Isaiah Livers named Mr. Basketball in Michigan

Submitted by James Burrill Angell on

On top of the Gatorade POY award (mentioned below), Livers was just named Hal Schram Mr. Basketball award winner as the best player in Michigan by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan.He beat out MSU recruit Xavier Tillman for the award

Player, school, points, first-place votes, second-place votes, third-place votes

1. Isaiah Livers, Kalamazoo Central, 2,811 points, 333, 313, 207

2. Xavier Tillman, Grand Rapids Christian, 2,739 points, 363, 249, 177

3. Jason Whitens, Powers North Central, 1,911 points, 236, 173, 212

4. Greg Elliott, Detroit East English Village, 1,672 points, 145, 241, 224

5. Amauri Hardy, North Farmington, 988 points, 85, 120, 203

6. Jamal Cain, Detroit Cornerstone, 787 points, 50, 116, 189

 

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/03/20/isaiah-l…

TrueBlue2003

March 20th, 2017 at 7:21 PM ^

was the last Mr. Basketball winner to play at Michigan. Whether Mr. Basketball is the "best" player in the state is debatable.  It's like the Heisman, it might go to the "most valuable" or guy who puts up the best numbers, but doesn't always (or even usually) go to the best player

ypsituckyboy

March 20th, 2017 at 1:54 PM ^

Read the other LIvers thread below. MattD posted a picture and it looks like Livers is really about 6'6" and Tillman is 6'7". With the eye test, looks like they're both relatively thick, though, for h.s. seniors. I think both are a bit more ready for the college game in terms of weight than the typical D1 prospect.

Maizen

March 20th, 2017 at 2:56 PM ^

Yeah and Michigan got killed on the glass and defensively when Novak played the 4. He was a really nice college player but in an ideal world he's a 2 or 3 guard in Beilein's offense. The only reason he wasn't is because Beilein was just beginning his Michigan tenure and was throwing a roster together on the fly. People on this board bitched and bitched about GR3 at the 4 claiming he was too small and should be a 3 and GR3 is 3 times the athlete Livers is.

If Livers is being recruited as a 3 great, but I thought the plan was to play him at the 4 and if he's only 6'6 I have concerns. Having a 6'10 DJ Wilson at the 4 has been a revelation for Beilein on offense and defense. Why would anyone want to get 4 inches smaller at that spot from here on out?

GoBlueinMN

March 20th, 2017 at 3:55 PM ^

True. It is not ideal to have a 6'6" at the 4, just was pointing out that it is possible to have an effective lineup with a smaller guy at the position. Plus, if Livers is 6'6" 220, he is already quite a bit larger than the 6'4" Novak. 

Maizen

March 20th, 2017 at 3:57 PM ^

Michigan isn't the type of program who has to settle for playing undersized guys at any position anymore. That was the point I was trying to get across. Having a guy like DJ gives UM the versatiltiy to matchup with a Louisville and not suffer on the boards too much. Time will tell how it works out but finding a replacement for DJ needs to be a top priority in the 2018 class.

Cali's Goin' Blue

March 20th, 2017 at 4:17 PM ^

Why keep arguing these ridiculous points? You defeated your own argument in bringing up that GRIII played the 4 at UM, but happened to leave out that that was on a National Runner-Up team. Also, Draymond Green plays the 5 in the most dominant lineup the NBA has ever seen at 6'7". Height isn't the most important thing in a post player. Instincts, reaction time, timing your jump for blocks and rebounds are all as important. It's just that at high levels, everyone is usually good at those things, so height is the difference. But players can be elite at shorter heights by making up for it in other areas. Please just stop arguing points that don't hold up to logic. It makes me sad. 

The Harbaughnger

March 20th, 2017 at 7:12 PM ^

Was way more joking than actually saying you shouldn't feed birds. Might be true that some posts don't need responses, but this is a comment section and it's certainly more healthy to debate than shut something down.

It's like the rants about posts people don't like... Irony.

Maizen

March 20th, 2017 at 4:39 PM ^

Draymond can play the 5 because he's surrounded by 3 Hall of Fame players who happen to be some of the best shooters in the history of the NBA. Michigan will always have good shooters but not at that level year after year. I never said UM couldn't be succesful with a smaller 4 (they clearly have) I said I don't like that they give up so much defensively when they do. There is nothing illogical about that. I'm sorry you don't like that but you're clearly all up in your feelings over every post I seem to make. If you're going to argue the merits of the point fine but when you get personal and start attacking me you cross the line. So either ignore my posts or learn how to treat me and other posters here with respect and stop throwing bitch fits every time they take a stance you don't like. I'm happy as a clam Beilein and this team proved me wrong this year after looking dead in the water and I'm more than willing to admit that. Having tall players helps in basketball, this isn't rocket science.

