BCAM Names '7s' Retro Mr Basketball Winners
May 1, 2017
Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan
Forty years after scoring his last basket at the high school level, Earvin “Magic” Johnson is finally a BCAM Mr. Basketball.
“When we began talking about this award, we thought of all the great players who never had the opportunity to win it,” said Al Schaffer, chairman of the Association’s Mr. Basketball committee at the announcement of the Michigan’s Mr. Basketball award back in 1981. “Players like Earvin Johnson, Dave DeBusschere, Chet Walker, Frank Tanana, Sr.; Mel Peterson, Richie Jordan, Campy Russell and many, many others.”
In 2010, the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan launched a decade-long program meant to honor those very athletes. The Retro Mr. Basketball award looks back at the state’s top senior prep basketball players for the years 1920 through 1980. This year marks the eighth year of the project, and places the spotlight on the senior athletes for the years that end in seven – 1927, 1937, 1947, 1957, 1967 and 1977.
“Those six school years include some of the state’s greatest names,” said BCAM president Tom Hursey. “BCAM was incorporated in the summer of 1976, and first presented the ‘Mr. Basketball’ award in 1981 to Lansing Eastern’s Sam Vincent. Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson was one of the inspirations for the award. It’s nice to see him honored after all these years.”
Members of the Association’s Retro Mr. Basketball committee assembled between sessions of the MHSAA Boys Basketball championships in March to identify, then select the latest group of honorees.
“With their selections, a total of 49 seniors from the Retro years have now been named,” said Ron Pesch, historian for the Michigan High School Athletic Association and the individual tasked with identifying candidates for the award. “When combined with the 37 winners of the modern Mr. Basketball award, Michigan now has 86 individuals we call “Mr. Basketball.”
The names of this year’s selections will be added to plaques that surround the base of the original Mr. Basketball trophy created by BCAM in 1981.
PAST WINNERS OF BCAM’S RETRO MR. BASKETBALL AWARD
(College Attended Shown In Parenthesis)
1980 Tim McCormick, Clarkston (Michigan)
1976 Stuart House, Detroit Denby (Washington State)
1975 Bruce Flowers, Berkley (Notre Dame)
1974 Tony Smith, Saginaw (Nevada-Las Vegas)
1973 Tom LaGarde, Detroit Catholic Central (North Carolina)
1972 Larry Fogle, Detroit Cooley (Canisius)
1971 Michael "Campy" Russell, Pontiac Central (Michigan)
1970 Rick Drewitz, Garden City West (Kentucky)
1966 Rudy Tomjanovich, Hamtramck (Michigan)
1965 L.C. Bowen, Benton Harbor (Bradley)
1964 Willie Betts, River Rouge (Bradley)
1963 Craig Dill, Saginaw Arthur Hill (Michigan)
1962 Ernie Thompson, Saginaw (Bradley)
1961 Reggie Harding, Detroit Eastern
1960 Peter Gent, Bangor (Michigan State)
1956 Mel Peterson, Stephenson (Wheaton)
1955 M.C. Burton, Jr., Muskegon Heights (Michigan)
1954 Pete Tillotson, Ludington (Michigan)
1953 Ron Kramer, East Detroit (Michigan)
1952 Frank Tanana, Sr., Detroit St. Andrew
1951 Webster Kirksey, Saginaw (Eastern Michigan)
1950 Charlie Primas, Detroit Miller (Wayne State)
1946 Jack Forestieri, Benton Harbor (Norte Dame)
1945 Bob Swanson, Lansing Sexton (Michigan)
1944 Dick Rifenburg, Saginaw Arthur Hill (Michigan)
1943 Don Boven, Kalamazoo Central (Western Michigan)
1942 Larry Savage, Saginaw (Northwestern)
1941 Don Osterman, Detroit St. Theresa (Villanova)
1940 Ralph Gibert, Flint Northern (Michigan)
1936 Charles Pink, Detroit Northwestern (Michigan)
1935 John Zwier, Holland Christian
1934 Earl Brown, Jr., Benton Harbor (Notre Dame)
1933 Lincoln Dodson Truss, Flint Northern
1932 Lowell Matteson, Portage
1931 Edward Huttenga, Grand Haven (Western Michigan)
1930 John Tooker, Kalamazoo St. Augustine (Michigan)
1926 Roger Grove, Sturgis (Michigan State)
1925 Joe Truskowski, Detroit Northeastern (Michigan)
1924 Bennie Oosterbaan, Muskegon (Michigan)
1923 Henry Schrumpf, Niles (Western Michigan)
1922 Royal Cherry, Grand Rapids Union (Michigan)
1921 George Haggarty, Ypsilanti (Michigan)
1920 Harry Kipke, Lansing Central (Michigan)
2017 SELECTIONS FOR BCAM’S RETRO MR. BASKETBALL AWARD
(The winner of the award is listed below at the top of the page in ALL CAPS, while finalists for the award follow and are listed alphabetically.)
