Hillsdale Driving Toward Undefeated Run
By
Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
February 10, 2017
By Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
“The pressure is on every year,” Hornets coach Brad Felix said. “I think everybody is complacent with it, they just assume we're going to win 18 or 20 games a year, and they don't realize how difficult it is to do that.”
It wasn't always that way. From 1968 until Felix took over in 2002, Hillsdale not only never won a District tournament, it won just four tournament games.
“We have a great historian around town who keeps up with the basketball program, and he informed me that I was getting into a rat's nest here,” Felix said. “He told me all the stats, with no tournament championships and the winless seasons.”
Still, it was a job coveted by Felix, who had been at Hillsdale for 10 years as girls basketball coach and boys junior varsity coach before he took over the boys varsity team. As a no-nonsense coach, he was prepared for the challenge of changing the culture.
“When I took over the girls program, they hadn't won a game in three years, so I was sort of ready for it and prepared,” he said. “I was extremely upbeat and younger back then, and I had a little pep in my step. I'm very demanding, and I don't really accept that attitude.
“I was fortunate enough to come in and have a lot of good players come through the program. You can't win without having horses in the race, and I've been blessed to have guys with good talent who bought into what I was preaching.”
Success comes in waves
Since Felix has taken over, Hillsdale has two Regional titles and five District championships. The Hornets also have had two unbeaten regular seasons, and after defeating Dundee on Thursday night to clinch the Lenawee County Athletic Association title, they are four wins from a third perfect regular-season run.
“We've mentioned it once,” he said of the potential undefeated season. “I brought it up halfway through the season. I remember the first year I had an unbeaten team here, and the Jackson Citizen Patriot listed all the undefeated teams in the area from 1980. It was like eight teams.
“It is an unusual thing that you might think happens a lot and doesn't happen a lot. It's so hard to do. You can have an off-night, have foul trouble, have injuries. Some team can just play well against you. It's a difficult sport.”
It also has been a somewhat unexpected run, even from Felix's perspective.
“This team has totally surprised me,” Felix said. “I did not think we'd be sitting 16-0. I thought we would be extremely competitive this year, and I thought we'd be a tough out, but for us to run the table at this point has taken me a little off guard.”
Any successful team has talented players, and this Hillsdale team is no exception. But the reasons for its outstanding season might go beyond that. There is a special motivation, and Coach Felix brought in a new defense that has paid off.
The players
The Hornets have talent, and they have a tough 1-2 scoring punch in senior forward Ethan Bernard and junior forward Bryce Drews. Both are averaging more than 20 points a game.
“It is unusual to have two guys average 20 or more, let alone 23 and 21, so if they both finish the year averaging 20, I'll be surprised,” Felix said. “At the same time, we push the ball, and we run a lot of stuff to these two guys and they are getting a lot of sets. They have the green light from everywhere. We go as they go, that's how it is.”
Drews, who was on varsity as a freshman, came into the week averaging 23.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a team-high 3.1 steals per game. Bernard, in his second full year on varsity, checked in at 21.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game. And both are shooting at better than 50 percent from the field.
“I can almost talk about those guys at the same time,” Felix said. “Offensively, they are difficult matchups for teams. Both are about 6-4, and if you put your big guy on them, they can go shoot the 3 ball. If you go small, they can post up. They both can put the ball on the floor and drive, so they're tough to guard.”
Hillsdale has gotten some more scoring from sophomore guard Spencer Eves, who is averaging 7.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
“People don't realize it because I've got two guys averaging over 20, so they get all the headlines, and this kid is getting his points, and he's doing it quietly,” Felix said. “You don't really notice him on the floor, and that's probably a good thing.
“He's not doing a whole lot of things wrong. We're really looking for him to take a big jump next year, but right now he's chipping in what we need.”
Senior point guard Connor McCosh inherited the biggest challenge on the team. He replaced three-year starting point guard Joe Philipp, who scored more than 1,000 points in his career. With Bernard and Drews around, McCosh doesn't have to have the scoring touch of Philipp.
McCosh is averaging 2.8 points and 2.4 assists per game, and more importantly, he has made just 1.4 turnovers per game.
“He played 10-to-12 minutes a game last year,” Felix said. “He's good at the point. He's not too worried about scoring points, and he can shoot the 3-pointer when he's wide open. He's more of a spot-up.
“He can run the offense, and he has a good IQ for the game, and he knows where guys are supposed to be. He really has filled in well because we lost a really good point guard in Joe Philipp.”
Junior center Collin Brown rounds out the starters. He is averaging 6.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, but the big plus is that he is averaging 2.9 offensive rebounds per contest. And he's getting better as the season progresses.
“He's out there because he rebounds,” Felix said. “He's one of the better offensive rebounders we've had here in a while. He does some dirty work underneath; that's where he scores most of his points.
“He's had a few double-doubles lately, and we hope he's kind of coming into his own. If he can do that for us, it's going to be huge.”
Guards Joe Wilcox, Sam Nash and Trevor Kornak see the most time off the bench. Wilcox brings a threat from the perimeter as he is making 44 percent of his 3-point tries. Nash is grabbing nearly two rebounds per game and Kornak is averaging 1.3 rebounds per game.
“We're not like years in the past when we have three or four 6-5 guys,” Drews said. “Ethan and Collin and me are the tallest guys, and we're 6-3, 6-4. We can play different styles of basketball, though. We can push the ball; we can play down low. We can pretty much play any type of game.”
The motivation
Despite going 18-2 last regular season, Hillsdale had a five-season streak of winning its conference championship snapped. That provided added motivation for this winter.
“You always want to win, and in this program you want to win championships,” Bernard said. “Not winning anything last year was kind of tough. You never want to be the class that lets you down, and actually, my first year on varsity, I was the class that let you down.
“So this year, we have a little chip on our shoulder trying to come back and win championships again.”
As mentioned above, Hillsdale is a member of the Lenawee County Athletic Association, but it began its run of conference titles in the Southern Michigan Athletic Association.
“We were kind of fresh to this league, and we won it three years in a row,” Felix said. “We finished the last league with two championships, so we had won five in a row going into last season.
“We were 18-2 last year, but we were kind of disappointed because both losses were to Onsted, which won our league. At the same time, Onsted was ranked No. 1 in the state; that was a special team with a 7-footer who went on to Michigan. You don't see kids like that very often.”
Then, in a District Semifinal, Adrian edged Hillsdale 42-39 to end the Hornets' season at 18-3.
“I think we got stuck looking ahead in the Districts and got upset,” Felix said. “We wanted to play Onsted one more time, and I think we overlooked Adrian a little bit and ended up losing by three.”
However, Felix goes back to the days in the Twin Valley and sees the move from that conference as a benefit to the program.
“I think it helped that we changed conferences,” he said. “Back in the 1990s when I was the JV coach, we were in the Twin Valley, and it was brutal playing schools that were twice our size. We got beat down every night. It was tough.
“I think the change in atmosphere of playing different teams and playing teams our size definitely helped.”
The new defense
Change can be good, and change has been good for Hillsdale this season. The Hornets have changed their defense, and it is paying off in a big way.
“What triggered it is that we played a team out of Indiana this summer that, quite frankly, we just couldn't score against them,” Felix said. “I was watching them a little bit, and in the second half I just sat down and let the kids play a little bit and watched. They were doing some things that I had thought about doing in the past.
“I didn't feel they were any more athletic than we were. They weren't any bigger than we were. I got with that coach in the summer, and we traded notes, and what they are doing with a few tweaks is what we were doing. I wasn't going to come in here and reinvent the wheel.”
Felix was hesitant to make a complete revision of the defense for a number of reasons.
“He told me it takes a year or a year and a half to put it in, and I said, 'I don't have a year and a half. I've got a good team coming, and I don't want to waste a good team,'” Felix said. “What he was telling me is that I was going to have to change just two or three things, and I thought we could handle that.
“There was some growing pains with it. I have to stay on them. It involves a little more work than in the past, but it's all half-court. We're trapping a little bit at half-court and rotating a little and shortening the floor a little bit and went a little bit to the run and jump in the half-court. I think the guys like it. It's fun.”
It also was important that the players would buy into the change, and they did.
“Defense was one of our main points of focus coming into this year,” Drews said. “We have a new defensive system that we all were excited about, and it's working out well. Usually in the first year of a new system, it isn't that successful, but this year it has been successful.
“We knew there was going to be little cracks and things we needed to figure out. Luckily, we started off good in it, and we found the weaknesses in it in practice and got a lot better at it.”
The coach
On Felix's most recent birthday, he was in the yard outside when his daughter came out to talk to him.