Hail-Storm

March 20th, 2017 at 5:35 PM ^

Talked about how hard it is in college basketball to have a theme and system because you are constantly changing rosters year over year.  Bielien has elite offenses coupled with hopefully decent defenses.  He doesn't need his 4 to be a top 10 defender.  What he needs is a 4 that can shoot from outside, and get points inside while being competent on defense.  Michigan's teams have had very good runs with lots of undersized players (Morgan, Novac, DJ @ the 5, Irvin @ the 4, GRIII). In each of these cases there have been times that defense has only been ok, but they were adequate enough and added enough to the offense on the other side to balance out.

It'd be ideal to have more height, but it's probably not going to be near the isssue you are making of it.  I see the same thing with RBs in football, where lots of people discount guys for being too small, who have much better careers then their statistically large fast counter parts due to vision and smarts and skills, and low running style.

I think you are being questioned because you have been outspoken so much against Bielien, when even when he gets a good recruit like this, he still is failing in your eyes. 

Cali's Goin' Blue

March 20th, 2017 at 6:39 PM ^

First off, I don't want to continue this spat. This isn't why I come to Mgoblog, although it seems like it might be your reasoning. But I do come to Mgoblog for the commenters' perspective and the interesting debates that come of it. I like to combat arguments against what I believe because it provides insight that I may not have thought of before and it creates a learning environment for all involved(hopefully).

So when you post controversial things on the internet, especially those against the coach of a team on a fan blog, you need to expect some criticism and people fighting back. And in that, you may learn something new or see it from a new perspective. When I comment against some of your takes, I expect you to fight back and welcome it. I don't agree with your dismissive way of phrasing your points but, I have also learned to see things in a different way, even if I don't always agree with them, from you. It's easy to fight behind a keyboard and walk away saying that we bpth "won", but let's try to keep Mgoblog to where it is at, and respect each others opinions. 

I am happy that you are happy that the team is winning right now and are willing to admit that you were wrong about this team. And I don't think I've thrown a bitch fit a single time in response to your comments. I have never cursed or attacked you personally. I have openly admitted I think your comments are ridiculous sometimes, but not you as an individual. If you keep attacking Belein on this blog, people will most likely continue attacking your takes(myself no longer included). This is something you need to come to grips with if you are going to continue fighting the fight against Belein. 

Maizen

March 20th, 2017 at 7:20 PM ^

I don't think anything I've posted is that conroversial. People hear what they want to hear and when someone tells them something otherwise they tend to get defensive. Maybe I'm guilty of some of that myself, but I always try to call it like I see it even if that means saying something that won't be popular. I'm not always right but I'm not always wrong either. You say you haven't gotten personal with me but you have, I mean you just called me dismissive and accused me of only coming here to spat with you and that's not to mention your posts directed at me in other threads. Even in threads where I'm getting burried in downvotes, I take the time to respond to every poster and offer up my point of view. We're all on the same side and I pity the people who hold grudges against other posters over something so trivial, so I'm glad to hear you're ready to move on and I appreciate your words.

JBE

March 20th, 2017 at 6:46 PM ^

You say it's not rocket science, but you've proved time and again that you have minimal and shortsighted knowledge about the game of basketball. But if the subject were terrible arguments you'd be Wernher Von Braun.

AA Forever

March 20th, 2017 at 5:39 PM ^

He's not likely to be plugged in as a starter at the 4 next year, anyway.  Wilson, Wagner and Davis will rotate at the 4 and 5 for most of those minutes.  Maybe if he's good enough, he'll grab a few minutes at the 4 when Beilein wants to play a smaller lineup, but whatever minutes he gets next year will probaby be mostly at the 3.  

MGoStretch

March 21st, 2017 at 12:14 AM ^

More like 6'4" to be honest with ya. I'm 6'5" and was taller than him standing in line at a bar in Rochester while he was socializing with a bachelorette party. The last part doesn't have much to do with his height, but if you've ever wondered if Sir Charles would join up with a random bachelorette party, the answer is yes.

Stay.Classy.An…

March 20th, 2017 at 1:45 PM ^

how it is so hard to read through at least the first page of threads to decide whether or not to post something? Before this went up, the original post was five down from the top. It took the OP longer to write the post than it would have for the OP to see that this was already posted and not post. This is the only thing I have ever complain about (on the blog), and IMO it is by far the easiest one to correct.

FauxMo

March 20th, 2017 at 1:48 PM ^

Please got to RCMB and read about this. The conspiracy theories and butthurt are AWESOME... 

 

"scum Slappies Verlandered him. Was left off ballots of writers who wanted Livers to win. He got robbed."

 

"Exactly...would much rather have Tillman than Livers...fuck Michigan"