Western Michigan University Photo North Central graduate and Western Michigan forward Jason Whitens listens to instructions during the 2019-2020 season.

IRON MOUNTAIN — Detroit Free Press sports writer Mick McCabe recently celebrated a half-century of working at the Motor City newspaper. He also released some 50th anniversary Michigan high school football, and boys and girls basketball all-time teams.

On each squad, he named an All-Class Dream Team, a first, second and third team. There are a handful of U.P players that were selected, with three area former standouts tabbed by McCabe on his lists.

North Central’s Jason Whitens was a Class D First Team selection by McCabe. With 2,062 career points, Whitens is the Jets’ all-time leading scorer, as well as a four-year varsity starter. He played in 109 career games at NC, with the team’s record being 108-1 over those four years.

“It’s truly an honor to be mentioned with so many great athletes in Michigan’s great history of basketball players,” Whiteans said. “Mick McCabe has been evaluating Michigan athletes over the last 50 years, with the likes of Magic Johnson, Jalen Rose, Shane Battier, and of course my fellow great Yoopers Lexi Gussert and Todd Lindeman.”

The Jets won three consecutive Class D State Championships in 2015-2017. Their lone loss in Whitens’ career was in the 2014 Class D Quarterfinals to Cedarville at Marquette Senior High School.

Former Michigan State guard Lexi Gussert dribbles down the floor versus Nebraska in a Big 10 Conference game at the Breslin Center in East, Lansing.

Whitens added “I wouldn’t have been recognized without the support and help from past teammates, coaches, and the community. I am humbled to be on this list, as I hope it motivates other young UP basketball players to keep working hard and always chase there dreams.”

Whitens currently plays at Western Michigan University in the Mid American Athletic Conference. He’s been home in Menominee County the past couple of months due to the coronavirus.

The all-time leading scorer in U.P history is Lexi Gussert of Forest Park. She was named by McCabe to the Class D Girls First Team. In 104 career games, Gussert scored an aforementioned U.P. record 2,630 points. In her junior season with the Trojans in 2012-2013, she scored a U.P. record 809 points.

Gussert, the 2014 Michigan Miss Basketball award winner, went on to play four years at Michigan State for head coach Suzy Merchant. This past season, which was cut short prior to the postseason tournaments, Gussert was a graduate assistant with the women’s basketball team at her alma mater MSU.

The third area player to be recognized by McCabe was former North Dickinson standout Todd Lindeman. The 7’0 Nordic star netted 1,687 points in four years of playing for U.P Sports Hall of Fame head coach Don Benzie.

Lindeman went on to play 102 games in four years for legendary head coach Bob Knight at Indiana University. While a Hoosier, Lindeman played in the 1992 NCAA Final Four in Minneapolis at the HHH Metrodome.

Eventual national champion Duke, Cincinnati and Michigan, with the “Fab 5,” were the other three teams in the Final Four that season.

After playing at Indiana, Lindeman played four seasons in the CBL, for two teams in the CBA and four seasons overseas, playing in Italy, Japan, Spain and Turkey. In May of 2019, Lindeman joined Benzie in being inducted into the UP Sports Hall of Fame.

Class of 2020 UP Sports Hall of Fame inductee Julie (Heldt) Wonders of Iron Mountain, also made it on McCabe’s list. The former Northern Michigan University standout was a Class D second team selection.

She was played at downstate Lawrence High School , her senior season being 1988.

Other U.P players that were selected by McCabe are former Michigan Wolverine players and St. Ignace stars Krista Clement and Nicole Emblad. Clement was the first U.P. player, to be named Michigan’s Miss Basketball. They both made McCabe’s Class C second team.

Selected to the Class D third team were Erica Ledy of DeTour, as well as Lisa Wickley of Hancock. Both players were U.P. cagers in the 1980’s.

Fomer Rapid River and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay standout Sara Boyer, as well as Deanna Sutton of Rudyard, were selections by McCabe to the Class D second team.

The final U.P. player selected by McCabe was a second team Class C selection, St. Ignace’s Steve McDonald.