1977 RETRO MR. BASKETBALL
EARVIN ‘MAGIC’ JOHNSON, LANSING EVERETT – “May be the best prep player ever in Michigan” stated United Press International at the conclusion of his prep career, and today, few would debate that assessment. Johnson totaled 2,012 points in his high school career, including an average of 28.8 points per game as a senior. Dominant across all aspects of the game, opposing coaches praised his ability to control a contest. The sophomore fouled out in his varsity debut, missing about a third of the game, but still grabbed 16 rebounds and scored 12 points against Holt in early December 1974. By February of 1975, Lansing sportswriters called him “Magic.” A first-team Parade All-American as a 6-foot-8½, 198 pound senior, Johnson was named a first-team all-stater by The Associated Press in all three years of varsity play. In 1977, Johnson led Everett to a 62-56 overtime victory over Birmingham Brother Rice in one of the all-time classic Class A title games.
1977 FINALISTS
Rick Baillergeon, Maple City Glen Lake, 6-2 – Scored 16 points as Glen Lake downed Detroit East Catholic 70-68 for Class D championship. The points brought Baillergeon’s four-year career total to 2,144 – second most in the state at the time behind Richie Jordan, who tallied 2,210 points for Fennville between 1962 and 1965, and four more than Dom Jacobetti’s total of 2,140 points, scored over four seasons at Negaunee St. Paul. A 60-percent field goal shooter, Baillergeon continued his playing days at Ferris State.
Tim Bracey, Grand Rapids Creston, 6-2, 170 – Excellent at both ends of the court, Bracey was a two-time scoring champion in the City League and averaged 24.3 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists per game as a senior.
Kevin Smith, Birmingham Brother Rice, 6-1½, 165 – Called “the finest guard to ever play basketball in the Catholic League” by Mick McCabe of the Detroit Free Press, Smith was accurate on 81 percent of his free throws while averaging 29 points, seven assists, five steals and six rebounds per contest as a senior. His 47-foot shot at the end of regulation of the 1977 Class A championship against Lansing Everett sent the contest to overtime.
Jay Vincent, Lansing Eastern, 6-7, 230 – Vincent was a starter beginning his sophomore year but played largely in the shadow of Earvin Johnson. Still, he was the second-leading vote getter on the UPI all-state team. Vincent totaled 1,512 points over his prep career, a number that would have been higher had Eastern been able to get past Johnson and Everett in the District round of the annual MHSAA tournament during those three seasons.
1967 RETRO MR. BASKETBALL
SPENCER HAYWOOD, DETROIT PERSHING – “He just might be the finest 16-year-old player in the United States,” said his coach Will Robinson about the transfer from Mississippi who arrived at Pershing in the fall of the 1965-66 school year. Only the Detroit Free Press named the 6-foot-7 junior to its all-state team that winter, but one year later, the Detroit News, Free Press, Associated Press and United Press International had all discovered Haywood, and named him to their respective top all-state squads. Haywood demanded respect around the boards, grabbing 544 rebounds – 169 on offense and 375 on defense – while blocking 160 shots. A Parade magazine third-team All-American, he averaged 29.1 points per game as a junior and 25.6 over his prep career, hitting on 74 percent of his free throws while dishing out 120 assists. Helped lead the Doughboys to the 1967 Class A championship, the first for Robinson.
1967 FINALISTS
Tim Bograkos, Flint Central, 6-1, 175 – The second player in Flint history to score more than 600 points in his career, Bograkos totaled 726 points over two seasons of varsity play. Honor student and team captain of the football, basketball and baseball teams, as a senior he averaged 17 points per game, leading the Indians to the Class A Final, a 90-66 loss to Detroit Pershing.
Dan Fife, Clarkston, 6-3½, 185 – Averaged 12 rebounds and better than 32 points per contest as a senior. Scored 52 points in a game and totaled 1,589 points over his three years of varsity play at Clarkston. Fife played college ball at Michigan, then returned to Clarkston where he has served as varsity basketball coach for 35 years. In March 2017, the Wolves topped Grand Rapids Christian for the Class A championship – a first for Coach Fife.
