UMHoops.com, probably the best basketball site in the state (in my humble opinion), recently ranked the state’s top 10 seniors for 2011. You can see the ranking here. Read it before moving on to my comments, as I’d prefer not to poison the well.
Ok, here goes:
– I’ve always had issues with the mingling of prospects with players. Amir Williams is clearly the best prospect in Michigan, but there is absolutely no way he’s the best player. There are three or four guys on that list who are better players, and several more not on the list.
– No one would question Dwaun Anderson‘s ability to attack the basket and finish above the rim, but can we be more realistic about his ability right now? To say that he has a “consistent” jumper is just not based in reality. He’d be number two on my prospect list, but he’s not the second-best player in Michigan. He has a long way to go, in terms of skill, before he can be an impact player at the high major level — and the bulk of that work is shooting.
– People who know me also know that I’ve never been the biggest fan of LaDontae Henton‘s game. I thought he was overrated from day one when my old friend Sam Hosey gave him the superstar treatment in the LSJ as an incoming freshman. Well, guess what? I was wrong. Henton is a beast. Big, strong, skilled and the highest-impact player in the state. If he had already signed with an in-state school (or played in the Detroit area), he’d be in the top three. Henton at eight is almost as laughable as Patrick Lucas-Perry at nine. Lucas-Perry is a fine player, but he’s not even the best senior in Flint. And can we please dispense with the UM/MSU interest attached PLP? That’s a myth.
– Lists are tough to compile, but they are always fun to debate. I just know if you made a list of only the best basketball players in the state (and not the best prospects), some of those names wouldn’t appear.