New basketball coaches Hill, Powell and Ware

New head prep boys’ basketball coaches Marcus Hill (Breck), Broderick “Bo” Powell (Robbinsdale Cooper), and James Ware (Park Center) hope to have an immediate impact when the 2015-16 season starts in November.

Hill and Ware made their marks as prep players in Minnesota, while Powell is returning from a year’s absence after establishing himself as one of the state’s best.

Marcus Hill

Hill, the former Breck boys’ basketball standout who graduated from the school as one of its top academic performers, has returned to his alma mater to lead his former program after an outstanding collegiate career at Minnesota-State University-Mankato and playing professionally overseas.

As a high school junior, the point guard led Breck into the prep basketball spotlight by leading them to the Class 2A state tournament runner-up finish to Braham in 2006.

During his senior year he earned all-metro honors and was the 2007 Inner-City All Star Classic MVP and Three-Point Champion.

He topped off his collegiate career by leading MSU to their first Division II Final Four appearance. The highly decorated player hopes to build the Breck program with the goal of another state tournament appearance.

Broderick “Bo” Powell    

Powell is credited as the coach who put Park Center High School back on the boys’ prep basketball map.

After leading Minneapolis North to the 2010 City Conference championship and being named Conference Coach of the Year, Powell accepted the boys’ basketball coaching position at Park Center and in three-seasons had the Pirates on the verge of a Class 4A state title. Though they finished runner-up to Apple Valley, Powell was named 2014 Class 4A State Coach of the Year.

He left North after the season to rebuild Park Center’s program and was honored as Class 4A State Coach of the Year in 2014.

After a year out of the coaching game, Powell is back to work his magic at Cooper.

James Ware

Ware (Park Center) was an all-state forward at Hopkins as a senior in 1995 and a Mr. Basketball finalist. The previous year he led the Royals to a runner-up finish in the Class AA state boys’ basketball tournament to Minneapolis Washburn.

He started his collegiate career at Colorado State University before transferring to Midland (Texas) Junior College.

Ware went on to become a two-year starter at Texas Tech before serving at the University of Minnesota (director of basketball operations), Utah State (assistant coach), and Santa Clara (assistant coach). He was also an assistant coach for Hopkins.

Many observers look back at Ware and his prep teammates as one of the key players to start the Hopkins boys’ basketball dynasty.

Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses to mmcdonald@spokesman-recorder.com.