By Stephen Bell
Herald sports editor
Recruiting is the lifeblood of any college athletic program. The incoming men’s basketball class for Alma College will be the first full one for head coach Mike Fitzpatrick, going into his second season with the Scots. While Division 3 teams can’t formally announce recruiting classes per NCAA rules, Alma is expected to add 12 freshman recruits next season, as well as Sam Leppien, a 6-foot-10 transfer from Calvin University where the 2022 Alma High School grad played last season as a freshman.
Fitzpatrick was a familiar face at high school and travel basketball events across the state, and the Scots’ incoming class spans the Mitten, from Detroit, to the Lake Michigan shore, to the Upper Peninsula. The committed freshmen are Darek Anderson, 5-9 from Detroit Loyola; Lance Atkinson, 6-6 from Ionia; Dai’John Chandler, 5-8 from Lansing Sexton; Donovan Collins, 6-0 from Plainfield, Ill.; Connor Florenski, 6-3 from Powers North Central; Bryce Garbacz, 6-4 from Plymouth; Luciano Guerrazzi 6-6 from Lansing Catholic; Mason Hallett 6-3 from Muskegon Mona Shores; Korbin Heitzman 6-7 from Wood River, Id.; Grant Mossburg, 5-10 from Tecumseh; Rashad Smith, 6-2 from Lake Forest, Ill; and Logan St. Martin 6-6 from Kalamazoo Hackett.
Anderson didn’t have big stats as the point guard on one of the state’s most talented small-school teams at Detroit Loyola, but there is precedence of role players from good high school teams not just thriving in the MIAA, but producing at a higher level than they did as preps.
Atkinson is a true post who was the leading scorer and rebounder for an Ionia team that finished second in the CAAC-White. He was one of three Alma recruits to have recently competed in the Capital Area Boys Basketball All-Star game, along with Chandler and his former CAAC frontcourt rival, Guerrazzi.
While overshadowed some last season by one of the state’s top freshman guards, Keyshawn Summerville, at Sexton, Chandler was a three-year starter for the Big Reds and was a CAAC Senior Scholar-Athlete.
Collins averaged 15.1 points per game last season for Plainfield North in the far West suburbs of Chicago.
Florenski will come down across the Mackinac Bridge to Alma, after averaging 17 points and 5 rebounds as a senior, quite a comeback after knee injuries slowed his career as an underclassman.
Despite its location and size, Powers North Central is no stranger to sending hoopers to the next level. Dawson Bilski was All-GLIAC for Michigan Tech in 2020, and his high school teammate, Jason Whitens, played for both Western Michigan and Michigan State.
“Connor can see things that are going to happen before they do,” North Central coach Michael Malone said. “You can’t teach that.”
Garbacz is a wing shooter from a strong big school league, the Kensington Lakes Athletic Association. He averaged 12.3 points per game as a senior, including a 6-for-10 shooting game from behind the arc against Howell.
Guerrazzi has a shorter trek to Alma than Florenski, up 127 from Lansing, where for the Cougars he was a three-year starter. He was one of the more heavily-recruited members of the Scots’ class, with offers from fellow MIAA schools Adrian and Olivet, another Division 3 schools, Manchester, and NAIA Cleary. He’s a strong defender, which will give Guerrazzi a chance for early minutes, as last season Alma played essentially a four-guard lineup with just one starter over 6-3, 6-7 Colton Meister who will be a senior after finishing third in the MIAA in field goal percentage last season. Despite the lack of height, Alma still finished in the top half of the league in rebounding.
Hallett is another wing shooter, from one of the state’s toughest leagues, the OK-Green. He chose Alma over offers from UM-Dearborn, Concordia, Kuyper and Lakeland.
Alma threw the recruiting net way out West to find Heitzman in Idaho, whom though he stands 6-7 projects as a wing guard.
Mossburg was the second-leading scorer for Tecumseh’s Division 2 district championship tam.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Smith, a 6-2 guard whose hometown is Grand Blanc but played his prep career at Lake Forest Academy in the Northern Chicago suburbs.
St. Martin was a first-team all-league selection in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, helping Hackett to a district championship upset win over Division 3 state power Schoolcraft, to claim the school’s first district title in seven years. He was also a member of Hackett’s 2022 Division 4 state championship track and field team.
The most familiar name in the recruiting class to area fans is also the oldest – and tallest, Leppien. He played largely JV last season for Calvin, as he was behind another freshman center, 6-9 Jalen Overway, on the depth chart – and Overway was the MIAA MVP and a third-team All-American.
There is no Overway coming into the MIAA this season, but there is some young talent. These are the most likely impact freshman recruits for each MIAA school.
Adrian, Darius Welch 6-6 Lansing Waverly: Part of a strong eight-man class that also includes guys who could contend for early minuts like 6-4 Braylon Dickerson from Ann Arbor Huron and 6-3 Grant Stockford from Clinton. Welch has a terrific motor and can play his natural power forward position at the D3 level.
Albion, Deonte Roberts 5-9 Lansing Waverly: A true point guard who makes his teammates better, the only downside here for Britons basketball is that Roberts will be late joining the team – he also will play football for Albion.
Alma, Lance Atkinson 6-6 Ionia: Maybe not a sexy pick but he has some traits which the Scots need.
Calvin, Sam Lewis 6-6 Milford: Part of a 10-man recruiting class for the Knights. A pure wing forward scorer, Lewis averaged 19 points per game as a sophomore. Calvin’s top overall newcomer may be an upperclassman, 6-3 Trip Riemersma a transfer from Saginaw Valley State.
Hope, Parker Hovey 6-5 Hart: He’s one of three first-team high school all-staters headed to Holland, along with East Grand Rapids’ 6-4 Simon Neuhaus and 6-4 Carson DeHaan from Grandville Calvin Christian. Hovey has point guard skills at 6-5 and averaged 25 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists and 4.5 blocked shots.
Kalamazoo, Connor Kouki 6-7 L’anse Cruse North: The Hornets have by far the smallest class in the league, but both can play, Kouki and 6-2 Peyton TerMeer from Corunna. Kouki averaged 10.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game as a senior.
Olivet, Charlie Deutsch, 6-4 Rockford: A burly, aggressive wing scorer whose physicality translates well to the next level for former Alma College coach Sam Hargraves at Olivet.
Trine, Jayce Cusack 6-4 Lake Odessa Lakewood: Terrific size at the point. The real coup in Trine’s class is an intra-conference transfer, guard Fred Garland who was second-team All-MIAA last season for Albion.