Experience, 'D' Fuel Arbor Prep's Rise
By
Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
January 27, 2017
By Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
YPSILANTI – The message for girls basketball players at Ypsilanti Arbor Prep is clear: If you don't play defense with a passion, you're not going to get on the court very often.
“They've bought into it,” coach Rod Wells said. “Anybody who comes into our system, they tell them, 'You've got to play D, or you're not going to play.'”
It is paying off in a big way. Arbor Prep, a charter school which opened just six years ago, is coming off a Class C championship and currently is 13-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class B by The Associated Press. Three years ago, Arbor Prep was a quarterfinalist in Class B, and the following year it lost in the Class C semis.
Five of the six players who have started this season are seniors, and the Gators are allowing just 26.5 points per game while scoring 66.9.
“We press a lot, but to win a state championship we knew we had to change,” Wells said. “Last year, we pressed, but we understood you have to play great half-court defense. Our girls know how to play half-court defense.
“Some teams can handle the press, and some can't – most teams can't – but we understand some of the good teams are going to be able to break us. We really work on our half-court defense, which a lot of people don't give us respect for. They just think we're a pressing team, but we play a sagging man-to-man defense. We got it from Wisconsin. We don't let people get into the paint. We put pressure on the ball.”
Senior guards Adrienne Anderson and Ro'zhane Wells are the sparks to the defense. Anderson typically guards the opponent's top scorer, while Wells – a point guard - draws the opposing point guard. Anderson leads the team with 3.8 steals per game, and Wells checks in with 3.1. Additionally, forward/center Cydney Williams is averaging 3.2 steals per game, and senior forward Lauryn Carroll is at 2.6.
“Ro'zhane and Adrienne are the two best defenders on the ball in the state of Michigan,” Wells said. “They put so much pressure on the ball that teams can't get into their offense. The rest of the girls play their roles. I brag about those two girls, and now the other girls love defense so much they say, 'What about us, Coach? We're doing it, too.' It's true, they are getting a lot better, but those two are special.
“Our defense is what makes us go. The tenacity and working hard – they work so doggone hard. They have fun, but they understand that we don't want to give up baskets. Our thing is that if you play great defense and give everything you have on defense, on offense I'll let you do your thing. We run a structured offense, but I give you freedom to shoot the ball. If we play great defense, we'll get it back.”
New school, new program
Arbor Prep, a charter school, opened in the fall of 2011 for students from ninth through 12th grades. Wells, who previously had coached at Milan and Ann Arbor Skyline, started the girls basketball program that season. And it was an instant success, although many did not see it that way.
The Gators won their first 15 games with mostly sophomores and freshmen, but the schedule was not overly competitive, and Arbor Prep finished 17-2.
“It was a real challenge,” Wells said. “We made up our schedule at the last minute, and that was a challenge right there. People were saying that we weren't for real and not playing anybody.
“What we did do was get the girls to believe and play hard. We had no expectations. We didn't know we would end up 17-2; we just wanted to play basketball. When we went 17-2, the girls saw that hard work can pay off.”
Respect was soon to follow.
“The next year we beat Benton Harbor, and the following year we beat Country Day,” Wells said. “I think when we beat those two schools, people believed we were for real. Then I looked in the paper. Whoever was ranked or was a big-time school in girls basketball, I called them up and asked if they wanted to play.
“Inkster was the state champs the year before, and we lost by five to them at our place. Their coach was like, 'I can't believe this; you have all freshmen and sophomores.'”
As the program progressed, it seemed to take a step every season. And Wells said each step was a learning process, especially the season-ending losses in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals.
“We learned something from each loss,” Wells said. “One year I thought we weren't strong enough physically. The team had a big girl, and she killed us, but we didn't play team defense. We let our big go against her. The next year, we scheduled teams that had bigs, and we learned to play team defense against that big, and we got better. That was our lesson.
“The following year we lost to Flint Hamady. We had a bad first quarter and a bad second quarter, and we outplayed them the last two quarters. We made six of 16 free throws. Our lesson from that is we break things down every quarter. We want to win every quarter. You can have all the good work all year and then get behind 10 in one quarter, you waste your whole season. If we play a good team or a bad team, we concentrate on winning each quarter. We've lost two quarters this year.”