Some other notable players on McCabe’s list achieved stardom beyond their respective Michigan high schools, at varying levels.

McCabe’s 50th Anniversary Boys Dream Team:

Michael Campanella Russell, Pontiac Central, 1971. University of Michigan; an 8-year NBA career with Cleveland and the NY Knicks.

Ervin “Magic” Johnson, Lansing Everett, 1977. 5-time NBA Champion with the L.A Lakers. 1979 NCAA National Champion at Michigan St. McCabe said, “Magic is unquestionably the greatest player in state history.” Was also a memeber of the Gold Medal winning 1992 USA Olympic “Dream Team.”

Johnson averaged 31 points and 17 rebounds as a senior, netting 865 points and leading Everett to the Class A State Championship in ’77.

Dan Majerle, Traverse City Central, 1983. Netted 926 points in his senior season alone, averaging 38 points and 20 rebounds. Went on to score 2,055 points in four seasons at Central Michigan University. He was drafted by the Phoneix Suns and became a 3-time NBA All-Star.

Glen Rice, Flint Northwestern, 1985. Northwestern was 74-3 in games Rice started, capturing the 1985 Class A State Championship. While increasing his scoring average each of his four seasons at the University of Michigan, Rice led the Wolverines to the 1989 National Championship.

Rice was drafted by the Miami Heat, going on to become a 3-time all star with the Charlotte Hornets. Rice was a member of the 2000 NBA Champion LA Lakers.

The last Dream Team selection by McCabe is Shane Battier, Birmingham Country Day, 1997. He led Country Day to three consecutive Class B Championships from 1995-1997. He averaged at least 19.7 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks per game in those three seasons at Country Day.

Battier played four years at Duke, winning a National Championship in 2001, while also being a two time NBA Champion with the Miami Heat.

McCabe Class A First Team selections: Former Michigan players Terry Mills (Romulus) 1986, and Michael Talley (Detroit Cooley) 19898; both players were Mr. Basketball award winners. Michigan State stars Steve Smith (Detroit Pershing) 1987, Draymond Green (Saginaw) 2008 and Mateen Cleaves (Flint Northern) 1996.

Class A Second team selections: 1971 Detroit Cooley star Larry Fogle, who was the Detroit News 1971 Michigan High School Player of the Year. Cooley averaged NCAA bests 33.4 points and 14 rebounds per game for Canisius in 1973-74.

Michigan “Fab 5” member Jalen Rose (Detroit Southwestern) 1991.

1981 Mr. Basketball and 7-year NBA player Sam Vincent (Lansing Eastern) 1981.

Detroit Catholic Central 1973 graduate Tom LaGarde; LaGarde played at the University of North Carolina, with four different NBA teams, winning a championship with the Seattle Supersonics in 1979. LaGarde was also a membe

Cassius Winston (University of Detroit-Jesuit) 2016, Michigan State star point guard.

Class A Third Team selections:

Antoine Joubert, Detroit Southwestern, 1983 Mr. Basketball. Led U of M to the NIT Championship in 1984. 15 year pro career overseas.

Jay Vincent (Lansing Eastern), 1977. Member of MSU 1979 National Championship with Magic Johnson. 9-year NBA career.

Denzel Valentine (Lansing Sexton) 2012, Michigan State standout, current Chicago Bulls player.

B.J Armstrong, (Bloominton Hills Brother Rice), 1985. First Round draft Pick by the Chicago Bulls out of the University of Iowa. 3-time NBA champion with the Bulls in 1991-1993.

Morris Peterson (Flint Northwestern), 1995. Michigan State standout; 12-year NBA Career. Nov. 2006, set a then NBA record for consecutive games played at 371.

Notable Class B First Team Selections by McCabe: Derrick Coleman (Detroit Northern), 1986. Big East Conference legend at Syracuse and No. 1 overall NBA draft pick in 1990 by the New Jersey Nets.

Michigan State standouts, Drew Neitzel (Wyoming Park), 2004 and Charlie Bell (Flint Southwestern) 1997.