Already a 2009 state champion and a 2010 McDonald’s All-American, Keith Appling can add another award to his mantle.
Appling, a senior guard at Detroit Pershing High School and 2010 MSU men’s basketball commit, was named the 30th Hal Schram Mr. Basketball award recipient Monday.
The 6-foot-2 point guard won the award with ease, finishing with 2,037 points. Mt. Pleasant’s Trey Zeigler (1,145 points) and Birmingham Detroit Country Day’s Ray McCallum (934) followed him.
Of the last 12 Mr. Basketball award recipients, seven have attended MSU (Appling, freshman center Derrick Nix, Drew Neitzel, Paul Davis, Kelvin Torbert, Marcus Taylor and Jason Richardson).
Appling, who played with Nix on Pershing’s 2009 Class A state championship team, averaged 28 points, six rebounds and five assists this season for the Doughboys. He helped lead Pershing to its second straight Detroit Public School league title, though the Doughboys lost to Detroit Denby in the regional finals last week.
Appling had 49 points in the state championship game a year ago.
Appling will take his skills to the national stage when he and McCallum participate in the McDonald’s All-American game at 8 p.m. on March 31 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Appling also is the only player from Michigan invited to the USA Basketball training camp this summer.
The No. 5 seed Spartans, who advanced to the Sweet 16 with an 85-83 win against No. 4 Maryland on Sunday night, will play No. 9 Northern Iowa at 9:37 p.m. in St. Louis on Friday.
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