“She said, 'Dad, you need to come in the house real quick.' I come walking in, and there is my whole team for a surprise party,” Felix said. “They came over with all this breakfast food, and they cooked breakfast in my home for me. As tough as I am on these guys, they still surprised me.”
Felix played basketball and football at Bessemer High School, and he said that he played basketball for a coach who was not nearly as demanding.
“I don't know what brought that out of me,” he said. “I'm from a single-parent home. I grew up without a father figure, so I don't know if that toughened me up a little bit.
“Bessemer went to the state finals in football and quarterfinals in basketball. I wasn't one of the stars of the team. I led the team in charges every year. I was one of those gritty players who would dive into the stands for a loose ball.”
Maybe it's the Upper Peninsula thing. Felix likens his style and attitude to another successful basketball coach from the U.P., although on a much larger level.
“I'm not a Tom Izzo, but I would compare myself to his attitude,” Felix said. “I have that grittiness – kind of like Izzo – and I feel like I coach like he does. He's tough on his guys, and his players love him.”
Like all high school coaches, Felix has to adapt his style of play to the talents of his players instead of vice versa. That sometimes forces him to play a style that isn't what he would like – a style that he was able to employ on some of his teams earlier in his career.
“We don't press like we used to anymore,” he said. “If it was my choice and I could recruit, I'd play that style. I love it. It was fun, and the guys enjoyed playing that way. But now, we're more half-court – more like Hanover-Horton – a strict man-to-man with pretty good pressure.
“Our defensive statistics are actually better in terms of points given up, but we're playing a slower style. We still get after people, but not the full court.”
Felix tries to deflect credit for the turnaround at Hillsdale, but the numbers speak for him with the dramatic redirection of the program.
“I give a lot of credit to my players,” he said. “My wife gets mad at me and says, 'Why don't you ever just say you do a good job?' I'm not going to discredit coaching. When I came in, the press was huge, and I put that team over the hump.
“But I just think the little kids buying into what we do with our youth program and kids wanting to be a part of what we're doing and parents having their kids out dribbling a ball a little bit is so important. We went from a doldrum basketball community to one that supports us.”
Felix concedes he might not be the easiest guy for whom to play. But with all that, he has the respect of his players.
“He's awesome,” Bernard said. “He knows everything about basketball, and he has the best basketball IQ I've ever been around. I've learned a lot of things from him.”
Drews shared those thoughts.
“He's a great coach,” he said. “If you just look at the numbers – and we've consistently had 18- to 20-win seasons – and you can't find that at many other places.”
And in the end – maybe even more than the wins and losses – Felix cherishes the relationships with the players.
“I am sure I will reflect back on all of this when I'm done, but it has been fun to be affiliated with so many fine young men,” Felix said. “I think the biggest pride I have is how many guys come back.
“I'm not an easy guy to play for. I'm tough on my guys, but I think they all realize it's tough love. To see them come back – and my alumni come back for the alumni game we have every year – and to have the guys push our guys and tweet, 'You can't let us down, you're part of the Hornets,' is just great. And going to former players' weddings. I think all of that kind of stuff is where I feel the most pride.”
Chip Mundy served as sports editor at the Brooklyn Exponent and Albion Recorder from 1980-86, and then as a reporter and later copy editor at the Jackson Citizen-Patriot from 1986-2011. He also co-authored Michigan Sports Trivia. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Hillsdale's Bryce Drews drives the baseline this season again Ida. (Middle) Hillsdale boys basketball coach Brad Felix. (Below) Ethan Bernard splits a pair of defenders to get an open look. (Photos by Mike Linville and Matthew Lounsberry/Hillsdale Daily News.)
Breslin Bound: 2023-24 Boys Semifinals Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 13, 2024
No reigning champs seeking to repeat as an MHSAA Finals champion, but nine hopefuls seeking a first boys basketball title. Six contenders hoping to play in a championship game for the first time, and at least one guaranteed to reach this season’s final day at Breslin Center.
Every team makes its own history, of course. But there are opportunities everywhere at Michigan State this weekend for the final 16 teams playing this season to accomplish something their schools have never achieved before – or at least, in a long time.
Among this group of 16, only three semifinalists are back from last year – Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Division 1, Niles Brandywine in Division 3 and Wyoming Tri-unity Christian in Division 4. And in addition to those nine teams seeking a first championship, three others are seeking their first since 1985, 1975 and 1938.
DIVISION 1 - Friday
Orchard Lake St. Mary's (25-1) vs Ann Arbor Huron (22-4) - Noon
Zeeland West (20-7) vs North Farmington (23-2) - 2 p.m.
DIVISION 2 - Friday
Flint Powers Catholic (22-5) vs Warren Lincoln (22-4) - 5:30 p.m.
Grand Rapids Christian (25-2) vs Chelsea (21-6) - 7:30 p.m.
DIVISION 3 - Thursday
Niles Brandywine (24-3) vs McBain (25-2) - Noon
Detroit Old Redford (20-7) vs Riverview Gabriel Richard (23-3) - 2 p.m.
DIVISION 4 - Thursday
St. Ignace (21-6) vs Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (22-5) - 5:30 p.m.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (25-2) vs Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (23-4) - 7:30 p.m.
Finals - Saturday
Division 1 - 12:15 p.m.
Division 2 - 6:45 p.m.
Division 3 - 4:30 p.m.
Division 4 - 10 a.m.
Tickets for this weekend’s games are $12 for both Semifinals and Finals and available via the Breslin Center ticket office; for information and links visit the Boys Basketball page.
All Semifinals will be broadcast and viewable with subscription on MHSAA.tv, and all four Finals will air live Saturday on Bally Sports Detroit – Divisions 4, 3 and 2 on the primary channel and Division 1 on BSD Extra – 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.
The Boys Basketball Semifinals & Finals are sponsored by Sparrow Health System.
Here’s a look at the 16 semifinalists (with rankings by MPR and statistics through Regional Finals unless noted):
Division 1
ANN ARBOR HURON
Record/rank: 22-4, No. 15
League finish: Tied for second in Southeastern Conference Red
Coach: Mohammad Kasham, second season (45-7)
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2021, Class A runner-up 2010.
Best wins: 54-48 over No. 2 East Lansing in Quarterfinal, 53-50 over No. 35 Wayne Memorial in Regional Final, 54-53 over No. 10 Detroit Catholic Central in Regional Semifinal, 64-53 over No. 32 River Rouge, 59-57 over No. 33 Ann Arbor Pioneer in District Final, 72-71 over No. 19 Grand Rapids Northview, 65-52 over No. 14 Saline.
Players to watch: Macari Moore, jr. 6-3 G (23 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.6 apg, 2.3 spg); Justin Latham, 6-6 sr. F (7.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg); Kaleb Brown, 6-3 jr. G (6.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg).
Outlook: Huron has reached at least the Quarterfinals both seasons under Kasham, who previously served as an assistant coach for 16 years. The team’s only losses were twice to Pioneer – avenged in the District Final – and once to Saline and Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice. Huron also has wins over two teams playing at Breslin this weekend – Division 2 Chelsea 72-48 and Division 3 Detroit Old Redford 72-38. Junior 6-4 guard Jaydon Keefer (6.7 ppg, 47 3-pointers entering the week) gives the River Rats an all-junior starting backcourt.
NORTH FARMINGTON
Record/rank: 23-2, No. 3
League finish: Tied for first in Oakland Activities Association Red
Coach: Todd Negoshian, 13th season (209-73)
Championship history: Class A runner-up 2016.
Best wins: 62-51 over No. 32 River Rouge in Quarterfinal, 54-53 over No. 7 Warren De La Salle Collegiate in Regional Final, 47-28 over No. 27 Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, 61-46 over No. 11 West Bloomfield, 66-57 over No. 42 Zeeland West, 58-46 over No. 37 Detroit Martin Luther King, 67-62 (OT) and 54-51 over Division 2 No. 8 Ferndale.
Players to watch: Tyler Spratt, 6-5 G/F sr. (16 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.0 spg); Landon Williams, 6-4 sr. G (14.0 ppg, 5.0 apg, 4.0 spg); Dylan Smith, 6-9 sr. C (14.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg).
Outlook: North Farmington won its third-straight District title and second-straight league championship on the way to this first trip to Breslin since its 2016 runner-up finish. The Raiders navigated their annually tough schedule with the only losses to West Bloomfield and Grand Rapids Northview, both over the course of nine days midseason. Guard Will MacShara gives North Farmington a fourth senior in the starting lineup, and junior guard Rob Smith (12.4 ppg) gives the Raiders a fourth starter averaging double-digit scoring.
ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S
Record/rank: 25-1, No. 1
League finish: First in Catholic High School League Central
Coach: Todd Covert, ninth season (151-54)
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2000), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 52-43 (Quarterfinal), 58-55, 59-41 and 66-47 over No. 6 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice; 68-46 over No. 11 West Bloomfield in District Final, 73-41 over No. 9 Detroit Cass Tech, 56-37 over No. 2 East Lansing, 65-46, 68-55 and 54-40 over No. 7 Warren De La Salle Collegiate; 64-52 and 70-56 over No. 10 Detroit Catholic Central, 76-68 over No. 12 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 65-58 over Division 2 No. 2 Warren Lincoln.
Players to watch: Trey McKenney, 6-5 jr. G (22.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg); Sharod Barnes, 6-2 jr. G (12.5 ppg, 4.4 apg); Jayden Savoury, 6-6 jr. F (12.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg).
Outlook: St. Mary’s got on a roll at the end of the 2022-23 regular season and reached its first Semifinal since 2006, and the Eaglets haven’t slowed down this winter. The lone defeat came 60-55 on Dec. 18 to U-D Jesuit and was avenged a month later, and only five wins have been by single digits. McKenney was The Associated Press’ Division 1 Player of the Year last season as a sophomore and is sure to be the Mr. Basketball Award favorite next winter. Senior guard Daniel Smythe (7.7 ppg) is another top contributor, with three more players averaging at least five points per game.
ZEELAND WEST
Record/rank: 20-7, No. 42
League finish: Third in Ottawa-Kent Conference Green
Coach: David Klyn, eighth season (102-73)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 53-52 over No. 17 Muskegon in Quarterfinal, 44-41 over No. 19 Grand Rapids Northview in Regional Semifinal, 61-42 over No. 9 Detroit Cass Tech, 58-44 over Division 2 No. 11 Hudsonville Unity Christian.
Players to watch: Lukas Bakker, 6-5 sr. F (13.2 ppg, 58 3-pointers); Myles Steffen, 6-3 sr. G (7.6 ppg, 3.5 apg); Merritt Alderink, 6-7 sr. F (13.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg).
Outlook: West this season has defeated both teams that played in last year’s Division 1 title game, reigning champion Cass Tech and runner-up Muskegon on Tuesday, with the latter victory landing the Dux in their first Semifinal after they won their first Regional title last week. The Muskegon win also avenged a pair of league losses, and all of West’s defeats came to opponents that won at least 16 games this season. The Dux start five seniors, with guard Trenten Bolhouse (6.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and 6-5 forward Orion Yant (7.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg) filling out the lineup with experience and additional scoring.
Division 2
CHELSEA
Record/rank: 21-6, No. 9
League finish: First in Southeastern Conference White
Coach: Andrea Cabana, second season (42-12)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 68-53 over No. 22 Detroit University Prep in Quarterfinal, 75-53 over No. 10 Onsted in Regional Final, 70-62 and 97-87 over No. 12 Adrian, 59-57 over Division 1 No. 14 Saline.
Players to watch: Jake Stephens, 6-4 sr. G (25.3 ppg, 59 3-pointers, 11 rpg, 4.0 apg, 3.0 spg); Joey Cabana, 6-2 sr. G (21.3 ppg, 64 3-pointers, 4.0 apg); Drew Blanton, 6-2 jr. G (10.5 ppg, 5.0 apg).
Outlook: Chelsea is enjoying a school-record run after also making the Quarterfinals last season but reaching the Semifinals this week for the first time. Andrea Cabana led the Grass Lake girls to the Division 3 title in 2021 and is believed to be the second woman to coach a boys team to the Semifinals, after Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart’s Keisha Brown in 2006. Joey Cabana and Stephens both made the all-state first team last season and supply the bulk of the scoring for a contender that’s reached 70 points 10 times this winter. Chelsea has won 16 of its last 17 games, the lone loss during that time to Division 1 River Rouge by three points.
FLINT POWERS CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 22-5, No. 23
League finish: Tied for fifth in the Saginaw Valley League.
Coach: Zach Collins, third season (43-30)
Championship history: Class B champion 2009, Class B runner-up 2008.
Best wins: 81-77 over No. 4 Kingsford in Quarterfinal, 59-51 (Regional Final) and 72-67 over No. 25 Saginaw Arthur Hill, 62-58 (OT) over Division 1 No. 49 Grand Blanc, 81-78 (OT) over Division 1 No. 34 Hamtramck, 61-48 over Division 3 No. 3 Schoolcraft.