On the run to the Class C title last year, the Gators lost twice. Wells said lessons were learned in both losses.
“We lost to Ann Arbor Huron, and my girls just didn't play well, and we lost to Country Day after having a 16-point lead,” he said. “Both of those losses helped to get the girls right. The loss to Country Day was the turning point. They thought I was going to run them in practice and all that, and no, let's just bounce back and do what we do. We blew it, so let's move on.”
And the Gators moved on to the Breslin Center. They had been there the year before in the Semifinals, and Wells believes that 2015 experience was vital to their success.
“I knew that they were going to win that day,” he said. “They had that look in their eye, and they felt the pain from the year before. They saw the (Detroit Martin Luther) King girls crying after the Class A Finals, which were right before us. I didn't even need to have a speech.
“They had been there before. You walk into the Breslin, and it's a different experience. This time, they were like, 'This is our locker room, this is where we're going, there's the pictures on the wall, let's play ball.' No surprises. They were absolutely ready.”
Senior forward/center Cydney Williams remembers feeling overwhelmed with her first visit to Breslin and how it changed on the second trip.
“It was like, 'Wow, this is a big arena,'” she said. “All the lights were on us, we were on live TV, there was a whole bunch of noise, and we couldn't hear coach on the sideline. We had to talk to each other more on the court and zone out of the crowd.
“Last year, we just had that one goal that we weren't going to feel like we felt the year before.”
Arbor Prep is no longer that new program that plays a weak schedule and has its doubters.
It has a winning resume, and this year so much experience and talent that no individual player can put up eye-popping numbers because of the balance. In fact, a recent Ann Arbor News article listed three Arbor Prep players among the top six in the area: Anderson (No. 1), Wells (No. 3) and Williams (No. 6).
“We have six seniors, and five have been with me since the ninth grade,” Wells said. “That group has lost 10 games in four years.”
Another sidenote on those seniors: the lowest grade-point average among them is a 3.8, and despite a rigorous academic load.
While the Gators have not really been tested this season, that will change Saturday night when they travel to Ann Arbor Huron. Arbor Prep has lost to the River Rats in each of the past two seasons.
“It's a measuring stick and a neighborhood battle,” Wells said. “The girls are laser-focused, but they understand the whole season doesn't depend on it.
“They need to be challenged, and that will be the fun part. They need to understand how it feels to be behind this year. I'm not saying I want to be behind, but I want to face that and see how they react to it. This is going to be a great experience, and they are looking forward to it.”
Talent and experience
The Gators return all but one player from last year's championship team. Five seniors are regulars in the starting lineup: Wells at point guard, Anderson at shooting guard, Carroll and Kayla Knight at forwards and Williams as a forward/center.
Junior Lasha Petree, who led Salem in scoring a year ago, came to Arbor Prep with her two sisters and also has cracked the starting lineup while embracing the attitude of her new teammates.
“Everyone has the same goal,” she said. “Everyone wants to win, and they hate losing more than they like to win. It is all-around a great atmosphere because everyone is on the same page.”
Anderson leads the team in scoring at 12.2 points per game, Petree is right behind her at 12.1 with Wells at 11.2 and Williams at 9.8.
But all of them are asked to put defense ahead of offense.
“I love being a defender, but my goal this year is to be known as an offensive and defensive player,” Anderson said. “I've been in the gym a lot working on it, but I wanted to be sure that as much as I worked on offense, I didn't want to weaken my defense. It was important to work on both at the same time to accelerate my game.
“In middle school, we weren't that big on defense, but here it's our bread and butter. The transition was really hard.”
Wells has a unique situation as she is the coach's daughter. She grew up knowing her father stressed defense, but playing for him certainly had a transition period.
“When I first came to high school, it was the hardest,” she said. “I have to make a difference between seeing him as my dad and as my coach. I try not to take it personally, and I'm just another player on the team. I think I've grown from that, and I'm easier to coach.
“In my sophomore year, I figured out that it's just what he's saying and doesn't intend to hurt you. He just wants to make you better. We used to knock heads a lot because we're so much alike, but not as much now. I have gotten more used to it. We make sure to keep it more toward the family side at home and the basketball side at school.”
Wells is third on the team in scoring, first on the team in assists and third on the team in steals.
“She's the one who sets the tone offensively and defensively for us,” her father said. “She's really improved her jump shot. She used to be just a driver, but now she makes her jump shot.
“Her and Adrienne, whoever they guard are usually the two best players. She is excellent at moving her feet and not fouling. When you think pressure, we teach them to play people full-court but not foul. We just want pressure, and she's one of the best at it. She ends up with two fouls a game after all that pressure.”
In the middle, the Gators have Williams, who leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per game.
“She's my center/forward,” Wells said. “We don't have a center, and she's my biggest rebounder. Very physical, and she can shoot threes. She is quick as I don't know what, and she plays the back end of the press. She reads like a linebacker back there, and she is really agile.
“She has made 100 percent improvement. She was stiff as a freshman just getting around, but something came into her and she is so mobile.”
Williams is another player who would have greater numbers on another team, but she is pleased with her situation.
“I love my role,” she said. “It makes it easier for the team if I can get the outlet and push it up the floor. I use my quickness to get around the bigger people and get under them and push them back so I can get the rebound.”
Carroll and Knight round out the top six.
“Carroll is our shooter,” Wells said. “She was our sixth man last year. She is a phenomenal shooter, and she is our zone buster. When teams play zone, they have to pay attention to her. She has gotten a lot better defensively, too. She asked what she had to do to play more, and I told her she had to play defense better. She made a commitment to do that, and now she plays defense very well.
“Kayla is a 6-foot wing, another great defender with long arms. She has improved a lot scoring this year, too. When guards run a pick-and-roll against us, she can switch and guard a guard at 6-foot. My guards are strong enough to handle the switches.
“She has a great attitude. When she came here, she didn't have a big name or big credentials and didn't expect to make varsity the first year, but she's just always in the gym, and it ended up paying off for her.”
That could be said for the entire team.
“The unity that they have and sacrifices each have made to the program make me the most proud,” Wells said. “If any of them were to go to another local school, they would be averaging 20 points a game. But they are totally OK with averaging between 10 and 13 points a game and winning.
“They have a will to win, and I like that.”
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) Ro’zhane Wells (10) anticipates a Traverse City St. Francis player’s next move during last season’s Class C Final. (Middle) Adrienne Anderson (32) and Cydney Williams work to tie up a loose ball against the Gladiators. (Below) Lauryn Carroll brings the ball up the court during last season’s Semifinal win over Ithaca.
Breslin Bound: 2022-23 Girls Semifinal Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 15, 2023
We can make some guarantees about this weekend’s MHSAA Girls Basketball Semifinals & Finals at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center.
We will depart Saturday night with a first-time champion in Division 3, as all four contenders are seeking their first Finals title.
We will watch two reigning champions try to win it all again – West Bloomfield and Fowler – and a returning runner-up in Grand Rapids West Catholic led by a Miss Basketball Award finalist, Cadence Dykstra.
And we can almost guarantee – or at least excitedly anticipate – an incredibly lively Finals atmosphere as six teams attempt to reach Saturday’s championship games for the first time, and 11 of 16 teams playing this weekend pursue either their first titles or first in at least 25 years.
DIVISION 1 - Friday
Salem vs West Bloomfield - Noon
Detroit Renaissance vs Rockford - 2 p.m
DIVISION 2 - Friday
Frankenmuth vs Goodrich - 5:30 p.m.
Grand Rapids West Catholic vs Lansing Catholic - 7:30 p.m.
DIVISION 3 - Thursday
Madison Heights Bishop Foley vs Blissfield - Noon
Hemlock vs Hart - 2 p.m.
DIVISION 4 - Thursday
Baraga vs Fowler - 5:30 p.m.
Glen Lake vs Lenawee Christian - 7:30 p.m
Finals – Saturday
Division 1 - 12:15 p.m.
Division 2 - 6:15 p.m.