Ralph Houston, Muskegon Heights, 6-4½, 178 – Possessing excellent size and speed, Houston averaged just shy of 20 points per game for the Tigers, scoring 381 points total while corralling 208 rebounds as a senior.
Kennedy McIntosh, South Haven, 6-6½, 220 – A Class B all-state selection as a junior, McIntosh earned Dream Team recognition from the Detroit News as a senior, averaging 18 rebounds and more than 25 points per game during his graduation year. Attended Eastern Michigan following high school before advancing to the NBA.
1957 RETRO MR. BASKETBALL
ED BURTON, MUSKEGON HEIGHTS – A rugged rebounder who carried a 20-point-plus scoring average as both a forward and center, the 6-foot-6, 201-pound Burton was the top vote getter in the Detroit Free Press coaches all-state poll. Scored 1,143 points to break the Heights’ career scoring mark set by his brother, M.C. Burton, by two points. As a senior, “Big Ed” hit 20 field goals and tallied 44 points versus Traverse City in tournament Quarterfinal play, and 17 points versus Benton Harbor and star junior Chet Walker in the Semifinals. In the 1957 Class A title contest, Burton scored 25 points, including 13 of 15 shooting from the foul line, against Detroit Austin Catholic and its top ballplayer, junior Dave DeBusschere. Burton’s 31 rebounds against Traverse City in Quarterfinal action still stands as an MHSAA final round record.
1957 FINALISTS
Charles North – Detroit Northwestern, 6-3½, 185 – Led Northwestern to the City Championship, and was the team’s top rebounder and clutch scorer. Later played for the University of Detroit.
Dave Southwell – Parma Western – 6-4, 205 – A repeat first-team all-state selection by the Free Press, Southwell was amazingly agile, and turned in his best games against Parma’s toughest opponents. “Would rather set up his teammates than to score himself,” wrote the Michigan Center coach at the time of balloting for the 1957 all-state team. “He took eight shots against us and hit on five.” High praise considering Southwell put up 47 against Michigan Center as a junior.
Tom Villemure, Newberry, 5-10, 180 – Averaged 33.3 ppg as a guard at Newberry, and was the state’s leading scorer in 1957. Later a two-time MVP at Sault Tech (now Lake Superior State) then continued his playing career at University of Detroit. Served as head coach at Grand Valley State for 24 years.
Tom Wilson, Lapeer, 6-1, 178 – The top name in Class B basketball in 1957. Scored over 1,300 points in his career at Lapeer and 36 points or more in six straight games. Tom was the third of the Wilsons to play football at Michigan State behind oldest brother John, a defensive back at MSU, and Pat, a quarterback and basketball player for the Spartans. Tom would also play both sports at Michigan State.
1947 RETRO MR. BASKETBALL
SAMMY GEE, DETROIT MILLER – A 5-foot-8, 150-pound set-up artist, Gee was a quick thinking floor general and one of the city’s top scorers for coach Will Robinson’s Trojans. Well known across the state despite the fact Detroit Public School League teams did not compete in the MHSAA-sponsored tournament, Gee scored 15 points to lead all scorers as Miller won its first-ever PSL championship before 8,000 fans at the State Fairground Coliseum in Detroit. Miller then downed Detroit St. Joseph in Detroit’s first postseason championship between the PSL and the city’s parochial champion. The game was played in front of 16,041 spectators at Olympia Stadium, at the time the largest crowd ever to see a basketball game in Michigan. As a testament to his skills, Gee was signed by the Harlem Globetrotters out of high school. An outstanding baseball player as well, he was inked by the Brooklyn Dodgers and played minor league ball for the organization for parts of two seasons.
1947 FINALISTS
Bill Agre, Saginaw Arthur Hill, 6-0, 150 – Only Saginaw Valley member to score a spot on the Detroit Free Press all-state first team. An aggressive, hard driving guard, Agre was the Valley’s top defensive player and received the most votes when named to the league’s all-conference team.
Chuck Murray, Birmingham, 5-11 – Another first-team selection by the Times, Murray also was named to the second team by the Free Press. Considered one of the state’s most versatile athletes, competing in football, baseball and track, but basketball was considered his best sport. Held Birmingham’s single-season scoring mark with 210 points in 15 games.
