Grand Blanc Locks Down on D, Locks Up Historic Win

By Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com

April 10, 2021

EAST LANSING – The Grand Blanc boys basketball team spends 45 minutes each practice focusing on defense.

In the end, it was extra time well spent.

A strong defensive effort helped propel the Bobcats to a 45-36 win over Ann Arbor Huron in Saturday’s Division 1 Final at the Breslin Center.

It was the first Finals championship in school history for Grand Blanc, which ended the River Rats’ bid for a perfect season and their first championship.

“They hate it, but that’s what happens when you spend that much time on defense,” said Grand Blanc coach Mike Thomas, who guided Kalamazoo Central to Class A crowns in 2010 and 2011.

“We do it every day for games like this because our shots are not going to fall all the time, so we have to be able to rely on our defense to stay in games – and it happened for us today.”

The Bobcats (15-2), who were Class B runners-up in 1952 the only other time they played in a championship game, averaged nearly 80 points per game this season, but struggled to knock down shots Saturday. They shot less than 30 percent from the field and beyond the 3-point line.

Boys Basketball Division 1 Final

Despite their shooting woes, Grand Blanc’s defense shined and allowed only 12 second-half points in holding Ann Arbor Huron to its lowest scoring output of the season. 

“We had to make sure we were locked in, and I thought our guys did a really good job of not giving up lay-ups and not making mistakes defensively,” Thomas said. “We didn’t do a good job of limiting them to one shot in the first half, but we made the correction and really focused on rebounding at the half.”

Sophomore RJ Taylor was the catalyst on offense in the first half and finished with 15 points, while Timonte Boyd came off the bench to add 12 points and seven rebounds.

“It’s one game at a time for us and we didn’t treat today like a championship game,” Taylor said. “We treated it like just another game, and I’m proud of how we overcame adversity and all obstacles this season.” 

Junior Ty Rodgers played 31 minutes and contributed nine points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.

He said he was thrilled to help bring home a Finals title for the three departing seniors.

“It hasn't sunk in that we won a state championship and just all the hours we put in and the hard work,” Rodgers said. “I'm really proud of our seniors. There were 15 guys when they were freshmen and only three left. They stuck through the storm, and this is the outcome. We’re super excited to bring something like this to the community.”

One of those seniors, Josh Rechsteiner, knocked down a key 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter to give the Bobcats a 35-34 lead and ignite a 10-2 run to close the game.

“He’s struggled the last couple games, but I kept telling him to be ready,” Thomas said. “That was a big shot, and it’s a prime example of being ready when your number is called.”

The River Rats’ struggles included making only 3 of 21 3-point attempts and missing 10 free throws. They also committed 14 turnovers.  

“This is a great group of seniors who are winners, and it would’ve been nice to see them go out the right way,” Ann Arbor Huron coach Waleed Samaha said. “We’re disappointed, obviously, in the outcome, but we know that we gave it everything we had out there and it was a great effort all the way through.

“We struggled with execution at times and struggled staying out of foul trouble. I think that threw us off a little bit most of the game.” 

Senior Devin Womack paced Ann Arbor Huron (20-1) with 18 points, while senior Kingsley Perkins had six points and 14 rebounds. 

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS: (Top) Ty Rodgers dunks for two of his nine points for Grand Blanc during Saturday’s Division 1 Final. (Middle) Ann Arbor Huron’s Brandon Rawls (23) keeps the pressure on Jacob Carlson. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)

Niles Boys Hoops Able to Lay Low - for Now - but Climbing Toward Contention

By Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com

February 27, 2024

NILES – Niles isn’t a school you will hear mentioned in conversations about the best boys basketball teams in Michigan.

Southwest CorridorBut Niles head coach Myles Busby, his coaching staff and players prefer living in obscurity on the hardwood. Being an unknown could prove beneficial for Niles at this week's Division 2 District Tournament at Edwardsburg.

Niles is in arguably one of the state's toughest Districts with top-seeded and statewide No. 2-ranked Benton Harbor (20-1) sitting on the other side of the bracket. The Tigers and Vikings are on a collision course to meet in Friday's Final.

The Vikings are fresh off of winning their first Wolverine Conference title since joining the league with the 2021-22 school year. Busby was a sophomore in 2010 the last time Niles (13-1 Wolverine Conference, 17-5 overall) won a league title in the sport, as part of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference. 

Two of the Vikings' five losses this winter came to Lakeland Conference co-champs Benton Harbor (47-45) and Niles Brandywine (56-43). Niles' other three losses came to South Bend Clay, Ind. (64-57) and Lansing Everett (53-40). The Everett game was part of the Love and Basketball Showcase hosted by Kalamazoo Loy Norrix on Feb. 3.

Second-place Otsego (60-49) handed Niles its only conference defeat Feb. 2, avenging an earlier-season loss on the Vikings' home floor (62-52).

Busby said his team's 49-41 win over Chicago North Lawndale Charter (Ill.) – on Dec. 16 in the Tri-State Holiday Classic at Southwestern Michigan College in Dowagiac – helped serve as a momentum builder for the remainder of the season.

Following a nine-game winning streak, Niles suffered back-to-back losses to Otsego and Everett before winning four out of its last five contests.

"In between these walls (our school gym) and when we're on the floor, we know how good we can be. We have the best coaching staff in the area. We know our guys put in a lot of work,” Busby said. “For us, it's just challenging our team to work incredibly hard every single day because that's not common and we don't want to be common. You must do the things other teams aren't doing.

Niles players and coaches hold up the 2024 Wolverine Conference championship banner after defeating Plainwell last week. "We have several new pieces this year with a lot of young guys. Now we have to focus on hitting our stride at the right time. Those two straight losses helped us get refocused. We don't care about what everyone else thinks about us. No one talks about Niles in the preseason rankings, and that's fine. We try to use that as fuel and strive for more."

Niles is led by senior point guard and three-year varsity letter winner Mike Phillips Jr. Phillips averages 20 points, three assists and four rebounds per game.

"We just try and take things one step at a time. Our goals after winning conference are to win Districts and make a long run in the postseason," Phillips said. "Our seniors strive to lift everyone up. We just need to pick one another up every day when someone gets down on themself. This team is viewed as the underdog by a lot of people. We use that as our motivation. It's important to focus on the mental part of the game each day."

Phillips, who has received interest from college programs at various levels, is shooting 50 percent from the floor, including 43 percent from behind the 3-point arc.

"Every one of our seniors and other players on the team have really bought into fulfilling their individual roles. It helps when you have one of the best players in the area like Mike," Busby said.

Sophomore Brayden Favors, son of varsity assistant head coach Desmond Favors, handles the other guard spot.

"Brayden has a ton of potential. He's not even close to growing into the player he'll be two years from now as a senior,” Busby said. “He really worked hard on his shooting last summer. This summer we will work on building up his strength. He's a well-rounded player who likes to defend.”

Brayden Favors, who lettered on the varsity as a freshman, averages 12.5 points, three assists and four rebounds per game and is shooting 52 percent from the field.

Senior forward Ethan Chambliss is averaging a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, along with two blocked shots. He is shooting 64 percent from the floor for the Vikings.

"Ethan is a great kid who does well academically. On the court, he has a big heart and takes a beating every night. He's not the biggest guy on the floor, but does all the dirty stuff inside for us," Busby noted.

From left: Niles assistant boys basketball coach Desmond Favors, Brayden Favors, Mike Phillips Jr., and head coach Myles Busby.Sophomore wing Brenden Olsen is another key player. He averages nine points and five boards and is shooting 54 percent from the floor. Busby noted that sophomore Acie Kirtdoll is the future point guard and leader, and senior forward Darris Johnson, III, along with 6-foot-7 freshman post player Donovyn Williams also play vital roles. The final senior on Niles' roster is wing Logan Olsen, who Busby noted for his hustle plays.