Players to watch: Jesse Cull, 6-5 jr. F (12.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg); Javontae Ross, 5-11 jr. G (16.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 5.4 apg, 3.1 spg); Connor Kelly, 6-3 sr. F (12.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.0 apg).
Outlook: Powers is returning to the Finals for the first time since its championship season after winning its first Regional title since 2013, and Collins has led a quick ascension as the team was 5-17 in his first season before jumping to 16-8 a year ago. The Chargers won 10 of their first 11 games this winter and navigated the mostly-Division 1 SVL before rumbling through a playoff run that’s seen all five opponents with winning records. Junior 6-6 center Demsey Cull adds 8.7 ppg and is the team’s second-leading 3-point shooter.
GRAND RAPIDS CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 25-2, No. 3
League finish: First in O-K White
Coach: Eric Taylor, sixth season (108-24)
Championship history: Lower Peninsula Class B champion 1938, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 57-52 (Quarterfinal) and 69-50 over No. 22 Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 61-51 over No. 1 Benton Harbor in Regional Final, 52-49 (District Final) and 58-48 over No. 18 Grand Rapids South Christian, 46-42 and 54-43 over Division 1 No. 19 Grand Rapids Northview, 60-51 over Division 1 No. 17 Muskegon.
Players to watch: Nate Johnson, 6-6 sr. G (12.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg); Jaylan Ouwinga, 6-8 sr. F (11.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg); Malachi Hooser, 5-11 sr. G (8.9 ppg).
Outlook: The Eagles have been in the conversation of Division 2 favorites all season with their only losses 49-47 to Warren Lincoln and 49-43 to Division 1 Byron Center. They’ve won 11 straight games heading into their first trip to Breslin since finishing Class A runner-up in 2017. Guard Quintin Willis (6.0 ppg) and forward Carter Goodyke (6.3 ppg) fill out an all-senior starting lineup for a team that’s been especially impressive defensively, holding all opponents under 60 points with 18 games giving up fewer than 50.
WARREN LINCOLN
Record/rank: 22-4, No. 2
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference White
Coach: Wydell Henry, sixth season (87-29)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 61-42 over No. 28 Goodrich in Quarterfinal, 55-44 over No. 8 Ferndale in District Final, 49-47 over No. 3 Grand Rapids Christian, 62-54 over Division 1 No. 2 East Lansing, 56-51 over Division 1 No. 11 West Bloomfield, 49-46 over Division 1 No. 16 Grosse Pointe South.
Players to watch: Markus Blackwell, 6-2 jr. G (17 ppg, 4.0 apg, 3.0 spg); Da’Marion Bozeman, 6-5 jr. G (12.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg); Timarion Minor, 6-5 sr. F (11.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.5 apg).
Outlook: Warren Lincoln also is making its first trip to Breslin Center after upping its wins the last four seasons from eight to 17 to 19 to this winter’s 22 and counting. The Abes prepped for this run against another of the strongest schedules in the state, with a victory as well over Detroit Old Redford and the losses to Division 1 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Grosse Pointe South, Port Huron Northern and East Kentwood. Six players are scoring at least 7.4 points per game, and junior Moses Blackwell – Markus’ twin – had 68 3-pointers entering the week to lead three with at least 45 this season.
Division 3
DETROIT OLD REDFORD
Record/rank: 20-7, No. 18
League finish: Fourth in Charter School Conference Gold
Coach: Ray Reeves, third season (46-18)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 45-44 over Flint Beecher in Quarterfinal, 52-51 over Division 2 No. 6 Romulus Summit Academy North, 61-59 over Division 2 No. 24 Detroit University Prep, 56-55 over Clarkston.
Players to watch: Arkell Boyd, 6-3 jr. G; Kason Mayes, 6-2 jr. G. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Old Redford clinched its first trip to the Semifinals by ending reigning champion Beecher’s repeat aspirations Tuesday. The Ravens have built steadily the last three seasons from 10 to 16 to 22 wins this winter and have won 12 straight games avenging losses to University Prep and Summit along the way. Three more defeats came to teams playing this weekend – Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Ann Arbor Huron and Warren Lincoln.
MCBAIN
Record/rank: 25-2, No. 6
League finish: First in Highland Conference
Coach: Bruce Koopman, 30th season (549-158)
Championship history: Class C champion 2002, Class C runner-up 2011.
