The Bison basketball team has a lot to look forward to this season, and 6’6 forward Maishe Dailey will be a big part of it.

“I’m expecting him to be exactly what he was for this team last year: the MVP of the league…” Head Coach Matt Miller said. “…someone who cannot only score the ball, but do a little bit of everything and do it well.”

Because Dailey leads a strong lineup, the Bison are projected by Prep Hoops Ohio writer David Cassilo to hoist the Division 3 State Championship Trophy in Columbus at the end of March.

Dailey has decided to reclassify at the end of this year and go to a prep school, in what would have been his freshman year in college.

So, in a sense, he will be a “13th grader.”

He is following a path that many other significant basketball players in his position have taken.

For example, former Shaker Heights High School star Terry Rozier graduated High School in 2012, and attended Hargrave Military Academy in the 2012-13 school year, although he had already committed to the University of Louisville during his senior season.

After his prep year, Rozier went on to engrave his name among Louisville Cardinal legends, and was recently drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 16th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Clearly, there is a ton of potential in prep school, especially in Dailey’s eyes.

“The biggest factor that went into my decision was whether or not I wanted to lose most of the schools that are recruiting me now,” said Dailey, who has received 24 offers since the end of his junior season.

“The main thing that went into Maishe’s decision was what is best for him and his future.  This is the best thing for his development,” Miller said.

Maishe was advised by multiple colleges to attend a prep school where he will be able to improve his already abundant skills, ultimately improving his game.

“I think I have a great skill set and a lot of potential,” Dailey said. “Going to a prep school will bring a lot of the potential to life in that one year I’m there.”

“I made this decision to open up my recruitment and to develop my body and game more so I can make a greater impact on the next level as soon as I step onto campus,” he continued.

“Maishe has the ability to play basketball at a big time college and this is the path to get him there,” Miller said. “He will have the opportunity to go to one of the top prep schools in the country and continue to develop as a player and get bigger and stronger…which is exactly what he needs.”

A decision like this has a tremendous effect on an athlete’s career, and needs to be carefully considered. For example, what colleges will stay true to their offers if the athlete gets injured? Even though it is something no athlete or fan ever wants to think about, it is a very real possibility.

“The disadvantage of reclassifying are that you can’t graduate with your friends that you play basketball with and be a freshman with them,” Dailey said. “But the advantage is that you will become more developed on and off the court before you arrive at college.”

Miller believes it is the right decision, and he has very high hopes for Dailey this season.

“Everyone knows he can shoot the ball; and he can do that very well,” Miller said. “But every college coach loves his ability to handle the ball, make the correct pass, find the open man and be a good teammate. He always makes the best basketball play. He doesn’t play selfishly. That is why so many colleges want him.”

Well, the question everyone wants to know is where Maishe will go for prep school.

“I don’t know where I’m going next year,” Dailey said. “I’m not going to a prep school for one specific college, but some colleges are recommending a couple prep schools for me to go to.”

While some of the top “mid-major” colleges, such as Buffalo, Northern Iowa, Ohio and Robert Morris, have made offered scholarships to Maishe, he is holding out, hoping to improve his skills.

Major schools such as Purdue, Illinois, and Clemson have been around to see Maishe recently, and are interested in his potential.

Even more impressive, one of college basketball’s traditional powerhouses, the University of Michigan, has hosted Maishe in Ann Arbor for a visit, although they haven’t offered him.

Prep school should only increase his chances of heading to one of those big schools.

While Maishe’s reclassification may only benefit him personally, his hard work over the summer may give Beachwood students and fans a season to remember, along with a state championship banner to raise when it’s over.