Mr. Basketball Winners
Following is the current list of all Hal Schram Mr. Basketball winners dating to the award’s inception in 1981. Also listed are the college the player attended along with short biographies of the Detroit PSL recipients. The Mr. Basketball Award is presented annually by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan and is named in honor of the late Hal Schram, a sports writer at the Detroit Free Press who covered high school sports for 40 years before retiring in 1983.
2024
Durral “Phat Phat” Brooks, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, University of Michigan. (2nd place Tyler Ode, Saginaw Heritage; 3rd place Ayden Davis, Onsted; 4th place Merritt Aldernik, Zeeland West.)
2023
Tyler Jamison, Port Huron Northern, Farleigh Dickinson
(2nd place Curtis Williams, Birmingham Brother Rice, Louisville; Kaden Brown, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Wright State; Sonny Wilson, U-D Jesuit, Toledo; Ryan Hurst, North Farmington, University of Detroit-Mercy.
2022
Chansey Willis, Jr., Detroit King, Saginaw Valley
(2nd Kyler Vanderjagt, Grand Rapids Northview, Belmont (TN); Kareem Rozier, Orchard Lake St. Mary, Duquesne (PA); Jack Karasinski, Grand Rapids Central (William & Mary (VA); Treyvon Lewis, Ferndale, Loyola University of Chicago (IL) .
2021
Pierre Brooks II, Detroit Frederick Douglass, Michigan State University/Butler
(2nd Foster Wonders, Iron Mountain, Southern Illinois; 3rd Kobe Bufkin, Grand Rapids Christian, University of Michigan 4th Julian Roper II, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Northwestern University/Notre Dame 5th Legend Geeter, River Rouge, Providence College/Eastern Michigan.)
2020
Carlos “Scooby” Johnson, Benton Harbor, Butler.
(2nd Jalen Terry, Flint Beecher, Oregon/DePaul; 3rd Lorne Bowman II, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Wisconsin/Oakland; 4th Matt Nicholson, Clarkston, Northwestern University; 5th Tyson Acuff, Detroit Cass Tech, Duquesne/Eastern Michigan)
2019
Romeo Weems, New Haven, DePaul
(2nd B. Artis White, Plymouth Canton, Western Michigan; 3rd Chandler Turner, Detroit Renaissance, Bowling Green State; 4th Joe Moon IV, Westland John Glenn, Woodstock Academy Prep (CT), Bryant (RI))
2018
Foster Loyer, Clarkston, Michigan State University/Davidson
(2nd Brandon Johns, East Lansing, University of Michigan/Virginia Commonwealth); 3rd David DeJulius, Detroit East English Village, University of Michigan/Cincinnati; 4th Marcus Bingham, Jr., Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Michigan State University; 5th Trevion Williams, Detroit Henry Ford Academy School for Creative Studies, Purdue)
2017
Isaiah Liver, Kalamazoo Central, University of Michigan
(2nd. Xavier Tillman, Grand Rapids Christian, Michigan State University; 3rd. Jason Whitens, Powers North Central, Western Michigan University/Michigan State; 4th Greg Elliott, Detroit East English Village, Marquette; 5th Amauri Hardy, North Farmington, UNLV/Oregon; 6th Jamal Cain, Detroit Cornerstone, Marquette/Oakland)
2016
Cassius Winston, University of Detroit Jesuit, Michigan State University
(2nd Austin Davis, Onstead Community, University of Michigan; 3rd Spencer Littleson, Rochester Adams, Duquesne/Toledo; 4th Corey Allen, Ypsilanti, University of Detroit Mercy/Georgia State; 5th Karmari Newman, Detroit East English Village, George Mason/Oakland/William Penn (IA))
2015
DeYonta Davis, Muskegon, Michigan State University
(2nd Eric Davis, Saginaw Arthur Hill, Texas; 3rd Trevor Manuel, Lansing Everett, Oregon/Loyola Marymount/Olivet)
2014
Deshaun Thrower, Muskegon, Stony Brook/Ferris State
(2nd Justin Tillman, Pershing, Virginia Commonwealth University; 3rd Jaylen Johnson, Ypsilanti, Louisville; 4th Edmond Sumner, Detroit Country Day, Xavier (OH); 5th Darrell Davis, Frederick Douglass, Dayton)
2013
Monte Morris, Flint Beecher, Iowa State University
(2nd Derrick Walton, Jr., Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy, University of Michigan; 3rd James Young, Rochester, Kentucky; 4th Kahlil “Kay” Felder, Pershing, Oakland University (MI); Dontel Highsmith, Dowagiac, Northern Illinois/Cleveland State)
2012
Matt Costello, Bay City Western, Michigan State University
(2nd Denzel Valentine, Lansing Sexton, Michigan State University; 3rd John Simons, Cadillac, Central Michigan University; 4th Connor Tava, Warren DeLaSalle, Western Michigan University/Boston College; 5th Lloyd Neely, Crockett, Oakland University (MI)/Saginaw Valley State University)
2011
Dwaun Anderson, Suttons Bay, Michigan State University/Wagner (NY)
(2nd LaDontae Henton, Lansing Eastern, Providence; 3rd Amir Williams, Detroit Country Day, Ohio State University; 4th Carlton Brundidge, Southfield, University of Michigan/University of Detroit Mercy; Brandan Kearney, Southeastern, Michigan State University/Arizona State University/University of Detroit Mercy)
2010
Keith Appling, Pershing, Michigan State University
The 6-foot-2 Appling, who averaged 28 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals and led Pershing to a second-straight PSL and Operation Friendship title this year, became the fourth Doughboy to win the honor of Mr. Basketball. Previous winners were Appling’s future MSU teammate Derrick Nix (2009), Winfred Walton (1996) and Willie Mitchell (1994). “He’s a humble kid and totally unselfish,” Pershing coach A.W. Canada told the Detroit Free Press. “… He has a quiet spirit but has the tenacity of a lion. He’s a killer on the court and a gentleman off the court.” Appling made his case for this year’s award during the 2009 Class A state championship game against Kalamazoo Central when he broke Antoine Joubert‘s (Southwestern/Mr. Basketball 1983) record with 49 points during the Doughboys’, 90-73, victory.
2009
Derrick Nix, Pershing, Michigan State University
The 6-foot-9 Nix averaged 15 points and 15 rebounds per game this season — his first at Pershing after playing the previous two years at Murray-Wright which was shuttered at the close of the 2007-08 school year. Nix rededicated himself during the off-season to getting in shape and dropped 30 pounds. “Last year he could barely play two or three minutes at a time,’’ Pershing coach A.W. Canada told the Detroit Free Press. “He’s improved by leaps and bounds. He made the commitment to get in better shape.’’
2008
Brad Redford, Frankenmuth, Xavier University
(2nd Draymond Green, Saginaw, Michigan State University; Paul Williams, Renaissance, Dayton)
2007
Corperryale “Manny” Harris, Redford, University of Michigan
The 6-foot-5 Harris averaged 33.5 points and 12 rebounds per game in leading his Huskies to the Class A state championship game (they lost to Saginaw, 79-57). Along the way, Harris collected 52 points against Henry Ford and was the first PSL player since Jalen Rose and Voshon Lenard (Southwestern 1989-91), to start on three consecutive PSL Championship teams.
2006
David Kool, Grand Rapids South Christian, Western Michigan University
2005
Wilson Chandler, Benton Harbor, DePaul University
2004
Drew Neitzel, Wyoming Park, Michigan State University
2003
Dion Harris, Redford, University of Michigan
The 6-foot-4 Harris averaged 24.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game his senior year. Harris helped lead Redford to Class A state championship game his juniors season but the Huskies lost to Pontiac Northern, 66-58. A four-year player at Redford, Harris won a PSL title as a sophomore and lost in the finals as both a freshman and senior. Perhaps one of Harris’ biggest claims to fame as a prep was three inter-state matchups with Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary’s and its star LeBron James. Harris and the Huskies lost all three games.
