As for Tyler Jamison, the tape’s history is now familiar. His accomplishments on the basketball court last season read like the back of a trading card.
The Port Huron Northern senior averaged 29.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game while guiding the Huskies to a 15-6 record and a MAC Blue title. Along with being named conference MVP, Jamison was selected to the Associated Press All-State team for Division 1.
There’s also his 59-point performance in a win over Warren Cousino on Jan. 18, which set a school record. He eventually became the program’s all-time leading scorer on March 3.
How to top such a season? It is someone who guesses. As for Jamison, surpassing past accomplishments is not on his radar.
“It’s not something I feel pressured to replicate,” Jamison said. “What I want to replicate is our record and our wins. That’s what’s most important to me. Everything else will work out.”
With the start of the 2022-23 basketball season and his commitment to play college at Fairleigh Dickinson finalized, the senior is ready to lead Northern for one final run.
“We just have a lot of basketball players,” Jamison said. “We’ve always had good athletes, but a lot of kids this year have played high-level basketball…the pieces fit together (together). And I feel like we’ll be ready to take on some teams.”
Make no mistake, the 6-foot-5 forward is the most important piece of the puzzle. But if all goes to plan, Jamison won’t have to shoulder the offensive burden like he did as a junior.
“Hopefully this year he doesn’t have to score as much,” said North coach Brian Jamison, who is also Tyler’s father. “Last year we obviously needed him to score in a lot of ways. I think he will do that again. That being said, I think we’ll have a few more offensive weapons this year.”
A key weapon is junior Luke Maher, who returns as one of the starting guards. He’s become a viable 3-point threat for the Huskies.
“At the end of (last season) he was playing exceptionally well for us,” Brian Jamison said. “We look forward to great things from him.”
“With (Tyler) as playmaker, he’s the one who sees the ground the best,” Maher said. “I just found my place in the corner and I’m doing what I do – knocking down 3s. He’s able to complement me and I’m able to complement him. He can find me (open) and is a great ball handler. Hopefully I can land a few punches for him.”
Other notable returners are guard Jacob Clark, forward Kanye Cole and forward and center Charlie Dunkel.
Northern also hosts a promising freshman class of Cameron Harju, Amir Morelan, and Alex Jamison (Tyler’s younger brother).
“All three have played a lot of high-level AAU basketball,” Brian Jamison said. “They’re used to a speed that’s probably more like a college basketball game. They’re still freshmen, but we’re really excited about them.”
No one is more excited to share the pitch with Alex than Tyler. They each grew up around the program, which their father has run since 1999.
“I’m super excited,” Tyler Jamison said. “I really like the squad we have and I really like Alex, he’s an amazing player. It’s something we’ve looked forward to our whole lives – hoping we’d be good enough to play together at the university.”
The Huskies will open the season at home against Clinton Township Chippewa Valley on December 10. They also moved up a division in the MAC White.
“I want us to win every game we can,” Maher said. “It’s a league we can win. No one is going to hold us back but ourselves.”
The responsibility for achieving that goal will ultimately fall on Tyler Jamison, as is often the case with generational players.
“I would like to win the league (the championship),” said Tyler Jamison. “I would love to win the MAC tournament. That’s something I haven’t been able to do yet. And win a district title. It’s been a long time since Northern did that.”
Contact Brenden Welper at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper.