Jared Purcel, MLive
Championships are won in March, but the race for Michigan's most prestigious individual high school basketball award is just starting to heat up.
The Hal Schramm Mr. Basketball Award is presented annually to the state's top senior hoops player, and the 2019 race has several frontrunners and a few dark horses to keep an eye on.
The players below are presented in alphabetical order of last name. MLive's Mr. Basketball watch list neither officially associated with BCAM nor its Mr. Basketball voting process. Also, if there is a senior we are missing or you would like to pass along stat updates on anyone, please let us know in the comments section or email japurcell@mlive.com with your thoughts.
Voted on annually by members of the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan, the award is presented in March during the week leading into the state championships.
Romeo Weems, G/F, New Haven
6-7
College commitment: DePaul
Finalist potential: High
Trending: Up
Weems helped New Haven run its winning streak to eight games last week by tallying 36 points, 12 rebounds, seven steals and six assists on Tuesday against Warren Mott, then adding 26 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, five steals and four blocks on Friday against Romeo. Those types of games have become the norm for the versatile wing and are why he's believed to be the front runner for Mr. Basketball.
SirQuarius Ball, F, Bridgeport
6-5
College commitment: Uncommitted
Finalist potential: Moderate
Trending: Stable
Ball's stellar senior season continued into 2019, as he led 8-0 Bridgeport to a 70-41 win over Frankenmuth with 25 points on 11 of 14 shooting. Ball is averaging 22.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game, and although his college plans are still undecided, he is expected to reveal his next-level plans later this month.
Caleb Bates, F, St. Clair Shores Lake Shore
6-6
College commitment: Uncommitted
Finalist potential: High
Trending: Up
Bates put together two more strong games for Lake Shore last week, tallying 24 points, 22 rebounds and two blocks in Tuesday's win over Warren Cousino, then adding 31 points, 17 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in Friday's win over Utica. The versatile post scorer is now averaging 26.6 points, 14.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game for the 8-2 Shorians.
Caleb Hodgson, C, Dansville
6-10
College commitment: Central Michigan
Finalist potential: High
Trending: Stable
The future CMU Chippewa continued his strong senior season with a 28-point, 17-rebound effort that included his 1,000th career board in Monday's win over Potterville, then followed it up with a 22-point performance in Friday's win over Fulton Middleton. Hodgson is now averaging 24.7 points and 16.6 rebounds per game for the 7-4 Aggies.
Dylan Jergens, G, Marcellus Howardsville Christian
6-1
College commitment: Central Michigan
Finalist potential: Low
Trending: Up
The big caveat regarding Jergens' eye-opening senior season is that he comes from a school of 45 students and the Eagles' competitors are similarly sized Division 4 squads, but you can only play who is in front of you, and Jergens has been lighting up the scoreboard against everyone.
The CMU preferred walk-on commit scored 59 and 50 points in back to back games at the Wyoming Lee Holiday Tournament, and he's averaging just over 38 points per game, which is the best in the state.
Jergens' 36-point night on Monday required him to play just three quarters of an 81-40 win over Wellspring Prep, and it moved him into 12th on the state's career scoring list at 2,210 points. If Jergens averages more than 36 points per game and his team reaches the Division 4 state finals, he'll have a good chance to break the state's career scoring record of 2,841 points, which was set by Mio's Jay Smith from 1976-79.
Isaiah Lewis, G, Wayne Memorial
6-1
College commitment: Uncommitted
Finalist potential: Moderate
Trending: Up
After setting a single-game school record and reaching the 1,000-point milestone with his 50-point performance against Dearborn on Dec. 18, Lewis continues to be the engine that powers Wayne Memorial, as he went for 27 points and five assists in Tuesday's win over Livonia Stevenson, then tallied 29 points, five assists and five steals in Friday's victory over Dearborn Fordson. He is currently averaging 25.8 points and 6.5 assists for the 6-2 Zebras.
Drew Lowder, G, Ann Arbor Pioneer
6-0
College commitment: Holy Cross
Finalist potential: Moderate
Trending: Stable
Lowder didn't light up the scoreboard the way he did late in 2018, but the Pioneer guard's 13 points were enough to pick up a 65-55 win over rival Ann Arbor Skyline on Friday. Pioneer is now 8-2 and will be a force in an ultra-competitive SEC Red race.
Joe Moon IV, G, Westland John Glenn
6-0
College commitment: Uncommitted
Finalist potential: High
Trending: Up
Moon achieved a pair of milestones in Friday's 81-78 double-overtime loss to Belleville, when he netted a school-record 44 points and eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his career. That game was just the latest in what has been an impressive senior season, in which he's averaging 28.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the 4-2 Rockets.
Donavan Moore, G, West Bloomfield
6-3
College commitment: Toledo
Finalist potential: Moderate
Trending: Stable
West Bloomfield sits at 5-5 through its first 10 games, which isn't a recipe for a Mr. Basketball recipient, but Moore has put the team on his back against some of the state's toughest competition, including a 31-point performance against Warren De La Salle, 29 points in a buzzer-beating loss to Macomb Dakota and 27 in a win over Troy and a loss to Clarkston.
Kasean Pryor, F, Ann Arbor Pioneer
6-9
College commitment: Uncommitted
Finalist potential: Moderate
Trending: Up
The smooth-shooting forward scorched rival Ann Arbor Skyline for 22 points in Friday's win, showing versatility uncommon for high school players his size. He shares the court with one of the state's best point guards in Drew Lowder, so getting open looks shouldn't be an issue, and playing a schedule littered with quality teams should only help his profile going forward.
Chandler Turner, G/F, Detroit Renaissance
6-6
College commitment: Bowling Green
Finalist potential: Moderate
Trending: Up
The transfer of Carrington McCaskill to Ohio-based Spire Academy has opened the door for Turner to put Renaissance on his shoulders, and he's carried more than his share of the load, averaging 20.5 points, and nine rebounds per game, including a 25-point, eight-rebound, four-assist effort in a win over defending Class C champion Detroit Edison and a 14-point, 20-rebound performance against Detroit Henry Ford.
Ryan Wade, G, Ann Arbor Skyline
6-1
College commitment: Holy Cross
Finalist potential: Moderate
Trending: Stable
Skyline came up short against rival Ann Arbor Pioneer last week, but it wasn't for lack of effort from Wade, who finished with 23 points, six rebounds and five assists in the 65-55 contest. The well-rounded point guard has stuffed the stat sheet in a similar manner all season, including a 20-point, six-rebound effort against Wayne Memorial and a 26-point, four-assist, four-rebound outing against Detroit Country Day. Wade is currently averaging 20.6 points per game for the 4-4 Eagles.
Championships are won in March, but the race for Michigan's most prestigious individual high school basketball award is just starting to heat up.
The Hal Schramm Mr. Basketball Award is presented annually to the state's top senior hoops player, and the 2019 race has several frontrunners and a few dark horses to keep an eye on.
The players below are presented in alphabetical order of last name. MLive's Mr. Basketball watch list neither officially associated with BCAM nor its Mr. Basketball voting process. Also, if there is a senior we are missing or you would like to pass along stat updates on anyone, please let us know in the comments section or email japurcell@mlive.com with your thoughts.
Voted on annually by members of the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan, the award is presented in March during the week leading into the state championships.
Romeo Weems, G/F, New Haven
6-7
College commitment: DePaul
Finalist potential: High
Trending: Up
Weems helped New Haven run its winning streak to eight games last week by tallying 36 points, 12 rebounds, seven steals and six assists on Tuesday against Warren Mott, then adding 26 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, five steals and four blocks on Friday against Romeo. Those types of games have become the norm for the versatile wing and are why he's believed to be the front runner for Mr. Basketball.
SirQuarius Ball, F, Bridgeport
6-5
College commitment: Uncommitted
Finalist potential: Moderate
Trending: Stable
Ball's stellar senior season continued into 2019, as he led 8-0 Bridgeport to a 70-41 win over Frankenmuth with 25 points on 11 of 14 shooting. Ball is averaging 22.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game, and although his college plans are still undecided, he is expected to reveal his next-level plans later this month.
Caleb Bates, F, St. Clair Shores Lake Shore
6-6
College commitment: Uncommitted
Finalist potential: High
Trending: Up
Bates put together two more strong games for Lake Shore last week, tallying 24 points, 22 rebounds and two blocks in Tuesday's win over Warren Cousino, then adding 31 points, 17 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in Friday's win over Utica. The versatile post scorer is now averaging 26.6 points, 14.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game for the 8-2 Shorians.
Caleb Hodgson, C, Dansville
6-10
College commitment: Central Michigan
Finalist potential: High
Trending: Stable
The future CMU Chippewa continued his strong senior season with a 28-point, 17-rebound effort that included his 1,000th career board in Monday's win over Potterville, then followed it up with a 22-point performance in Friday's win over Fulton Middleton. Hodgson is now averaging 24.7 points and 16.6 rebounds per game for the 7-4 Aggies.