Division 3 - 4 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 Girls 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 and 2 on the primary channel and Divisions 1 and 3 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 Girls 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
DETROIT RENAISSANCE
Record/rank: 23-1, No. 2
League finish: First in Detroit Public School League Blue and overall
Coach: Dashaun Wood, first season (23-1)
Championship history: Class B champion 2005, four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 52-37 over No. 6 Grosse Pointe North in Quarterfinal, 43-33 over No. 3 Farmington Hills Mercy in Regional Final, 41-39 over No. 19 Wayne Memorial, 66-54 over Division 2 No. 12 Detroit Country Day.
Players to watch: Anaya Hardy, 6-3 jr. SF/PF (12.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg); Christian Sanders, 5-7 jr. PG (14.1 ppg, 3.6 apg, 3.3 spg); Amyah Espanol, 5-7 PG/SG sr. (11.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.2 spg). (Statistics through 18 games.)
Outlook: The Phoenix most recently finished Division 1 runner-up in 2021, and Sanders started on that team as a freshman. Wood, a 2003 Detroit Crocket grad, took over the program having starred at Wright State and enjoyed a successful professional career in Europe. Renaissance’s only loss this season was 53-52 in overtime to Detroit Catholic League champion Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, and the Phoenix also earned notable wins over East Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Lake Orion among others. Espanol is one of only three seniors, so there likely are big things to come next season as well.
ROCKFORD
Record/rank: 26-1, No. 1
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Coach: Brad Wilson, sixth season (106-33)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 53-43 (Regional Final) and 61-44 over No. 5 Byron Center, 59-40 and 45-28 over No. 8 Hudsonville, 61-49 and 40-28 over No. 12 East Kentwood, 61-47 and 52-30 over No. 18 Holland West Ottawa, 50-36 over Division 2 No. 9 Haslett, 71-39 over Division 2 No. 12 Detroit Country Day.
Players to watch: Anna Wypych, 6-0 soph. G (14.2 ppg, 47 3-pointers); Grace Lyons, 5-8 jr. G (11.7 ppg, 47 3-pointers); Alyssa Wypych, 5-10 sr. G (12.8 ppg, 65 3-pointers).
Outlook: Lyons and Alyssa Wypych started and Anna Wypych came off the bench last season as Rockford fell just three points shy of defeating eventual champion West Bloomfield in a Semifinal, 66-63. Alyssa Wypych and Lyons earned all-state honorable mentions, and the trio this season has keyed a lineup that went undefeated in one of the toughest leagues in the state and also picked up solid wins over Muskegon, Lowell and Holt – with the Rams’ only loss to Division 2 semifinalist Grand Rapids West Catholic. Rockford’s 231 made 3-pointers entering the Quarterfinal ranked sixth all-time, with freshman guard Sienna Wolfe (9.6 ppg) connecting on another 32.
SALEM
Record/rank: 21-6, No. 13
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West and overall
Coach: Rod Wells, second season (32-16)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 55-52 over No. 17 Riverview in Quarterfinal, 46-42 over Saline in Regional Semifinal, 67-64 (OT) over No. 19 Wayne Memorial, 59-37 over No. 14 Brighton.
Players to watch: Shahd Bakkar, 5-7 sr. G (11.2 ppg, 3.9 spg); Madison Morson, 5-9 jr. G (22.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg); Ashley Kopacko, 5-8 sr. G (8.2 ppg).
Outlook: Salem will be playing in its first Semifinal since 1990 and finished 2-15 only two seasons ago. Wells previously led Ypsilanti Arbor Prep to the Class C championship in 2016 and has guided the turnaround and a bounce-back as well after a 2-5 start this season. Salem finished first in a KLAA that saw five teams win 14 or more games, with a sweep of Howell and split with Northville also among strong performances and the Brighton win avenging an early loss. Morson earned an all-state honorable mention last season.
WEST BLOOMFIELD
Record/rank: 25-2, No. 4
League finish: First in Oakland Activities Association Red
Coach: Darrin McAllister, second season (50-3)
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2022, Class A runner-up 1989.
