Michigan class of 2017 power forward signee Isaiah Livers is Michigan's Mr. Basketball. The Kalamazoo Central standout beat out MSU-bound Xavier Tillman of Grand Rapids Christian and several others to capture the award.
Livers is the 37th recipient of the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award, given annually to the state's top senior by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan, in conjunction with the Detroit Free Press. The award is named for Schram, who covered high school athletics for the Free Press for more than 40 years.
“The thing about him is he’s worked so hard each year over the summer to improve,” Central head coach Ramsey Nichols told TheWolverine.com earlier in March. “He’s very good as a leader. He started last spring making sure guys got in the gym and the weight room for preseason conditioning. He’s really led them this year.”
Livers put up his big numbers despite missing good portions of fourth quarters in Central blowouts, and also sitting out a few games while working through the flu. He averaged 17.5 points, 14 rebounds and 2.4 blocks during the regular season, and Nichols compared him to former Duke star Grant Hill because he can play multiple positions and defend all five.
“He’s an inside/outside guy, mainly because he’s improved so much as a perimeter guy,” Nichols said. “He goes in there and plays defense, too, and rebounds from the interior for us.
“He is absolutely a special talent … a rare and special talent. He’s very selfless, a great teammate. He does a lot to affect and impact the game on both ends, and he’s improved on something every year. One year it was his shot; last year he improved a lot on ball handling and his range. But the great thing about him, and what people underestimate, is his vision. He can really see the court, and he’s a great passer.”
Livers edged Tillman of Grand Rapids Christian in the voting, 2,811 points to 2,739. Tillman reportedly had more first-place votes (363 to 333), but Livers had more second-place votes (313-249) and third-place votes (207-177). Points are awarded on a 5-3-1 basis, and 1,212 coaches voted.
Livers is the first player from Kalamazoo Central to win Mr. Basketball. Central is 21-3 and set to play Tillman's Grand Rapids Christian team in a Class A quarterfinal Tuesday at Lansing Eastern.
"Ever since I was a child, I've been working on this," he told Freep.com. "I used to watch T.J. Buchanan (Kalamazoo Central/Rhode Island) and Doug Anderson (Kalamazoo Central/Detroit Mercy) growing up, and I'd go to the Breslin and say I'd want to be there. Not only did I want to win the championship, but I wanted to win Mr. Basketball, and this is a big stress off my back."
Mr. Basketball Voting
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
Past winners of the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award
2016 Cassius Winston, U-D Jesuit (Michigan State)
2015 Deyonta Davis, Muskegon (Michigan State)
2014 Deshaun Thrower, Muskegon (Stony Brook)
2013 Monte Morris, Flint Beecher (Iowa State)
2012 Matt Costello, Bay City Western (Michigan State)
2011 Dwaun Anderson, Suttons Bay (Wagner)
2010 Keith Appling, Detroit Pershing (Michigan State)
2009 Derrick Nix, Detroit Pershing (Michigan State)
2008 Brad Redford, Frankenmuth (Xavier)
2007 Corperryale (Manny) Harris, Detroit Redford (Michigan)
2006 David Kool, Grand Rapids South Christian (Western Michigan)
2005 Wilson Chandler, Benton Harbor (De Paul)
2004 Drew Neitzel, Wyoming Park (Michigan State)
2003 Dion Harris, Detroit Redford (Michigan)
2002 Paul Davis, Rochester (Michigan State)
2001 Kelvin Torbert, Flint Northwestern (Michigan State)
2000 Marcus Taylor, Lansing Waverly (Michigan State)
1999 Jason Richardson, Saginaw Arthur Hill (Michigan State)
1998 Dane Fife, Clarkston (Indiana)
1997 Shane Battier, Birmingham Detroit Country Day (Duke)
1996 Winfred Walton, Detroit Pershing (Syracuse, Fresno State)
1995 Robert Traylor, Detroit Murray-Wright (Michigan)
1994 Willie Mitchell, Detroit Pershing (Michigan, UAB)
1993 Jon Garavaglia, Southgate Aquinas (Michigan State)
1992 Kenyon Murray, Battle Creek Central (Iowa)
1991 Chris Webber, Birmingham Detroit Country Day (Michigan)
1990 Anthony Miller, Benton Harbor (Michigan State)
1989 Michael Talley, Detroit Cooley (Michigan)
1988 Matt Steigenga, Grand Rapids South Christian (Michigan State)
1987 Mark Macon, Saginaw Buena Vista (Temple)
1986 Terry Mills, Romulus (Michigan)
1985 Glen Rice, Flint Northwestern (Michigan)
1984 Demetreus Gore, Detroit Chadsey (Pittsburgh)
1983 Antoine Joubert, Detroit Southwestern (Michigan)
1982 Robert Henderson, Lansing Eastern (Michigan)
1981 Sam Vincent, Lansing Eastern (Michigan State)
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