Bob Nagel, Lansing Eastern, 6-2, 185 – A unanimous all-5A Conference first-team selection, Nagel was a first-team selection in the Free Press. An outstanding all-around athlete, he was Class A pole vault champion in the spring of 1947.
Bob VanDyke, Holland – 6-5, 200 – Scored 296 points in 17 games to set a new scoring record at Holland, with six games of 20 points or more.
1937 RETRO MR. BASKETBALL
BOB OSTERMAN, DETROIT ST. THERESA – A 6-foot-4 center, Osterman led Detroit St. Theresa to Class B titles in 1936 and 1937. Only first team repeater on the Detroit Free Press all-state squad, he was named to the paper’s second team in 1935 as a sophomore. Scored 793 points over four years at St. Theresa – better than 11 points per game. Tallied 16 points in a little more than three quarters of play, as St. Theresa downed Marshall in the Class B Final in 1937. Later played football at Notre Dame. Brother of Don, who was named Retro Mr. Basketball for the 1940-41 season.
1937 FINALISTS
Gene Brogan – Lansing St. Mary – A clever dribbler and top-notch playmaker, Brogan was the main cog in St. Mary’s drive to back-to-back Class C championships. Helped the “Big Blue” piece together a 27-game win streak spanning the 1936 and 1937 seasons. The loss, to eventual 1937 Class B champion Detroit St. Theresa, was St. Mary’s lone defeat in 25 matchups in ’37 and one of four over the two-year span.
Jack Newman, Grand Rapids Union – “A fine passer,” Newman was the “leading scorer in the Grand Rapids City League for two seasons.”
Melvin Peterson, Muskegon – Captain and top marksman for the Big Reds, Peterson helped guide Muskegon to a flawless 18-0 mark and the Class A championship. A guard praised for his playmaking ability, he finished third in scoring in the Southwestern Conference with 64 points over 10 games. Later played basketball at Michigan State.
Grady Truss, Flint Northern – The first African-American player to captain Northern’s basketball team, the 6-foot-4 Truss played center and finished his senior year as the second-leading scorer in the Saginaw Valley league with 108 points. A first team all-state selection by the Free Press, Truss earned second team all-state honors as a junior, and was a third team pick as a sophomore. Northern finished as runner-up to the state title in 1935, won the Class A title in 1936, and advanced to the Quarterfinals, losing to cross-town rival Flint Central, in 1937. Grady was the younger brother of Lincoln Dodson Truss, who was named Retro Mr. Basketball for the 1932-33 season.
1927 RETRO MR. BASKETBALL
BILL MCCALL, MUSKEGON – Led the basketball team to a 20-1 record and a Class A championship in the winter of 1927. Named to the All-Tournament team, McCall was also a two-time all-state selection in football, where he helped guide Muskegon to mythical championships in the falls of both 1926 and 1927, the first titles under the leadership of head coach C. Leo Redmond. Later starred at Dartmouth University in both sports.
1927 FINALISTS
Harold Green, Detroit Northern – Named captain of the Detroit Free Press mythical All-City team, Green was “a small thin chap,” who played “like a flash of lightning.” Finished second in scoring in Detroit as a senior, he was considered one of the few players who could do all things well.
George Markley, Pontiac – In his first year on varsity, Markley developed into a brilliant player. His specialty was tapping the ball in from under the basket and his work in the MHSAA tournament, played at Detroit Central, earned him the position of All-Tournament forward.
Al Milanski, Detroit Northeastern – Twice named to the first-team All-City squad by the Detroit Free Press. Top scorer in the city, Milanski averaged better than 10 points per game as a senior. “Fast man down the floor, especially adept at receiving passes and one of the surest shots in the city within a reasonable distance of the basket.”
Ray Priest, Battle Creek Central – Outstanding forward of the state tournament, according to the Battle Creek Enquirer. Played a beautiful floor game, offensively and defensively. First player in Battle Creek history to earn all-state in both football and basketball. Mid-year grad. Played football at the University of Michigan following high school.
PHOTO: Lansing Everett's Earvin Johnson (right) puts up a shot over Lansing Eastern's Jay Vincent during their high school careers.
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Boys Semifinals Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 12, 2025
Michigan State University’s Breslin Center will once again provide opportunities for dream finishes for 16 teams concluding another MHSAA boys basketball season this weekend.
Mark Keeler has been involved in plenty. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian’s leader will retire this weekend as the third-winningest coach in MHSAA boys basketball history – and after his 16th trip to Finals weekend.