Best wins: 66-34 over No. 7 Flint Carman-Ainsworth in Quarterfinal, 59-49 over Division 2 No. 1 Detroit Edison, 86-83 over Chicago Kenwood Academy, 48-30 and 60-20 over Lake Orion, 81-40 and 53-33 over Rochester.
Players to watch: Summer Davis, 5-9 jr. G (19.1 ppg, 3.3 apg, 4.0 spg, 74 3-pointers); Indya Davis, 5-9 jr. G (15.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 3.3 spg); Sydney Hendrix, 5-11 sr. F (10.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg).
Outlook: West Bloomfield returns to Breslin Center with three starters and its top two subs from last year’s championship team. Both Davis twins earned all-state honorable mentions last season and have committed to sign with Michigan State, and Hendrix has signed with Florida A&M. Juniors Destiny Washington (8.1 ppg) and Kendall Hendrix (7.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg) were those top subs and successfully have moved into the starting lineup. The Lakers’ only losses were in December, to Arbor Prep by four and Indiana power South Bend Washington.
Division 2
FRANKENMUTH
Record/rank: 24-2, No. 7
League finish: First in Tri-Valley Conference 8
Coach: Joe Jacobs, third season (65-7)
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 1996), four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 51-36 over No. 16 Houghton in Quarterfinal, 54-27 (Regional Final), 46-39 (OT) and 62-31 over Freeland, 41-37 over Division 1 No. 9 Grand Blanc, 55-35 over Division 3 No. 4 Hemlock.
Players to watch: Lexi Boyke, 6-1 sr. F/G (13 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.9 bpg); Mia McLaughlin, 5-8 jr. G (10.6 ppg, 3.9 apg, 41 3-pointers); Clare Conzelmann, 5-8 soph. G (9.8 ppg, 3.2 spg).
Outlook: The Eagles are making their first trip to the Semifinals since that last championship season of 1996 but have reached at least the Regional Finals all three seasons under Jacobs, who formerly coached the boys varsities at Saginaw Nouvel, Clio and Flushing before returning to his alma mater. McLaughlin made the all-state second team last season and is committed to Ferris State, and Boyke made the all-state first team two seasons ago before missing last year with a knee injury; she’s signed with Central Michigan. The lone losses came to Lake Fenton (23-1) and Lansing Catholic, a possible championship game opponent.
GOODRICH
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 10
League finish: First in Flint Metro League Stars
Coach: Jason Gray, 24th season (473-94)
Championship history: Class B champion 2013 and 2012.
Best wins: 76-71 (3OT) over No. 12 Detroit Country Day in Regional Final, 54-53 over No. 4 Lake Fenton in District Final, 52-43 over Division 3 No. 10 Ovid-Elsie, 65-31 over Imlay City.
Players to watch: Riley Place, 5-7 sr. G (13.2 ppg, 77 3-pointers); Kalen Williams, 5-11 sr. C (8.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg); Alexis Kosmowski, 5-6 jr. F (10.2 ppg).
Outlook: Goodrich is returning to the Semifinals for the first time since 2015, thanks in part to handing the only loss this season to Lake Fenton after losing their first three meetings this winter. No other opponent has defeated the Martians, and only Country Day and Ovid-Elsie came within single digits of doing so. Goodrich also has built one of the best 3-point shooting totals in state history, with its 202 heading into this week tied for ninth all-time and Place’s 77 tied for 24th on the individual record list. Kosmowski was second with 32, and three others have sunk at least 22. Place has committed to sign with Rochester University.
GRAND RAPIDS WEST CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 26-0, No. 5
League finish: First in O-K Blue
Coach: Jill VanderEnde, ninth season (144-55)
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 1990), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 53-45 (OT – Regional Final) and 51-37 over No. 20 Grand Rapids Christian, 61-54 over Division 1 No. 1 Rockford, 55-50 over Division 1 No. 8 Hudsonville, 49-35 over Muskegon, 49-41 over East Grand Rapids.
Players to watch: Cadence Dykstra, 5-10 sr. G (13.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 5.0 apg, 3.3 spg); Elisha Dykstra, 5-10 soph. F (11.2 ppg); Reese Polega, 6-0 jr. G (9.9 ppg, 46 3-pointers).
