Class of 2013 hoops notes: Zak Irvin No. 1 in Indiana

Michigan's three-man, 2013 basketball class continues to impress. Harper Woods (Mich.) Chandler Park Academy's Derrick Walton is stating his case as one of the elite point guards in his class, Fishers (Ind.) Hamilton Southeastern wing Zak Irvin might be the top player in his talent-rich state and Whitehouse (Ohio) Anthony Wayne big man Mark Donnal recently notched a double double.

Zakarie Irvin (6-7, Rivals.com's No. 34 prospect nationally) would be two Indianapolis Star writers' choice as Mr. Basketball in his state if the season ended today.

"Too early to call it, but I'll take Hamilton Southeastern's Zak Irvin for Mr. Basketball at this minute," Kyle Neddenriep wrote over the weekend. "We knew he could score (25.7 ppg), but his team is 9-1 and he's rebounding at a high level (9.6 per game). I still think Mishawaka Marian's Demetrius Jackson, Warren Central's Devin Davis and Fort Wayne Northrop's Bryson Scott have a shot."

His fellow writer agreed.

"I would go with Irvin right now too, which would make HSE the first school to have back-to-back Mr. Basketball winners (Gary Harris won last year)," Mark Ambrogi wrote.

Irvin and Hamilton Southeastern returned to action over the weekend, having been off since before Christmas. Irvin scored a game-high 22 points in the Class 4A No. 6 Royals' 60-38 win over Harrison (W.L.) and followed up with 23 in a 70-44 win over Muncie Central over the weekend.

For those who missed it, here's some film of Irvin's first game of the year, one in which he went a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range on his way to 33 points.

Walton (6-0, No. 47) could be due for another rise in the rankings given how he's been playing. He registered 38 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a 78-73 win over Toledo Rogers Dec. 22, scored 26 in a 71-54 loss to Detroit Southeastern Dec. 26, notched 32 (film below) in a win over Chicago Hyde Park and notched 21 in a 10-point loss to Detroit Pershing in December.

More recently, Walton scored 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting (6-for-6 from the line) in an 81-41 blowout of Michigan Collegiate Jan. 4.

Mark Donnal (6-10, No. 106) registered 21 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in a 30-point blowout of Bryan, passing the 1,000-point barrier for his career, after notching 29 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Southview in late December.

Anthony Wayne suffered its first loss of the season, 56-42 to undefeated Toledo Central Catholic, in a game in which Donnal played through foul trouble to score 15 points - they rebounded to beat Bowling Green (Ohio), featuring Wisconsin-bound forward Vitto Brown, 58-52 Jan. 4 behind Donnal's 14 points and 16 rebounds.

Some quick clips from that and other games: