D1 Preview: Contenders' Stories Told Through Tough Tourney Roads
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 23, 2022
The final four teams playing in this weekend’s Division 1 boys basketball bracket at Breslin Center have certainly earned the memorable opportunity ahead.
The Detroit Catholic League Central saw all five of its teams finishing among the top six in Division 1 Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) – and No. 6 Warren De La Salle Collegiate has outlasted the rest. The I-75 corridor as always was impressive this winter – and reigning champion Grand Blanc is back.
Grand Rapids Northview has become one of the stories of the season as it’s emerged from a growing number of annual Division 1 contenders from the west side of the Lower Peninsula. And Belleville could become the headliner this weekend after emerging from a bracket that originally included the best from the Detroit Public School League and the southeastern part of the state.
DIVISON 1 Semifinals – Thursday
Warren De La Salle Collegiate (18-7) vs. Grand Rapids Northview (25-1), noon
Grand Blanc (20-5) vs. Belleville (19-6), 2 p.m.
FINAL – Saturday – 12:15 p.m.
Tickets for this weekend’s games are $12 for both Semifinals and Finals and are available via the Breslin Center ticket office. All Semifinals will be broadcast and viewable with subscription to MHSAA.tv, and all four Finals will air live Saturday on Bally Sports Detroit, with the Division 4 and 1 games on BSD EXTRA and the Division 3 and 2 games on BSD’s primary channel. All four will be broadcast live as well as on the BSD website and app. Audio broadcasts of all Semifinals and Finals will be available free of charge from the MHSAA Network.
Here’s a look at the four Division 1 semifinals (with rankings by MPR at the end of the regular season, and statistics through Regional Finals):
BELLEVILLE
Record/rank: 19-6, No. 44
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association East
Coach: Adam Trumpour, ninth season (148-52)
Championship history: Class A runner-up 1998.
Best wins: 47-45 over No. 10 Detroit Cass Tech in Quarterfinal, 59-48 over Romulus in Regional Final, 50-47 (OT) over Ann Arbor Skyline in Regional Semifinal, 38-37, 62-45 and 63-43 over Dearborn.
Players to watch: Da’Jon Johnson, 5-10 sr. G (12.1 ppg, 3.0 apg); Mario Johnson, 6-4 sr. G (10 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.8 apg); Bryce Radtka, 6-8 sr. C (10.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg).
Outlook: The Tigers are headed back to the Semifinals for the first time since 2002, having won nine of their last 10 games and with five of their losses by a combined 11 points. Four seniors start, joined by sophomore guard Jalen Jenkins, another contributor to the balanced attack with 10 points per game. Trumpour, who assisted on the staff that guided Romulus to the 2013 Class A title, has led Belleville to District titles four of the last six seasons (not including COVID-abbreviated 2019-20) and also brought the Tigers to the Quarterfinals in 2017-18.
GRAND BLANC
Record/rank: 20-5, No. 8
League finish: First in Saginaw Valley League
Coach: Mike Thomas, fifth season (88-22)
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2021, Class B runner-up 1952.
Best wins: 67-60 over No. 4 Detroit Catholic Central in Quarterfinal, 65-58 (Regional Semifinal) and 64-63 over Flint Carman-Ainsworth, 80-62 over No. 20 River Rouge, 70-66 (OT) over Division 2 No. 4 Ferndale, 68-57 over Division 3 No. 2 Flint Beecher.
Players to watch: RJ Taylor, 6-0 jr. G (16.8 ppg, 51 3-pointers, 4.3 apg); Amont’e Allen-Johnson, 6-1 jr. G (13.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.2 apg); Tae Boyd, 6-3 jr. G (13.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg).
Outlook: The reigning Division 1 champ kicked off this season against some of the best teams in the state, and started 1-3 – but after catching their stride, the Bobcats have been nearly unbeatable. Grand Blanc is up to 18 wins over its last 19 games, and the defeats have no doubt been beneficial to this run too coming against Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Detroit Martin Luther King and Muskegon. Something else to keep in mind: No seniors start, and eight of the team’s top nine rotation players should be back next season. Taylor made the all-state first team in 2021.