Outlook: West Catholic finished Division 2 runner-up last season, graduated an all-state first-teamer who plays at MSU, and hasn’t lost again. Cadence Dykstra, who has signed with Toledo, made the all-state second team last season, and Elisha Dykstra earned an honorable mention. Senior Ellie Bies (6.7 ppg, 3.2 spg) and junior Emma Tuttle (6.4 ppg, 8.9 rpg) also started last year for VanderEnde, who previously coached at Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Findlay and Grand Valley State and has led this team to a combined 90-4 record over the last four seasons. The win over Rockford (see above) was the Rams’ lone defeat this winter.
LANSING CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 22-5, No. 19
League finish: First in Capital Area Activities Conference White
Coach: Kacee Reid, 10th season (127-89)
Championship history: Class C champion 1995.
Best wins: 78-69 over No. 11 Redford Westfield Prep, 46-34 over No. 8 Chelsea in Regional Final, 54-42 over No. 9 Haslett in District Final, 74-42 over No. 7 Frankenmuth, 52-38 over No. 2 Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, 65-38 over Division 3 No. 2 Ypsilanti Arbor Prep.
Players to watch: Anna Richards, 5-10 jr. G (12.2 ppg, 60 3-pointers); Leah Richards, 6-0 jr. F (10.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg); Gabby Halliwill, 5-5 jr. G (8.6 ppg, 51 3-pointers).
Outlook: Lansing Catholic is making its first trip to the Semifinals since 2004 after playing one of the strongest schedules in the state. The Cougars opened 2-4 but are 20-1 since with that lone loss to Haslett and avenged in the District Final. Only two wins during the 20-in-21 run were decided by single digits – against Division 1 Lowell and Division 4 semifinalist Fowler. Anna Richards earned an all-state honorable mention last season and is the leading scorer of a balanced group with six players averaging at least 5.6 ppg entering this week – and five of those six juniors.
Division 3
BLISSFIELD
Record/rank: 26-1, No. 9
League finish: First in Lenawee County Athletic Association
Coach: Ryan Gilbert, 15th season (237-90)
Championship history: Class C runner-up 1973.
Best wins: 45-41 over No. 10 Ovid-Elsie in Quarterfinal, 50-38 over No. 2 Ypsilanti Arbor Prep in Regional Final, 43-27 and 47-27 over Brooklyn Columbia Central, 51-22 over Division 4 No. 13 Adrian Lenawee Christian.
Players to watch: Avery Collins, 5-6 jr. G (11 ppg, 4.5 apg, 4.0 spg); June Miller, 5-5 jr. G (8.7 ppg, 32 3-pointers); Julia White, 6-0 sr. C (10 ppg, 10 rpg, 1.4 bpg).
Outlook: After also reaching Quarterfinals in 2014 and 2017, Blissfield broke through for its first Semifinals trip since the first season of girls basketball in Michigan. The Royals’ only loss was Dec. 29 to Division 1 Grand Blanc, 45-39, and no other opponent has come within single digits or scored more than 43 points as Blissfield gives up 26.8 per game. Collins earned an all-state honorable mention last season and is surrounded by a balanced cast with seven players averaging between 4-11 ppg. White and forward Sarah Bettis (4.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.2 spg, 1.0 bpg) are the lone seniors.
HART
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 17
League finish: First in West Michigan Conference Rivers
Coach: Travis Rosema, fifth season (89-28)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 45-41 over No. 1 Buchanan in Quarterfinal, 37-34 over No. 16 Kent City in Regional Final, 43-34 (District Final), 51-32 and 54-38 over Mason County Central, 43-42 over Ludington.
Players to watch: Abby Hicks, 5-7 jr. G (14.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.7 apg, 5.9 spg); Addi Hovey, 5-10 soph. G/F (16.4 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 4.4 spg, 1.6 bpg, 44 3-pointers); Aspen Boutell, 5-5 sr. G (10.8 ppg, 3.3 apg, 3.1 spg).
