Highsmith a finalist for Mr. Basketball
Published 4:01 pm Monday, March 11, 2013
Dowagiac’s Dontel Highsmith, seen here playing in his final high school game against Lakeshore, has been named one of five finalists for the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award presented by the Detroit Free Press. (Leader photo/File)
Dowagiac’s Dontel Highsmith is one of five finalists for the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball award sponsored by the Detroit Free Press.
The award is voted on by the members of the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan.
Highsmith, a 6-3 guard who has signed to play at Northern Illinois, led Dowagiac to an 18-2 regular season record and the Wolverine Conference West Division title.
He averaged nearly a triple-double with 29 points per game, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Highsmith is Dowagiac’s all-time leading scorer with 1,969 points, which is second best all-time in southwest Michigan behind Michigan Lutheran’s Ryan Ross, who scored 2,192 points.
The other four finalists are Kahlil Felder of Detroit Pershing, Monte Morris of Flint Beecher, Derrick Walton Jr. of Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy and James Young of Rochester.
Felder is a 5-9 guard who will continue his career at Oakland. Morris is a guard who will play at Iowa State, while Walton Jr. is a guard who has selected Michigan.
Young, a forward, will play his college basketball at Kentucky.
Voting is being conducted online with the winner to be announced March 18 at the Detroit Free Press.
