Who will have a breakout basketball season? Here’s 10 to watch

**East Kentwood junior Andrew Kenyi, left, and Hudsonville junior Alex Armstrong could have huge seasons this year. (Photos | Lenny Padilla).**

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Every season, a new group of boys basketball players emerge as stars that surprise fans in the Greater Grand Rapids area. The high school basketball season starts in about three weeks, so who will step up and become the next stars? Players who go from “oh yeah, I’ve heard of him” to “Woah, that guy is amazing.”
Here’s a list of 10 players who have the potential to have a breakout season.

ALEX ARMSTRONG - Hudsonville junior
As a sophomore on varsity, the lanky 6-foot-6, 175-pound forward came off the bench and played in every game. He averaged 8 points and 4 rebounds in that role. He easily will double those totals this season. He’s also an elite volleyball player, who helped Hudsonville win back-to-back state titles. So he’s got bounce. He was the best all-around player on an elite West Michigan Premier AAU team.

CASH BONT - Byron Center senior
He will be the No. 1 scoring option for the Bulldogs this season. The 6-foot-3 point guard has offers from Calvin University and Trine University. After this season, every school in the MIAA and WHAC should be giving him an offer. He was a small point guard as a freshman and he retained those skills as he sprouted up. He’s likely not done growing either. His dad and older brother are both around 6-foot-6.

CAMERON CROWDER - Forest Hills Northern junior
Crowder has probably grown at least four or five inches since he debuted on varsity as a freshman. He’s now 6-foot-3 and has become more than just a knock-down shooter. During Fall Ball, he looked like a totally different player. He’s not afraid to take it to the rim in traffic and he looks a lot more confident. He averaged 7 points per game last year with 38 3-pointers. He and Kyle Brown are going to be a nightmare in the backcourt for FHN.

HARPER HUNTINGTON - Grand Haven junior
The 6-foot-2 Grand Haven junior was instant offense off the bench last year for the Buccaneers. Pretty good for a sophomore on an elite team. Huntington really blossomed this AAU season with West Michigan Premier when the lefty shooter was knocking down everything. He’s also a good defender, which comes from the quick lateral movements from playing on the Grand Haven soccer team. His dad is, JP Huntington, is Grand Haven’s all-time leading scorer.

ANDREW KENYI - East Kentwood junior
Might be the tallest player in West Michigan and also the most intriguing. Kenyi, who stands 6-foot-9, already has an offer from Eastern Michigan University, averaged nearly a double-double last season. He could put up some big numbers in rebounds and blocks. Teams will have to double team him in the post. East Kentwood is so deep with talented players, that Kenyi won’t have to put up big numbers for them to win. But he’s certainly capable of it.

JORDAN MCCOY - Grand Rapids Catholic Central senior
The 6-foot-2 point guard looked like a completely different player this summer and fall. He’s always been a good guard and passer. He was fourth on the team in scoring a year ago with nine points per game, and a team-best 3.6 assists as Catholic Central made it to the state semifinals at the Breslin Center. But when teammate Zay Larthridge got hurt this summer, McCoy stepped up and turned into a scorer. He’s athletic, bouncy, confident and will be huge for the Cougars this season.

ANTHONY RICHARDSON - Grandville senior
Might be the biggest surprise in all of West Michigan. He went from a role player to an elite player almost overnight. Richardson has grown physically, too. He was 6-foot-2 a year ago and now he’s up to 6-foot-6. He only averaged 4 points per game last year, but during the offseason, he was amazing. During team ball in June, AAU all summer with West Michigan Premier and Fall Ball, he was often the best player on the court. Coaches noticed, too. He got offers from Albion College, Kalamazoo College and Olivet University. Grandville could be really good this season and Richardson easily could average 18 to 20 points per game.

BRAYLON TAYLOR - Grand Rapids Christian junior
The Eagles success will start at the point guard position. And that’s where Taylor comes in. He’ll play a bigger role as a starter this season. The 5-foot-10 guard averaged 8 points and 2 assists last season. He plays with a slow heartbeat and doesn’t get rattled. He’s also a very confident shooter. Taylor, the son of head coach Eric Taylor, will be the third scoring option behind Carl Thompson and Connor Johnson, but he easily could average in double figures in points and about 4 assists per game.

ANTHONY WILLIS - Northview junior
With crazy talented players like Cam Ryans and Brady Swartz on the team last year, Willis almost got lost in the shuffle. He was the starting point guard as a sophomore, but would defer to his older teammates. Now that Swartz graduated, Willis easily is capable of being the No. 2 scorer on the team. He’s already a good passer, but Willis is the kind of player who has Division II talent and should start to score like an elite player this season, too. Wills and Ryans will be fun to watch.

MAX ZICHTERMAN - South Christian junior
The point guard has never played a game on varsity. So why is he on this list? Because he can be an elite scorer and will likely be South Christian’s No. 1 scoring option this season. On JV he averaged 17 points per game (including 52 3-pointers), but he couldn’t crack a deep South roster a year ago. The lefty guard has sprouted from 5-foot-7 as a freshman to 6-foot-4 now. He was an elite shooter and scorer on a deep West Michigan Premier AAU team. Both of his parents played basketball at Cornerstone University and he’ll have a handful of Division III offers a calendar year from now. Zichterman will be South Christian’s next star the over the next two years.

Who will have a breakout basketball season? Here’s 10 to watch

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