Mr. Basketball Candidate: Kris Wilkes
With the season ready to get underway next week, we dive into the Mr. Basketball discussion and take a look at some of the candidates for the 2016-17 award. Since 2006, seven of the eleven winners have been drafted by…
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Continue ReadingWith the season ready to get underway next week, we dive into the Mr. Basketball discussion and take a look at some of the candidates for the 2016-17 award.
Since 2006, seven of the eleven winners have been drafted by NBA teams. Last year’s winner, Lawrence Central’s Kyle Guy, is in his first season at Virginia. He, along with Zak Irvin at Michigan and Caleb Swanigan at Purdue, are current award winners still in the college ranks.
Bio: Kris Wilkes of North Central (IN)
If Kris Wilkes does what everyone expects him to do and win this year’s Mr. Basketball award, it will tie North Central with Anderson, Marion, and Washington as schools with the most Mr. Basketball award winners all-time. He’s expected to win because he is the best player in the state on the best team outside of maybe Romeo Langford. Wilkes is a long, thin-framed wing who brings a ton of versatility and loads of scoring. Not to mention, he’s still a bit of a project even with all the polish to his game. Wilkes, at 6’7, is so difficult to defend because he’s quick with the ball in his hands and his length allows him to shoot over defenders or reach the rim quicker if he decides to put it on the floor. His motor is great as well and really drives every aspect of his game. The question about him as a freshman was if he doesn’t gain anymore weight before college, would he still be able to finish as efficiently as he does. The answer is an astounding, yes. He’s one of the best finishers you are going to find. Scout.com has him ranked as the #18 prospect in the 2017 class and he just came off the board to UCLA.
Why He Can Win
Wilkes can win because he should. He’s the best player in the state and North Central could and should be in the state championship game this year. Those are the expectations. He’s at a high-profile school and he’s played on the shoe circuits for years. Everyone knows who he is and the expectations are already in place, before the first game of the season has been played.
Things To Watch For
The only way that you see another player with Mr. Basketball is if North Central has an awful season and/or an early exit in the tournament. The last few years, North Central hasn’t gotten too far in the tournament, last year being the first time they got out of Sectionals since 2010-11. Now, this really only matters if another player makes himself worthy of the conversation. Outside of that it would have to take something big for Wilkes to falter.