Season Preview: Candidate #4
As part of our preseason content, we’re counting down the top candidates for this year’s Mr. Basketball award, presented annually to the top senior in the state. The fourth player on the list is our first big man on the list and a player that just brought in a championship to Grandview, Dayne Prim. The Wolves head into the season as the number one team in the state and have a good chance at repeating, will somebody knock them off or will Prim up his game for another big year?
Name:Dayne Prim
Height:6-6
Position:PF
School:Grandview
2017-18 stats: 373 points (13.3/game), 214 rebounds (7.6/g), 51 assists (1.8/g), 30 steals (1.1/g)
Career stats: 10.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals a game
About Prim:
Prim is not a player that has stats that jump completely off of the board but as soon as you go watch a Grandview game there is one player that you gravitate towards – Prim. He is a player that impacts the game in so many ways and will surely play at the next level. He is an above average post passer that can put the ball on the floor as well, he has soft touch around the rim and knows how to use his body. He patrols the paint on the defensive end and has the quickness to switch and stay in front of a guard. He is an underrated defender and has one of the highest IQ’s in the state and is a player that makes others around him better. Prim is a player that is poised for a very big season off of just winning a state championship and being the 5A All-Tourney MVP. In the championship game he went a near-perfect 9-of-10 from the field and finished with 20 points which showcases just how efficient he truly is. Prim makes Grandview one of the toughest teams in the state with his mental and physical toughness and is coming off of a season where he was one of the most consistent players in the state in a very tough league. Not many players in the state can guard 1-5 and also bring it on the offensive end as well. It has been great to see his maturation as a role player that filled in the holes seamlessly to now being a bonafide star that does not demand the ball, has leadership qualities that out do his athletic abilities and makes every player around him better. He is a dark-horse MVP candidate but he is a player that can truly win it.
Odds he wins Mr. Basketball:
13%.
What will be difficult for Prim is he is on one of the most methodical teams in the state. I’m unsure that I have ever seen Grandview take a bad shot as they are one of the most disciplined teams the state has. They are well coached and do not force the ball into spots it does not belong or take ill-advised shots which slows down the pace.
With a slower pace Prim will prove to be one of the most efficient players in the state but that also means his numbers will suffer as a result. As long as Grandview is winning I am sure that he is happy but it should not go unnoticed that he is one of the most unique players we have in the state and just like he won MVP for the tournament I expect him to standout again for the entire season. Mr. Basketball isn’t out of the realm of possibility but I’m sure his sights are set on defending and repeating the feeling of the gold trophy.