Best wins: 51-49 over No. 2 Menominee in Quarterfinal, 62-51 over No. 17 Sanford Meridian in Regional Final, 50-33 over No. 12 Benzie Central in District Final, 72-48 and 60-43 over No. 25 Beal City, 71-50 over Division 2 No. 15 Reed City.
Players to watch: Evan Haverkamp, 6-9 sr. C (16.8 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 1.5 bpg); Benjamin Rodenbaugh, 6-3 jr. G (7.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 5.2 apg); Nathan Koetje, 5-7 sr. G (6.9 ppg, 2.4 apg).
Outlook: McBain won its first Regional title since 2021 and will play in its first Semifinal since 2016 with its only losses this season to Division 1 Cadillac and Hamtramck. The Ramblers have had loads of success under longtime coach Koopman – who also has a 263-102 record as girls varsity coach over four stints – and the last four seasons have also seen two league and four District titles to go with the two Regional championships. Freshman 6-4 forward Clayton Heuker comes off the bench but is the team’s second-leading scorer at 8.1 ppg with 4.9 rebounds per game.
NILES BRANDYWINE
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 1
League finish: Tied for first in Lakeland Conference
Coach: Nate Knapp, 19th season (235-174)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 58-34 over No. 21 Grand Rapids Covenant Christian in Quarterfinal, 41-32 over No. 3 Schoolcraft in Regional Final, 56-47 over No. 48 White Pigeon in District Final, 52-50 over No. 7 Jackson Lumen Christi, 74-34 over No. 36 Bronson, 64-53 over No. 13 Watervliet, 63-57 over Division 2 No. 1 Benton Harbor, 59-48 over Division 2 No. 19 Berrien Springs, 56-43 over Division 2 No. 27 Niles.
Players to watch: Jaremiah Palmer, 6-1 sr. F (13.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.4 apg); Nylen Goins, 6-0 soph. G (11 ppg); Byron Linley, 6-1 sr. G (13.4 ppg).
Outlook: Brandywine is back at the Semifinals for the second-straight season and with four starters back from a year ago, with senior guard Jamier Palmer (9.4 ppg, 4.6 apg, 3.5 spg) joining the three listed above. The Bobcats’ only losses were to Portage Central, Benton Harbor and Riverview Gabriel Richard – all league champions – and Brandywine split its Benton Harbor series to share their league title. Linley and Goins have both made more than 40 3-pointers to give the team some perimeter power.
RIVERVIEW GABRIEL RICHARD
Record/rank: 23-3, No. 5
League finish: Tied for first in CHSL AA
Coach: Kris Daiek, 13th season (204-73)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 58-44 (Quarterfinal) and 54-48 over No. 7 Jackson Lumen Christi, 57-55 over No. 1 Niles Brandywine, 58-55 over Division 2 No. 6 Romulus Summit Academy North, 73-55 over Division 4 No. 5 Taylor Trillium Academy.
Players to watch: Nick Sobush, 5-10 jr. G (17.5 ppg, 3.8 apg, 2.9 spg); Luke Westerdale, 6-0 jr. G (16 ppg, 5.1 apg, 3.5 rpg); Charles Kage, 6-8 jr. F (10.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg).
Outlook: Richard is coming off its first Regional title since making the Semifinals as well in 1989, and by defeating Lumen Christi for a second time after sharing the CHSL AA title with the Titans this winter. The Pioneers have been on the verge after winning their District a year ago and going 19-1 in 2021-22. Junior forward Drew Everingham adds another eight points and 4.3 rebounds per game, and senior forward EJ Bennett at 3.1 assists is one of five players averaging at least two per game in that category.
Division 4
ALLEN PARK INTER-CITY BAPTIST
Record/rank: 23-4, No. 21
League finish: Second in Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue
Coach: Mark Kraatz, 35th season (560-288)
Championship history: Class D champion 1985.
Best wins: 68-48 over No. 15 Britton Deerfield in Regional Semifinal, 60-49 over No. 5 Taylor Trillium Academy in District Final, 55-44 and 66-54 over No. 29 Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, 37-35 over No. 35 Detroit Douglass in Regional Final, 52-38 over Division 3 No. 29 Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest.
Players to watch: Carlos Jackson, 6-3 soph. F (8.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 3.0 apg); Ethan Esse, 5-10 soph. G (20.2 ppg, 74 3-pointers, 3.4 apg); Andrew Frank, 6-3 sr. F (10.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg).
