Small-School Hoopers: Five Players North Of Lansing Worth Watching
This year has all the makings to be a great year of high school basketball around the state of Michigan. From the incredible depth of the senior class to the now-sophomores who broke out as stars during their first year, there are plenty of headlines worth following as the season unfolds. It’s no secret that big cities such as Detroit, Grand Rapids and Lansing produce some of the top talent year in and year out. One could easily find enough quality basketball to last the whole season in those cities alone. This article, however, takes a look at several players from a different environment: small-town schools. These players are often overlooked or unheard of due to the size of the school they play at – however, this doesn’t mean they’re any less talented.
Here are five small-school players I believe will be worth watching this high school season:
Denver Cade (2018, Buckley) – Cade is one of the better small-school players in the entire state. He’s also one of the top shooters in state, regardless of school size or location. Cade is much more than just a shooter, however; he’s got good enough handles to create his own shot, as well as the strength to drive and finish inside. With that being said, he will not hesitate to bury 5,6,7 threes in a single game if given the opportunity. Last year, Buckley made it all the way to the Class D state championship game before falling to Powers North Central. This year, Cade, alongside teammate Austin Harris, are in a great position to repeat their tournament success and make a deep run into the playoffs. Don’t be surprised if you see the talented duo playing in the Breslin come March.
Austin Harris (2018, Buckley) – Harris makes up the second half of Buckley’s talented backcourt. Harris’ game complements Cade’s perfectly, as he thrives attacking the basket and making plays at the rim. Also, he plays both sides of the ball effectively. He had a great AAU season and will look to build on that this season. Harris will be the guy to pick up the slack for Buckley if Cade has a bad game – and vice versa. They are favored as one of the top teams in Class D this year and, barring injury, have all the opportunity to make a deep run.
Xander Okerlund (2019, Glen Lake) – Okerlund had a very successful AAU campaign, drawing some buzz to his name as one of the better small-school players in the state. He has an ideal basketball body – standing between 6’2″-6’4″ (taking into account any possible offseason growth) with longs arms, he’s got the frame to play at the college level. Okerlund is a smooth scorer who can do damage from all three levels. If he plays at a similar level he did throughout the AAU season, don’t be surprised if you see him average close to 20 points per game.
Jayden Perry (2018, Manton) – Perry has been a name Northern Michigan hoopers have know for a while now, as this year will be his fourth and final varsity season. Last year, Perry led his squad to the Breslin center before being ousted by a talented Covenant Christian team. Perry is sort of a jack-of-all-trades player, as he doesn’t have a true weakness but also isn’t exceptional at anything. He’s quick, fast, can jump, decently strong, has good handles, is an able shooter off the catch or dribble, a good passer as well as an able defender. While Manton has graduated a fair share of talent in the past two years, they still have the small but dangerous backcourt of Perry and teammate Hunter Ruell – these two alone are enough power Manton to a successful season in Class C. To me, it will be interesting to see how Perry plays this season, as he’s proven that he’s capable of being a number one scorer who can get 20+ in any given game, but he’s also shown a tendency to differ to teammates. I believe he has the talent to both score and facilitate at a high level this year – he will need to do so in order for Manton to return to the Breslin.
Colton Nelson (2019, Sacred Heart) – Last year, Nelson averaged 20 points per game as a sophomore. A fair share of this can be chalked up to a weak regular season schedule, but there is no denying that Nelson is one of the best shooters in the state, regardless of school size or age. He’s capable of getting hot and hitting 5,6,7 threes on any given night – simply put, the defense must have a hand in his face several feet behind the three point line. Last year, one of Nelson’s biggest weaknesses was his lack of strength and therefore inability to attack the basket consistently. To address this, he’s added 15 pounds of muscle over the offseason. He’ll certainly be capable of averaging 20 points per game again this season, however, the next step for him will be to prove that he’s a consistent threat from all three levels.