Battle of I96: Top Performers (Part 2)
The Battle of I96 features some of West Michigan’s top teams. This year, games for the day included Detroit Southeastern vs Wayland Union, Lansing Sexton vs Rockford, Lansing Everett vs Benton Harbor, Mt. Clemens vs Grand Rapids Union and Detroit Henry Ford vs Ottawa Hills. Disclaimer: I wasn’t able to make the first game between Detroit Southeastern and Wayland Union, so this list won’t include any standout performers from that game. Here are some of my top performers from the day:
Justin Fox (2018, Grand Rapids Union)
Fox has been enjoying a sort of breakout year and continued his stellar start to the season in lopsided victory over Mt. Clemens. From the jump, Fox looked poised and confident running the point guard spot. He was aggressive offensively, but did a good job keeping the flow of the offense. He scored from all three levels with ease. There were points in the game where Fox would go on scoring runs and outscore Mt. Clemens’ entire team. He finished with a total of 25 points.
Anthony Roberts (2018, Detroit Henry Ford)
Roberts was solid in a loss to Ottawa Hills. Despite having a tough night shooting from the field, Roberts did what he excels at doing, and that is getting to the rack and drawing fouls. He put pressure on the defense throughout the entire night and visited the free throw line frequently. He’s a solid 6’4″, has nice handles and has above average quickness, all of which make him hard to stop when he wants to get to the rack. In a game where offense was hard to come by, he led his team with 17 points.
Nelson McCauley (2018, Ottawa Hills)
McCauley had a stellar AAU season in which he earned an offer from his future college, Ferris State University. He continued that momentum into the start of his senior campaign and showed that in Ottawa Hills’ victory over Detroit Henry Ford. McCauley is an elite athlete and showcased that ability with two monster dunks early that gave his team momentum they wouldn’t never lose. He also knocked down a couple jumpers from beyond the arc. In addition to a solid night offensively, McCauley was huge for his squad on the glass. He finished with a huge 17 points.
TJ Jones (2018, Benton Harbor)
Benton Harbor’s sharpshooter was at it again in their victory over Lansing Everett. Jones was raining in jumpers from everywhere on the court at an efficient rate. He was big to open up the game for Benton Harbor, giving them 13 points in the first half. Jones was also active on the glass, using his good leaping ability to pull down 7 rebounds, 3rd most in the game. Jones finished with an overall good statline of 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block.
Dominique Davidson (2019, Lansing Everett)
Davidson was a bright spot in Everett’s loss to Benton Harbor. He had the tough task of having to battle top-5 2020 Carlos Johnson, and he more than held his own. The 6’6″ big man is an excellent rebounder and proved he could rebound with one the state’s best. Davidson dominated the glass on both sides – it wasn’t uncommon to see a possession where he got two offensive rebounds back to back. He also did a good job scoring in the low post with a couple nice post moves. Despite the loss, Davidson did just about everything he could for his squad. He finished with 20 points and north of 15 rebounds.