Mr

Mr. Redford: Frankenmuth senior is Michigan's Mr. Basketball

10 March 2008

greatlakeshoops.com

For anyone who had the good fortune of watching Frankenmuth's Brad Redford this season, today's news comes as no surprise.

GLH has confirmed that the barely six-foot-tall senior sharpshooter has been named the 28th recipient of the Michigan Mr. Basketball award. Redford earned 1,402 points from BCAM voters compared to the 1,245 points compiled by the second place finisher, Saginaw's Draymond Green.

The news will break at a press conference this afternoon in Detroit, where Redford and his teammates are headed as I write (and in a limo, to boot!)

Redford was simply unstoppable in and out of conference this season, scoring nearly 38 points with 4.5 rebounds 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game despite facing every gimmick defense in the book.

Redford scored 50+ points in three games, ended the regular season with a 3 to 1 assist to turnover ratio and set the state record for free throw accuracy at over 97 percent.

And no player in Michigan history has been more deadly from the long line, and it's not even close. Redford has knocked down 140 3-pointers this season, breaking the old state record of 116.

He also set the state record for consecutive free throws (102) and is within striking distance of the single-season state scoring record.

Redford, who will play his college ball at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, will become only the second Mr. Basketball award winner in the past decade to commit to an out-of-state school.

The Michigan schools missed the mark with Redford, but who can blame him for wanting to play for one of the top coaches in the nation (Sean Miller) at a top-25 program?

The Final Tally*

1. Brad Redford, Frankenmuth 1,402 points

2. Draymond Green, Saginaw 1,245 points

3. Paul Williams, Detroit Renaissance 547 points

4. Dominique Buckley, Romulus 349 points

*Points are awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.

Eagles still flying high

Set against a backdrop of accolades, Redford emerged as not just the best basketball player in the state but the best teammate as well. To watch him is to respect him.

Redford has led Frankenmuth against long odds to the quarterfinals of the class B state tournament despite being the smallest team (in any class) left in the playoffs. When his team needed him to score 40, Redford scored 40; when his team needed him to guard the opposing team's best player, he did that as well; most importantly, however, when the Eagles' shooters took advantage of the open space created by Redford, he got them the ball.

That's the recipe for success in Frankenmuth. Here's hoping we get at least one more game with Mr. Redford and the Frankenmuth Eagles.

The Eagles are set to take on Menominee on Tuesday night in Houghton lake in the state quarterfinals.