Outlook: After winning its second Regional title (and first since 1992), Hart is making its first trip to the Semifinals coming off its two best wins – with the Kent City victory avenging a Dec. 20 loss. All three defeats were to teams that won at least 19 games. The Buchanan win was the Bucks’ first loss since their season opener, and Kent City was the Division 3 runner-up the last two years. Hovey and Hicks are the leading scorers but joined by three seniors in the starting lineup including Boutell, who with Hovey earned an all-state honorable mention last season.
HEMLOCK
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 4
League finish: First in Tri-Valley Conference 10-1
Coach: Scott Neumeyer, 10th season (177-57)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 52-37 over No. 15 Elk Rapids in Quarterfinal, 60-56 (OT) over No. 8 Lake City in Regional Final, 67-52 over No. 7 Traverse City St. Francis in District Final, 54-45 over No. 19 Sanford Meridian in District Semifinal, 73-42 over No. 13 Ithaca, 60-26 over Division 4 No. 7 St. Charles.
Players to watch: Regan Finkbeiner, 5-6 sr. G (17.1 ppg, 3.5 apg, 4.8 spg, 60 3-pointers); Lauren Borsenik, 6-2 jr. F/C (10.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.1 bpg); Chloe Watson, 5-10 sr. G/F (14.1 ppg, 3.5 apg, 71 3-pointers).
Outlook: Hemlock is getting the opportunity it also earned two years ago during the abbreviated 2020-21 season, when it reached the Semifinals but had to withdraw amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Few teams this season faced a tougher draw on the way to East Lansing. All five of the Huskies’ playoff opponents won 20 or more game this season, adding Saginaw Valley Lutheran to those listed above. But Hemlock also had defeated Valley Lutheran during the regular season, 21-win Standish-Sterling twice, Ithaca and St. Charles and lost to three Division 2 teams including Frankenmuth. Finkbeiner and Watson both earned all-state honorable mentions last season, and the team had 214 3-3-pointers entering this week, good for eighth-most all-time.
MADISON HEIGHTS BISHOP FOLEY
Record/rank: 21-6, No. 32
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Intersectional #1
Coach: Colleen Szakacs, first season (21-6)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 34-32 over Sandusky in Quarterfinal, 51-42 (District Final) and 44-26 over Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, 36-26 over Macomb Lutheran North.
Players to watch: Ryan Moorer, 5-8 jr. G/F (11.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg); Alyssa Samartino, 5-8 sr. G (9.1 ppg); Abby Pasinos, 5-1 sr. G (5.3 ppg, 32 3-pointers).
Outlook: After reaching the Semifinals for the first time last season, Bishop Foley has returned under Szakacs, a past Foley standout who took over the program after previously coaching the junior varsity. Moorer and Samartino also were main contributors during last season’s run, and they’ve helped the Ventures return after closing the regular season with three straight losses to top-12 MPR teams in Divisions 1 and 2. Five of their six defeats total were to teams from those larger-school divisions, with the sixth to 2022 Division 3 champ Arbor Prep. Despite playing such a tough group, Foley is giving up only 33 points per game.
Division 4
ADRIAN LENAWEE CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 18-10, No. 13
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Coach: Emilie Beach, first season (18-10)
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2019), one runner-up finish.
Best wins: 52-43 over Hillsdale Academy in Regional Final, 51-43 over No. 11 Morenci in District Final, 51-44 over No. 9 Pittsford in District Semifinal, 59-52 over Bronson.
Players to watch: Isabelle Kirkendall, 5-10 sr. F (10.3 ppg); Avery Sluss, 5-8 sr. G (14.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 56 3-pointers); Selah Clymer, 5-9 jr. G (6.0 ppg).
Outlook: Lenawee Christian is returning to the Semifinals despite graduating four starters from last year’s Breslin team and losing leading rebounder Hannah Baker (8.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg) to injury near the end of the regular season. Sluss also was among leading scorers and 3-point shooters last winter, and she, Kirkendall and Dalay Ojeda are then lone seniors. They prepped with a tough schedule which included losses to three top-20 MPR Division 4 teams plus Blissfield, avenging a season-opening defeat to Morenci two weeks ago. Beach, a former Morenci standout, took over the program this season after previously coaching the JV.