Outlook: Inter-City Baptist has posted winning seasons 31 of Kraatz’s 35 and won 24 Districts during that time, and reached this week after its first Regional title since 2012. He played on the 1985 Class D championship team and also coached the school’s girls varsity for a pair of seasons. The Chargers avenged two of their losses this winter and navigated a postseason run that’s included an overtime win and another by two points. Esse is the long-distance ace, but five more teammates had at least 10 3-pointers entering the week.
MOUNT PLEASANT SACRED HEART
Record/rank: 25-2, No. 2
League finish: First in Mid-State Activities Conference
Coach: Justin Sherlock, fourth season (73-19)
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 1975), Class D runner-up 2006.
Best wins: 63-51 over No. 8 Maple City Glen Lake in Quarterfinal, 66-51 over No. 4 Saginaw Nouvel in Regional Semifinal, 46-43 and 59-39 over No. 20 Fulton, 64-51 over Division 3 No. 25 Beal City.
Players to watch: Noah Zeien, soph. G; Grady Pieratt, jr. G. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Sacred Heart also reached the Semifinals in Sherlock’s first season as coach, 2021, and has won its five postseason games this winter by nearly 21 points on average. The only losses came to Division 1 Cadillac and Dec. 5 to possible Saturday opponent Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, 71-41. Center Aidan Halliday is the team’s lone senior starter.
ST. IGNACE
Record/rank: 21-6, No. 6
League finish: Second in Straits Area Conference
Coach: Doug Ingalls, 25th season (375-181)
Championship history: Two MHSAA runner-up finishes (most recent 1983).
Best wins: 68-51 over No. 12 Crystal Falls Forest Park in Quarterfinal, 58-42 over No. 10 Munising in Regional Final, 79-74 over No. 19 Onaway in Regional Semifinal, 65-60 over No. 28 Rudyard, 54-45 and 69-51 over No. 30 Pickford, 76-66 over Division 3 No. 26 Harbor Springs.
Players to watch: Jonny Ingalls, 6-0 sr. G (30 ppg, 59 3-pointers, 9.2 rpg, 5.3 apg, 4.0 spg, 2.5 bpg); Nick Halberg, 6-3 sr. F (10.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg); Ethan McLean, 6-3 sr. G/F (11.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg).
Outlook: Ingalls originally took over the program in 1992-93 fresh off setting Northern Michigan University’s career assists record, and he returned for a third tenure in 2020-21 and has brought the Saints back to the Semifinals for the first time since the Class D runner-up season of 1983. This will be his final season as boys basketball coach; he’s also partnered with wife Dorene to lead the St. Ignace girls to 516 wins and five Finals titles. Jonny is their son and a stat sheet machine, and he has plenty of help including also senior forward Kordell KillsCrow (8.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.4 spg).
WYOMING TRI-UNITY CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 22-5, No. 7
League finish: Second in Alliance League
Coach: Mark Keeler, 37th season (692-216)
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2022), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 65-29 over No. 34 St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic in Quarterfinal, 46-39 over No. 23 Fowler in Regional Semifinal, 71-41 over No. 2 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, 52-41 over Wyoming Godwin Heights.
Players to watch: Jordan VanKlompenberg, 6-2 sr. G (12.8 ppg, 55 3-pointers, 5.0 rpg, 3.6 apg); Keaton Blanker, 5-10 jr. G (7.8 ppg, 4.6 apg); Wesley Kaman, 6-1 sr. G/F (10.5 ppg).
Outlook: Tri-unity Christian fell just a basket shy of a sixth championship a year ago, falling to Munising 39-37 in the Final, but is back at the Semifinals for the fifth-straight season (not counting COVID-canceled 2020). All of the team’s losses were to opponents from Divisions 1, 2 or 3, and the Defenders have won 12 of their last 13 games. Keeler is up to fourth on the list of winningest boys basketball coaches in state history. Seven players average at least five points per game, with 6-6 junior center Joey Mellon (7.0) providing a nice boost off the bench.
PHOTOS (Top) Warren Lincoln's Markus Blackwell (2) blocks a shot during the Abes' 61-42 Quarterfinal win over Goodrich on Tuesday. (Middle) Flint Powers Catholic's Baylor Cicalo (5) gets up a shot during a regular-season game against Davison. (Photos by Terry Lyons.)