‘A lot of pride’: Sunrise recruiting pipeline helps fuel Michigan State’s Sweet 16 run
Before the national No. 1 prep basketball ranking and back-to-back Gatorade National Player of the Year awards, there was Malik Hall at Sunrise Academy.
Since Hall’s graduation in 2019, Sunrise coach Luke Barnwell has turned his program into a national powerhouse, but he still considers Hall’s three years at the tiny Christian prep school located in Bel Aire as the launching point for the program’s current success.
“Malik was our best player on the team that helped spark our run these last few years,” Barnwell said. “If he would have had the season he did back then for us now with how visible we are, he would have had a ton of accolades. He has been a big-time player for a long time.”
Hall, a 6-foot-8 forward, has carved out a successful collegiate career as a consistent contributor at Michigan State, which is set to play Kansas State in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
After answering a slew of questions about Thursday’s game and the matchup with the Wildcats, Hall’s face lit up when asked about his time at Sunrise.
“I definitely have a lot of pride in being one of the OGs who helped pave the way,” said Hall, who played at Sunrise from 2017-19. “It’s really cool to see the level they’re at right now and the things they’re accomplishing. It makes me really happy not only for coach Luke, but for the whole Sunrise family there.”
Michigan State has created somewhat of a pipeline with Sunrise, as storied head coach Tom Izzo has recently plucked three players from the program: Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn (2014-18), Hall (2019-23) and Jaden Akins (2021-23).
It’s not a coincidence, Izzo told The Eagle.
“It all started with Tum Tum and if there’s a better kid in the world than Tum Tum, I don’t know where he is, “ Izzo said. “We believe in their program at Sunrise. There’s a lot of prep schools out there, a lot of people who do it, but those guys do it right and Luke does an incredible job there. There’s structure to it. It’s run very well and kids come out of there disciplined and in good shape.
“(Barnwell) gives me credit, but he deserves more credit than I deserve. He has a tougher job in a way because sometimes he only gets those kids for a year, maybe two. Luke has done a phenomenal job there.”
Hall credited Sunrise for developing him and preparing him to succeed at Michigan State, where he has averaged 8.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in a key reserve role this season for the 21-12 Spartans.
“Going to a prep school was probably one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make, but it was the right one,” Hall said. “It was a unique experience and really prepared me for college. Being by myself, going through the national schedule we had, hopping on buses, hopping on planes, having to come back and do school work. All of that stuff did so much for me, I can’t even put into words.”
Akins, in his second year at Michigan State, has become the latest Sunrise-to-Spartan success story. He is averaging 9.6 points this season and has become a defensive stopper in Michigan State’s starting lineup.
Having two former Sunrise players to reach out to before arriving in East Lansing helped Akins make the transition after serving as the sixth man in Sunrise’s national runner-up team in 2021.
“Those guys came through Sunrise and went to Michigan State, so they helped me out and let me know what it was like,” Akins said. “That time at Sunrise really helped me because I got the chance to play with other high-level players before I got to college and play with other Division I players and win at the highest level.”
Barnwell hasn’t been surprised to see Akins blossom in his second season under Izzo.
“Defensively, he can really shut somebody down and he fits perfectly into that Michigan State culture,” Barnwell said. “He’s a guy that competes at a really high level.”
So what is it about Barnwell that has attracted so many high-level high school basketball players to his program?
“It’s just the culture he has there,” Hall said. “He knows exactly what he wants and if you’re not going to give it to him, he’ll find a way to get it out of you. And obviously he’s getting more and more talent. He had (KU freshman star Gradey Dick) and now he’s got (projected 2024 No. 1 NBA draft pick Matas Buzelis) and now he’s probably going to surprise us again somehow next year.”
Barnwell deflected any of the praise from Michigan State. He was just excited to see two of his former players on the biggest stage of college basketball playing in the world’s most famous basketball venue.
“It’s going to be so awesome because this is what we care about, helping these guys prepare for basketball and life beyond Sunrise,” Barnwell said. “The wins are awesome and those are the icing on the cake, but really seeing these guys be successful is what we care the most about. I’m not old enough to be his dad, so it’s a proud big-brother moment for me.”