GRAND RAPIDS NORTHVIEW
Record/rank: 25-1, No. 24
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference White
Coach: David Chana, third season (47-15)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 54-52 over Kalamazoo Central in Quarterfinal, 68-55 over No. 9 Muskegon in Regional Semifinal, 71-48 over No. 17 Rockford in District Final, 68-64 (OT) over No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 64-51 over Grand Rapids Christian.
Players to watch: Kyler Vanderjagt, 6-4 sr. G (22.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg); Jalen Charity, 6-6 sr. G (13 ppg, 6.0 rpg); EJ Ryans, 6-3 soph. G (10.4 ppg, 3.3 apg).
Outlook: Northview’s buzzer-beating win over Kalamazoo Central on Tuesday added to the excitement of a run that’s landed the Wildcats in their first Semifinal since 1990. Aside from an eight-point loss to Grand Rapids Christian at the start of February, Northview is undefeated and has pulled out four victories by five points or fewer. Vanderjagt made the all-state first team last season when Northview finished 8-6, and he’s nearly equaled his scoring average from last year this winter; he will continue his career at Belmont in Tennessee. Senior guard Grant George adds 7.7 points per game off the bench.
WARREN DE LA SALLE COLLEGIATE
Record/rank: 18-7, No. 6
League finish: Fourth in the Detroit Catholic League Central
Coach: Gjon Djokaj, second season (31-11)
Championship history: Class B runner-up 1982.
Best wins: 50-48 over No. 2 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Quarterfinal, 68-33 over No. 11 Canton, 49-46 over No. 1 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 59-54 over No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 73-51 over No. 4 Detroit Catholic Central, 91-49 over Detroit Western, 57-44 over Coldwater, 76-69 (2OT) over Division 2 No. 4 Ferndale.
Players to watch: Tamario Adley, 6-3 sr. G (11.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg); Michael Sulaka, 6-8 jr. F (10.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg); Nino Smith, 6-0 jr. G (10 ppg, 4.3 apg).
Outlook: With Tuesday’s win over St. Mary’s, De La Salle had earned a victory this season over every other highly-ranked Catholic League Central team. Defeating the Eaglets sent the Pilots back to the Semifinals for the second season in a row and third time in four seasons (not counting COVID-abbreviated 2020). Six players average at least eight points per game, and five had made 16 or more 3-pointers entering the week. Four starters are back from last season’s Semifinal team that lost 55-39 to Ann Arbor Huron, and three starters plus top-scoring sub freshman Pheonix Glassnor (8.0 ppg) should return next winter as well. Junior Triston Nichols (8.8 ppg) and senior Caleb Reese (8.0 ppg, 4.1 apg) also start.
PHOTO Grand Rapids Northview’s EJ Ryans (5) lays up a shot during his team’s Regional Semifinal win over Muskegon. (Photo by Tim Reilly.)
Breslin Bound: 2023-24 Boys Report Week 3
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 18, 2023
A holiday break means time away from school and work for many over the next few weeks – but not from basketball for several teams across both peninsulas.
A total of 52 one-day showcases or multi-day tournaments will help fill in the break between when schools let out in a few days and students return after the new year.
“Break” also describes what happened to the backboard in the video clip below – check out the call by Fred Shaw and Darrin Petrikowski from CTV in St. Clair after Evan Trudeau threw down a dunk against St. Clair Shores Lakeview on Friday – making quite a memorable impact on the new gymnasium, which opened just three weeks ago.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com – and will return after a break Jan. 8.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 71, Detroit U-D Jesuit 57 The Warriors’ opening win in the Catholic High School League Central was a major one as these two were the top two teams in the standings last season. Heading into this week, Rice sits 6-0 and Jesuit is 4-1.
2. Grand Rapids South Christian 58, Hudsonville Unity Christian 56 South Christian (3-1) ran its win streak to three over the rival Crusaders (3-3), with this one following up last season’s in a Division 2 Quarterfinal.
3. Canton 59, Lansing Waverly 55 These teams won 16 and 18 games, respectively, last season, and both have aspirations this winter with Canton improving to 3-2 and Waverly falling to 4-2 after their Northville Winter Shootout matchup.
4. DeWitt 60, Grand Ledge 50 The Comets (4-2) topped this list last week with their win over Saginaw, but DeWitt (6-0) makes it this time with a solid start to Capital Area Activities Conference Blue play.
5. Hamtramck 51, River Rouge 46 River Rouge (3-2) won both matchups of this high-powered rivalry last season, and Hamtramck (5-1) will try to finish a sweep when they meet again Jan. 19.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (4-1) The Rangers’ lone loss came during the opening Friday to Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, featured in this space a week ago in part because of that victory. Forest Hills Central won three times last week including by three points apiece over Caledonia and Grandville, adding to a solid start as it looks to improve on last season’s 12-11 finish.
Okemos (6-0) The CAAC Blue could be one of the strongest under-the-radar leagues in the state this winter, and Okemos joins DeWitt and East Lansing as undefeated after handing Lansing Everett its first loss Thursday. The Wolves have won all of their games by at least 12 points, including notables over Williamston and Howell.
DIVISION 2
Kingsford (6-0) The Flivvers are coming off a historic 2022-23 season – they set a program record with 21 wins and reached the Regional Finals for the first time since 2001. The surge continues as Kingsford’s closest game so far was a 16-pointer in the season opener over Negaunee, a league runner-up last season.
Whitehall (4-0) The Vikings are enjoying a stretch of three straight league titles (last season’s shared with Ludington) and are off to another solid start with chances coming up to see how they line up farther from home. Whitehall gets Hamtramck and East Grand Rapids this week at the Cornerstone Holiday Classic before getting back into league play against Ludington on Jan. 5.
DIVISION 3
Cass City (6-0) The Red Hawks took a jump to 21-3 last season after winning six and 13 games the previous two, and they’ve been challenged only once so far – a 54-53 win over Saginaw Nouvel at the Louis O’Neil Tournament at Saginaw Valley State. Carter Patrick went over 1,000 career points earlier this month and keys a team that won six games last season by three or fewer points.
Riverview Gabriel Richard (5-0) The Pioneers have been on a run for a while, but most recently were a combined 59-10 over the last four seasons heading into this one. And this winter could be special if early returns are an indication – Gabriel Richard has handed the only losses so far to Trenton, Romulus Summit Academy and Taylor Trillium.
DIVISION 4
Pickford (5-0) The Panthers jumped from 4-18 two seasons ago to 13-9 last winter and could be on their way to another major move. They’ve already avenged last season’s loss to reigning Division 4 champion Munising, 64-61 last Tuesday, and they’ll get their first chance against reigning Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference champion Rudyard on Jan. 4. Rudyard defeated Pickford three times last season, including in their District Final.
Taylor Trillium Academy (5-1) That 73-55 loss noted above to Gabriel Richard was a great challenge for Trillium coming off last season’s run to the Division 4 Quarterfinals, and no one else this season has gotten closer than 18 points. Trillium finishes its 2023 calendar year schedule Thursday with the first of two games against Center Line Prep Academy, which should be another good test off to a 4-1 start.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Dec. 27 – East Lansing (3-0) vs. Detroit Martin Luther King (4-2) at Detroit Cass Tech – East Lansing is considered perhaps the best from a strong Lansing area as it takes one of Detroit’s annual elite at the Public School League Holiday Tournament.
Dec. 27 – Chelsea (1-1) at Detroit Cass Tech (4-0) – The reigning Division 1 champion Technicians face a 2023 Division 2 quarterfinalist in the 7:45 p.m. finale of the PSL Holiday Tournament.
Dec. 28 – Warren De La Salle Collegiate (4-0) vs. Flint Powers Catholic (5-0) at Ferndale – The Pilots have a pair of Motor City Roundball Classic games against strong Flint-area teams, with Goodrich also on the slate for Dec. 30.
Dec. 30 – Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (3-0) vs. Warren Lincoln (4-0) at Ferndale – This Roundball Classic matchup is a rematch of last season’s St. Mary’s triple-overtime win over the Abes.
Dec. 30 – Ann Arbor Huron (3-0) vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (6-0) at North Farmington – These Division 1 contenders will face off in the 7 p.m. slot at the North Farmington Holiday Extravaganza.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO A pair of Detroit University Prep defenders stretch for a block against Davison last week during the Cardinals' 89-82 overtime win. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)