"The best kind of teams are led by their players and not the coaches. This is a player-led team, but you have to demand excellence,” Busby said. “This group has done a great job of rallying around one another when someone isn't playing very well and has instilled confidence in each other."

Busby and Desmond Favors both come from families with strong basketball traditions.

Myles' father Mike Busby, also one of the Vikings' current assistant coaches, and his uncle Gerald Busby played on Buchanan's Class C championship team in 1976. Gerald Busby would lead the Bucks to another title two years later as a senior in 1978. James Busby, another uncle, played on Buchanan's 1985 District title squad.

After Niles won its District in Myles Busby's senior season, 2011-12, the Vikings experienced an 11-year drought before capturing the 2023 District crown. That run included an upset of Benton Harbor in the District Semifinal, 65-61. 

Grand Rapids South Christian, the eventual Division 2 runner-up, then defeated Niles 72-33 in a Regional Semifinal at Vicksburg.

"When I was in school, we always had to beat Kalamazoo Central to get out of Districts. They always beat us and were usually ranked No. 1 in the state coming into the tournament. It took us four years to finally win a District beating Kalamazoo Central, Mattawan and Kalamazoo Loy Norrix," Myles Busby recalled.

After graduating from Niles, Myles played two years at Mott Community College under Hall of Fame coach Steve Schmidt before transferring to Urbana University, a Division II school in Ohio. He finished his college career at Chadron State College in Nebraska.

Phillips Jr. attempts a 3-pointer this season.Busby returned to his roots serving as a varsity assistant for Niles during the 2019-20 season. He became interim head coach late in the 2020-21 campaign before being awarded the position permanently before the following winter.

"Taking over the program was a tough decision. I had never intended on coming back to Niles, but I wanted to help revive the program and keep the improvement trend going upward," Busby said. "There's no secret recipe after you put your coaching staff together. Once you get kids in your program who are good leaders with great character, you just have to keep working hard each day. It's those traits that we feel are a big key so far to our success. It's not always about how much talent you have."

Busby believes things started heading in a positive direction after his 2022-23 ballclub began the season 2-4. The Vikings were then 6-9 into the beginning of February but finished 15-11.

"At that point, I think we won nine out of our last 10 games and managed to find our rhythm in time to win our District," Myles Busby said.

Niles has enjoyed past success, including reaching the 2000 Class B Semifinals before losing to Orchard Lake St. Mary's. Current Niles athletic director Matt Brawley was a standout senior post player on that Vikings' squad.

Desmond Favors came to Niles from Detroit his sophomore year of high school and began playing for the Vikings his junior year, 2000-01.

"We won Districts my junior year and lost to Grand Rapids South Christian in the state Quarterfinals my senior season," said Favors, who also played collegiately for Lake Michigan College, Northwood University and Indiana University-South Bend – at IUSB for current Notre Dame head coach Micah Schrewsberry.

Favors was an assistant for the Vikings during Busby’s senior season. "I've known Myles for over 20 years, and we're just very familiar with one another. We're always bouncing ideas around and talking basketball," Favors said.

He enjoys being a part of the coaching staff especially with his son Brayden moving through the program now.

"Initially Brayden was a baseball player. He started working on his game the summer between his eighth and ninth grade year. As a freshman he got put up on varsity and did pretty well,” Desmond Favors said. “He spent a lot of time this past offseason working on ballhandling and making plays. For me, it’s fun watching him.”

Scott HassingerScott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.

PHOTOS (Top) Niles senior forward Ethan Chambliss (23) scores inside against Three Rivers. (2) Niles players and coaches hold up the 2024 Wolverine Conference championship banner after defeating Plainwell last week. (3) From left: Niles assistant boys basketball coach Desmond Favors, Brayden Favors, Mike Phillips Jr., and head coach Myles Busby. (4) Phillips Jr. attempts a 3-pointer this season. (Top photo coach/player photo by Scott Hassinger; banner photo courtesy of the Niles athletic department. Phillips action shot by Jeff Douglas/Leader Publications.)