.jpg?w=738" alt="" class="wp-image-2524558" style="width:310px;height:auto" /></a></figure>     #1   Lighting! Electric! These are just a few of the words I would use to describe [player_tooltip player_id='2058663' first='Gavin' last='Grondin']'s game. Gavin made a smooth color transition from high school to college, as he has signed on to play at the next level with the LSSU Lakers...a team that also boasts a blue and gold similar to the Flivvers. Gavin is one of the better ball handlers I have seen in high school in quite a few years, and his ability to attack the basket from the left OR the right is second to none. His ability to score from anywhere on the court in any facet of the game sets Grondin apart from his peers. His lightning quickness will get him to the hoop before his defender even knows what happened.   He and his fellow Flivvers lost a nail-biter to Flint Powers Catholic, but not before Gavin had a MONSTER of a night in the scoring column, as you can see from the link below. Next year Kingsford reloads with A LOT of talent and I would say are a heavy favorite for a trip to the Breslin out of QF5 next year.   <a href="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16460294/65ff073064dedb051ce235f2">https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/16460294/65ff073064dedb051ce235f2</a>

I'm sure it is no surprise who is in my top 5, however, I did make sure to take a couple extra days to watch a lot of film to make sure I had it where I felt most comfortable. I've had a few folks ask me how I devised my rankings and here are a few of the points I used to collaborate my list: