USA guard Marisa Morton directs the Patriot offense during a game played this past season. Morton will be taking part in the Reaching Higher basketball showcase at Milford High School July 23rd. (photo by www.KG-Photo.com)
By: Mike Gallagher
Sports Writer
The annual “Reaching Higher” showcases of Michigan’s top high school basketball players will be returning for the seventh year beginning Wednesday, July 15th, at Milford High School in Highland Township, and there will be some familiar faces from the Advertiser coverage area competing.
The “Reaching Higher” basketball showcase is an event where over 200 athletes with aspirations to play at the college level will train and scrimmage under the tutelage of high school coaches from across the state, and in front of college coaches representing all three NCAA division, the NAIA, and junior college levels. Coaches from 33 college basketball programs, including nine from Division 1 schools, attended the 2014 “Reaching Higher” events.
Five local players, Tyler Humpert of Vassar, Shawn Pardee of Millington, Marisa Morton of USA, and Andrew Storm and Haley Cross, both of Marlette, will be in attendance for the showcase.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity,” said Storm, a member of the 2014-15 All-Thumb second team this past season. “It was an honor to be selected, and it’s going to be an amazing experience, and a good test of myself.”
“I’m really excited for it,” added Pardee, the 2014-15 All-Thumb Player of the Year. “Playing against the top players in the state makes me a better player. Everyone there is trying to prove themselves, making it a very competitive atmosphere.”
An educational effort by the Michigan High School Athletic Association and the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan, the “Reaching Higher” experience includes classroom sessions for student-athletes and their parents as well as on-court drills and scrimmaging. The events aim to give athletes a vision of what it takes to become a college basketball player and also succeed in college life.
“This is a huge step for me to get my name out to scouts and coaches,” said Morton, who is entering her junior season. “My dream is to play college ball, and this is helping me reach my goal.”
Last season three area players, Austin LeVan of Millington, and Madison Walter and Kendra Kujat of Frankenmuth, were a part of the events. LeVan and Kujat both earned basketball scholarships this year to Delta College and Rochester College respectively, while Walter, a junior this past season, averaged 11 points per game and shot 45% from the 3-point line.
Tyler Humpert, a forward for Vassar, pulls down a rebound against New Lothrop. Humpert will be participating in the Reaching Higher basketball showcase Wednesday at Milford High School. The event will draw the attention of many NCAA coaches and scouts. (photo by John Cook)
“Going to be able to see the state’s top players from all over, and being able to see how I compare to the rest is going to be real exciting,” said Humpert, an All-Conference performer this past season, who averaged 14.7 points and 11 rebounds per game. “I’m going to play hard. It’s nice to get some recognition and hopefully I can catch some eyes.”
The boy’s event begins at 3 p.m. on July 15th, with scrimmages running from 5:45 to 8:00 p.m. The girl’s event begins at noon on July 23rd, with scrimmages from 2:00 to 4:25 p.m. Speakers for the boy’s session include Willie Green, a graduate of Detroit Cooley, who recently finished his first season with the Orlando Magic, and his 12th season overall in the NBA.
Former Grosse Pointe North, and University of Notre Dame standout Ariel Braker will be among the speakers for the girls session; she led Groose Point North to the Class A title in 2008, and started her final two seasons at Notre Dame while serving as captain as a senior during the 2013-14 as the Fighting Irish finished NCAA runners-up.
The local athletes that will be taking part in the showcase have big expectations for the event, and will be working hardto prove themselves.
“I want the college coaches to know that I’m a hard worker and that I have a high basketball IQ just by watching me play, and that I would be an asset to any one of their programs,” said Pardee.
“My goal is to get noticed by scouts,” added Morton. “My expectation is to perform at the best of my ability to show the coaches and scouts what I have.”
“I just have to focus on my game and hope it’s good enough to spark interest of coaches I haven’t talked to, and meet the expectations of the coaches I have,” said Storm. “I don’t want to come home thinking that I could have tried harder.”