2002
Paul Davis, Rochester, Michigan State University
2001
Kelvin Torbert, Flint Northwestern, Michigan State University
2000
Marcus Taylor, Lansing Waverly, Michigan State University
1999
Jason Richardson, Saginaw Arthur Hill, Michigan State University
1998
Dane Fife, Clarkston, Indiana University
1997
Shane Battier, Detroit Country Day, Duke University
1996
Winfred “Wimp” Walton, Pershing, Syracuse University/Fresno State University
The 6-foot-9 Walton averaged 28 points, 16 rebounds, and six blocked shots per game. He edged Flint Northern’s Mateen Cleaves by a mere 13 points for the honor. Formerly at Detroit East Catholic, Walton spent his junior and senior seasons at Pershing where he helped the Doughboys win consecutive PSL championships.
1995
Robert “Tractor” Traylor, Murray-Wright, University of Michigan
The 6-foot-9, 300-pound Traylor averaged 23 points, 15 rebounds, and shot an astounding 65-percent from the field his senior season. As a junior he led the Pilots to PSL and Class A state championships. Following three seasons at the University of Michigan, Traylor was drafted sixth overall by the Dallas Mavericks and was traded shortly thereafter to Milwaukee for the rights to 2007 NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki and Pat Garrity.
1994
Willie Mitchell, Pershing, University of Michigan/University of Alabama-Birmingham
The 6-foot-8 Mitchell averaged 21.9 points and 11 rebounds his senior season. Most remarkably, perhaps, is that during his four-year career at Pershing the Doughboys posted a 92-11 record and won consecutive Class A state championships (1992 and 1993) and reached the finals again in 1994 before losing to PSL rival Murray-Wright, 80-73.
1993
Jon Garavaglia, Southgate Aquinas, Michigan State University
1992
Kenyon Murray, Battle Creek Central, University of Iowa
1991
Chris Webber, Detroit Country Day, University of Michigan
1990
Anthony Miller, Benton Harbor, Michigan State University
1989
Michael Talley, Cooley, University of Michigan
The 6-foot Talley averaged 21.6 points, four assists, and three steals as a senior. His biggest accomplishment, however, is the fact that he and teammate Daniel Lyton are the only Class A players in state history to win three straight state championships (1987-89). In doing so, Cooley bested arch-rival Southwestern in the 1987 and 1989 finals. He put an exclamation mark on his prep career during the 1989 final when he scored 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting and dished out eight assists in the 85-73 victory over the Prospectors.
1988
Matt Steigenga, Grand Rapids South Christian, Michigan State University
1987
Mark Macon, Saginaw Buena Vista, Temple University
1986
Terry Mills, Romulus, University of Michigan
1985
Glen Rice, Flint Northwestern, University of Michigan
1984
Demetreus Gore, Chadsey, University of Pittsburgh
The 6-foot-5 Gore scored 34 points per game his senior year and led the PSL in scoring for the second consecutive season (he averaged 32 points as a junior). Gore went out with a bang too, scoring 55 points in his final PSL game against Southeastern. “Demetreus is one of the greatest scorers in the history of the PSL,” then University of Detroit coach Don Sicko told the Free Press. “He ranks right up there with (George) Gervin, (Spencer) Haywood, and (Ralph) Simpson — and that’s serious company.”
1983
Antoine “Judge” Joubert, Southwestern, University of Michigan
The 6-foot-5 Joubert averaged 31.9 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists his senior year and was easily one of the most decorated PSL players in state history. Along the way he became the first Class A player to score over 2,000 points in his career. Joubert finished with 2,208 career points, still good for 11th all-time in state history. His 47 points in Southwestern’s 84-80 Class A state championship loss to Flint Central in 1983 stood as a championship game record until Pershing’s Keith Appling poured in 49 in 2009.
1982
Robert Henderson, Lansing Eastern, University of Michigan
1981
Sam Vincent, Lansing Eastern, Michigan State University