BARAGA
Record/rank: 22-5, No. 14
League finish: First in Copper Mountain Conference - Copper Country
Coach: Tyler Larson, second season (46-7)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 40-36 over No. 4 Mackinaw City in Quarterfinal, 53-37 over No. 12 Norway in Regional Final, 47-39 over Ewen-Trout Creek in Regional Semifinal, 55-48 (District Final) and 57-36 over Lake Linden-Hubbell, 54-48 and 42-38 over No. 19 Ontonagon.
Players to watch: Corina Jahfetson, 5-5 sr. G (18 ppg, 3.2 apg, 4.2 spg, 90 3-pointers); Kylie Michaelson, 5-6 sr. G (12.5 ppg); Makenna Hendrickson, 5-6 jr. PG (9.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.7 spg).
Outlook: Baraga made the Semifinals last season for the first time since 1992 and now has made the winter’s last weekend both seasons under Larson while also winning a fifth-straight league title. Jahfetson earned an all-state honorable mention in 2022, and her 90 3-pointers entering this week rank seventh all-time. Although Baraga graduated an all-state first teamer, she, Michaelson, Hendrickson and senior forward Autumn Tembreull all started last season’s Semifinal as the Vikings came within six points of catching eventual repeat champion Fowler – and the two top subs from that game also are back.
FOWLER
Record/rank: 20-7, No. 8
League finish: Second in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Coach: Nathan Goerge, 13th season (178-121)
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2022), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 47-43 over No. 1 Kingston in Quarterfinal, 61-42 over No. 18 Petersburg Summerfield in Regional Final, 40-35 (District Final) and 51-44 over No. 5 Portland St. Patrick, 46-42 and 44-37 over Pewamo-Westphalia.
Players to watch: Emma Riley, 5-7 sr. G (15.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg); Taylor Weber, 5-5 sr. G (8.4 ppg, 55 3-pointers); Avery Koenigsknecht, 5-4 sr. G (7.3 ppg, 3.0 apg).
Outlook: Fowler graduated last season’s Division 4 statewide Player of the Year but returned another all-stater in Riley, who with Koenigsknecht started on both championship teams the last two seasons while Weber was last year’s top sub. The Eagles have won 13 of their last 14 games, and only one defeat this season came to a Division 4 opponent – St. Patrick, with that loss since avenged twice. Fowler also gave Division 2 Lansing Catholic one of its closest games, lost to Division 3 Dansville in overtime and by just two points to Division 1 Midland Dow.
MAPLE CITY GLEN LAKE
Record/rank: 24-2, No. 2
League finish: First in Northwest Conference
Coach: Jason Bradford, 15th season (280-72)
Championship history: Class D champion 1978, runner-up 1979.
Best wins: 57-49 over No. 7 St. Charles in Quarterfinal, 54-45 over No. 3 Gaylord St. Mary in Regional Final, 51-45 over Division 3 No. 7 Traverse City St. Francis, 52-41 over Division 3 No. 15 Elk Rapids.
Players to watch: Ruby Hogan, 5-7 sr. G (19.1 ppg, 5.2 apg, 5.5 spg); Maddie Bradford, 6-0 sr. C (15.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.6 bpg); Eleanor Valkner, 6-0 jr. F (5.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg).
Outlook: Glen Lake is back at the Semifinals but in Division 4 this time after playing in Division 3 a year ago. Hogan, Maddie Bradford and senior guard Gemma Lerchen (4.8 ppg) all started during the last Breslin trip. The varsity is a combined 68-4 over the last three seasons. The only losses this time were to Division 1 Traverse City Central and Division 2 Cadillac, and Glen Lake has won its last 16 games – all but two during that run by double digits. Senior Olivia Mikowski adds 5.9 points and five rebounds off the bench.
PHOTOS (Top) Fowler's Grace Epkey (23) goes to the basket during her team's Tuesday Quarterfinal win over Kingston. (Middle) Detroit Renaissance's Imani Johnson prepares to shoot a free throw during her team's PSL championship game win over Detroit Cass Tech. (Top photo by Terry Lyons; middle photo by Olivia B. Photography.)