Dylan Jergens, G, Marcellus Howardsville Christian
6-1
College commitment: Central Michigan
Finalist potential: Low
Trending: Up
The big caveat regarding Jergens' eye-opening senior season is that he comes from a school of 45 students and the Eagles' competitors are similarly sized Division 4 squads, but you can only play who is in front of you, and Jergens has been lighting up the scoreboard against everyone.
The CMU preferred walk-on commit scored 59 and 50 points in back to back games at the Wyoming Lee Holiday Tournament, and he's averaging just over 38 points per game, which is the best in the state.
Jergens' 36-point night on Monday required him to play just three quarters of an 81-40 win over Wellspring Prep, and it moved him into 12th on the state's career scoring list at 2,210 points. If Jergens averages more than 36 points per game and his team reaches the Division 4 state finals, he'll have a good chance to break the state's career scoring record of 2,841 points, which was set by Mio's Jay Smith from 1976-79.
Isaiah Lewis, G, Wayne Memorial
6-1
College commitment: Uncommitted
Finalist potential: Moderate
Trending: Up
After setting a single-game school record and reaching the 1,000-point milestone with his 50-point performance against Dearborn on Dec. 18, Lewis continues to be the engine that powers Wayne Memorial, as he went for 27 points and five assists in Tuesday's win over Livonia Stevenson, then tallied 29 points, five assists and five steals in Friday's victory over Dearborn Fordson. He is currently averaging 25.8 points and 6.5 assists for the 6-2 Zebras.
Drew Lowder, G, Ann Arbor Pioneer
6-0
College commitment: Holy Cross
Finalist potential: Moderate
Trending: Stable
Lowder didn't light up the scoreboard the way he did late in 2018, but the Pioneer guard's 13 points were enough to pick up a 65-55 win over rival Ann Arbor Skyline on Friday. Pioneer is now 8-2 and will be a force in an ultra-competitive SEC Red race.
Joe Moon IV, G, Westland John Glenn
6-0
College commitment: Uncommitted
Finalist potential: High
Trending: Up
Moon achieved a pair of milestones in Friday's 81-78 double-overtime loss to Belleville, when he netted a school-record 44 points and eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his career. That game was just the latest in what has been an impressive senior season, in which he's averaging 28.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the 4-2 Rockets.
Donavan Moore, G, West Bloomfield
6-3
College commitment: Toledo
Finalist potential: Moderate
Trending: Stable
West Bloomfield sits at 5-5 through its first 10 games, which isn't a recipe for a Mr. Basketball recipient, but Moore has put the team on his back against some of the state's toughest competition, including a 31-point performance against Warren De La Salle, 29 points in a buzzer-beating loss to Macomb Dakota and 27 in a win over Troy and a loss to Clarkston.
Kasean Pryor, F, Ann Arbor Pioneer
6-9
College commitment: Uncommitted
Finalist potential: Moderate
Trending: Up
The smooth-shooting forward scorched rival Ann Arbor Skyline for 22 points in Friday's win, showing versatility uncommon for high school players his size. He shares the court with one of the state's best point guards in Drew Lowder, so getting open looks shouldn't be an issue, and playing a schedule littered with quality teams should only help his profile going forward.
Chandler Turner, G/F, Detroit Renaissance
6-6
College commitment: Bowling Green
Finalist potential: Moderate
Trending: Up
The transfer of Carrington McCaskill to Ohio-based Spire Academy has opened the door for Turner to put Renaissance on his shoulders, and he's carried more than his share of the load, averaging 20.5 points, and nine rebounds per game, including a 25-point, eight-rebound, four-assist effort in a win over defending Class C champion Detroit Edison and a 14-point, 20-rebound performance against Detroit Henry Ford.
Ryan Wade, G, Ann Arbor Skyline
6-1
College commitment: Holy Cross
Finalist potential: Moderate
Trending: Stable
Skyline came up short against rival Ann Arbor Pioneer last week, but it wasn't for lack of effort from Wade, who finished with 23 points, six rebounds and five assists in the 65-55 contest. The well-rounded point guard has stuffed the stat sheet in a similar manner all season, including a 20-point, six-rebound effort against Wayne Memorial and a 26-point, four-assist, four-rebound outing against Detroit Country Day. Wade is currently averaging 20.6 points per game for the 4-4 Eagles.
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