Mr. Basketball Preseason Candidate: Isaiah Speelman
There’s a lot of praise for the Pickerington schools during the offseason, including during this very series you’re reading now. But Hilliard Bradley is also going to be very good this season in Central Ohio. A season ago, Bradley went 20-1, good enough for #8 in the final AP State Poll and they didn’t really lose anyone. Now, Isaiah Speelman and Braden Norris are seniors, and they’re surrounded with multiple underclassmen that project to the Division I level. Speelman should be their leading scorer once again, as he averaged 17.6 points per game last season, according to 270 Hoops.
Based on the qualifications for the Mr. Basketball award, Speelman is a dark horse preseason candidate.
First of all, Ohio’s Mr. Basketball must have elite talent. Since 2001, only LeBron James (#1 NBA Draft pick) and Justin Fritts (Wheeling Jesuit) didn’t play Division I basketball.
Next, we considered projected team success. Again since 2001, 10 of the 17 Mr. Basketball winners led their high school team to the State Final Four that season.
Then, the most important piece of the formula considered is production. We’re considering the player’s projected role on their team to predict if they have the opportunity to fill up the scorer’s book. It’s especially imperative that you put up points, as the only Mr. Basketball to average under 20 points since 2001 was Jared Sullinger at 19.9 points per game in 2009. But, Sullinger made up for that tenth of a point by averaging 14.8 rebounds, being the #2 player in the country, and winning the Division I State Championship.
Let’s check out exactly how we project Speelman’s senior season.
Talent: B+
Speelman is a Cedarville commit. Because of his defensive and scoring abilities, we were surprised to see Speelman go through his recruitment without a Division I offer, but it never came. So, Speelman would have to become just the second Division II prospect to win the award since 2001. We believe he could overcome those long odds because of his three-level scoring ability and efficiency as a shooter.
Team Success: A
Hilliard Bradley may not be many people’s favorite to come out of Columbus in Division I, but they’re in everyone’s top four. Along with Pick North, Pick Central, and Upper Arlington, this Bradley team should represent the 614 in the AP State Poll top ten all season. Norris and Speelman will lead the charge yet again. But, this season, sophomores Matt Allocco and Chris Mayfield come in with some experience. Also, freshman Jack Pugh should make a significant impact.
Don’t be surprised if Bradley finds a way to make it to The Schott.
Production: A-
Speelman should hover around that 20 points per game mark. He was 2.4 points per game shy of that a season ago. He told us in September that his role won’t change much this season by saying, “[My role] will probably be about the same.” So, expect Speelman to be a super efficient scorer again this season and be one of their top rebounders. But there’s a lot of players to share the rock with, as they could roll out four D-I prospects to surround him in the starring lineup.
Speelman’s chances:
It’s pretty much a given that Bradley is going to a very strong team. They’ll pass the “team success” requisite. So, the question is going to be production. If Speelman is able to score over 20 points consistently, which he has shown the ability to do, he’ll be mentioned at the end of the season as a serious candidate.