His Defenders are joined by Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Division 1 and Warren Lincoln in Division 2 as returning title winners seeking to finish repeat runs. Meanwhile, half of this weekend’s field will attempt to accomplish what Lincoln also did a year ago – end at Breslin as a champion for the first time.
Semifinals will be played Thursday and Friday, with all four championships games set for Saturday.
DIVISION 1 - Friday
East Lansing (26-1) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary's (20-6) - Noon
Wayne Memorial (24-3) vs. Flint Carman-Ainsworth (22-5) - 2 p.m.
DIVISION 2 - Friday
Kingsford (22-3) vs. Romulus Summit Academy North (23-3) - 5:30 p.m.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central (21-7) vs. Warren Lincoln (21-4) - 7:30 p.m.
DIVISION 3 - Thursday
Ishpeming Westwood (22-5) vs. Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac (20-1) - Noon
Riverview Gabriel Richard (23-2) vs. Pewamo-Westphalia (24-3) - 2 p.m.
DIVISION 4 - Thursday
Crystal Falls Forest Park (25-2) vs. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (25-2) - 5:30 p.m.
Fowler (24-3) vs. Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (24-3) - 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 on FanDuel Sports Network. The Divisions 4 and 1 games will be broadcast on the FDSN primary channel, and the Divisions 3 and 2 games will be broadcast on FDSN Extra. 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 Michigan Achievement Scholarship/MI Student Aid.
Here’s a look at the 16 semifinalists (with rankings by regular-season Michigan Power Ratings and statistics through Regional Finals):
Division 1
EAST LANSING
Record/rank: 26-1, No. 2
League finish: First in Capital Area Activities Conference Blue
Coach: Ray Mitchell, seventh season (124-34)
Championship history: Class B champion 1958, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 72-49 over No. 11 Ann Arbor Huron in Quarterfinal, 77-42 over No. 45 Kalamazoo Central in Regional Final, 65-48 (District Final), 62-60 and 75-65 over No. 9 Lansing Waverly, 84-74 over No. 35 Detroit Renaissance, 69-68 over No. 1 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 69-54 over Division 2 No. 1 Warren Lincoln, 60-56 over Division 2 No. 6 Romulus Summit Academy North.
Players to watch: KJ Torbert, 6-3 jr. G (20.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg); Cameron Hutson, 6-6 sr. G (18.5 ppg, 49 3-pointers, 7.4 rpg,); Kingston Thomas, 6-5 soph. G (8.0 ppg).
Outlook: This will be the Trojans’ first trip to the Semifinals since 2008, and their only loss came in overtime 69-65 to Muskegon (20-3) on Dec. 21. The three players noted above are all sons of former Michigan State standouts (Kelvin Torbert, Andre Hutson and David Thomas, respectively) and have accounted for 61 percent of East Lansing’s 77 points per game this season, which have come against one of the strongest schedules in the state. Hutson and Torbert both made the all-state first team last season. Senior guard Jayce Branson adds another 7.8 points and two steals per game.
FLINT CARMAN-AINSWORTH
Record/rank: 22-5, No. 12
League finish: Fourth in Saginaw Valley League
Coach: Jay Witham, 12th season (204-69)
Championship history: Class A runner-up 2004 and 2003.
Best wins: 54-51 over No. 25 Byron Center in Quarterfinal, 64-56 over No. 9 Marquette in Regional Final, 64-60 (OT) over No. 3 Rockford in Regional Semifinal, 73-64 over No. 30 Saginaw United in District Final, 84-64 over No. 15 Port Huron Northern, 87-82 over No. 9 Lansing Waverly, 90-88 (3OT) over Division 2 No. 2 Flint Powers Catholic, 55-51 over Division 3 No. 9 Pewamo-Westphalia.
Players to watch: Donovan Hamlin, 6-5 sr. F (14.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 3.0 apg); MarQuinn Weston II, 5-10 sr. G (14.5 ppg, 41 3-pointers, 3.4 spg); Kendreyas White, 6-6 jr. F (7.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg).
Outlook: Carman-Ainsworth’s first trip to the Semifinals since 2004 began to take shape after a stretch of four losses in five games during the second half of January. The Cavaliers have won 13 of 14 games since, and the District Final victory over Saginaw United avenged a 14-point regular-season defeat. Rafael Murphy Jr. (6.6 ppg) and Fred Thomas IV (6.2) are among four more players averaging at least 5.5 points per game – and Thomas drilled the game-winner in the Quarterfinal. Freshman guard Anthony Mull has been the team’s second-most productive 3-point shooter and is the son of another past Spartan, Anthony Mull, who is also a Cavaliers assistant coach.
ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S
Record/rank: 20-6, No. 1
League finish: Third in Catholic High School League Central
Coach: Todd Covert, 10th season (170-60)
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2024), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 58-57 over No. 5 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 54-37 over No. 24 Waterford Mott in Regional Final, 72-41 over No. 20 Grand Blanc in Regional Semifinal, 76-73 over No. 35 Detroit Renaissance, 72-41 over No. 4 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 49-48 over No. 17 Grand Rapids Northview, 51-44 over No. 3 Rockford.
Players to watch: Trey McKenney, 6-5 sr. F (22.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg); Sharod Barnes, 6-2 sr. G (11.7 ppg, 4.2 apg); Jayden Savoury, 6-5 sr. F (9.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg).
Outlook: The Eaglets return to Breslin with three starters from last year’s championship run plus senior guard Isaiah Hines (9.7 ppg), a top sub who now starts. Leading the way, of course, is Mr. Basketball Award honoree McKenney, who was also last season’s Division 1 Player of the Year from The Associated Press and has signed with Michigan. He’s the program’s all-time leading scorer, but St. Mary’s still went 4-2 when he was out with an injury midseason – losing to East Lansing by only one point and Brother Rice by two during that stretch. Junior forward Luke Crighton adds another 6.3 ppg, and freshman guard Mateen Cleaves – also a son of a former MSU standout – provides 5.1 points off the bench.
WAYNE MEMORIAL
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 14
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association East
Coach: Steve Brooks, fourth season (60-48)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 70-44 over No. 10 Detroit Martin Luther King in Quarterfinal, 72-70 over No. 5 Detroit U-D Jesuit in Regional Final, 66-49 and 59-54 over No. 32 Belleville, 69-60 over No. 23 Traverse City West, 77-52 and 76-63 over No. 21 Dearborn.
Players to watch: Austin Tory, 6-7 sr. G/F/C (11.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.6 bpg); Carlos Medlock Jr., 6-0 jr. G (24.9 ppg, 49 3-pointers, 6.0 rpg, 4.8 apg, 3.0 spg); Jaylohn Allen, 6-2 jr. G (17.7 ppg, 58 3-pointers, 4.4 apg).
Outlook: After taking losses to Birmingham Groves (18-6) and St. Mary’s in December, Wayne has won 20 of its 21 games this calendar year and 16 by double digits. Brooks is 384-164 since becoming a varsity coach in 2001 and also took Inkster and Ypsilanti to Quarterfinals; he’s brought Wayne from 2-11 his first season to its first Semifinal since 1997. The third loss this winter was to Novi (19-5), by just two points in the KLAA championship game. Senior guard Jalahn McClellan (4.7 ppg, 29 3-pointers) is another player who must be accounted for on the perimeter.
Division 2
GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 21-7, No. 25
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference White
Coach: Chris Pearl, first season (21-7)
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2021, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 47-44 over No. 7 Grand Rapids South Christian in Regional Final, 44-35 over No. 4 Hudsonville Unity Christian in District Semifinal, 58-33 and 54-43 over No. 42 Grand Rapids Christian, 59-43 over No. 33 Marshall in Quarterfinal, 71-46 over No. 35 Allendale in District Final.
Players to watch: Izaya Larthridge, 6-5 jr. F (15.5 ppg, 61 3-pointers, 5.1 rpg); Jack Bowen, 6-6 sr. C (7.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg); Brieland Watkins, 6-2 jr. G (10.7 ppg).
Outlook: In addition to its championship in 2021, Grand Rapids Catholic Central finished Division 2 runner-up in 2022 and reached the Quarterfinals last season. They’ve continued to advance under Pearl, who played at Otsego and then collegiately at Sienna Heights, Grand Valley State and Davenport and served as a Catholic Central assistant for a year before taking over the program this winter. All but one of the Cougars’ losses came against opponents that won at least 16 games during the regular season, and the Unity and South Christian playoff victories avenged two of those defeats. Jordan McCoy adds another nine points and 3.6 assists per game.
KINGSFORD
Record/rank: 22-3, No. 3
League finish: Tied for first in Great Northern Conference
Coach: Ben Olsen, first season (22-3)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 48-46 over No. 10 Freeland in Quarterfinal, 72-60 over Division 1 No. 6 Marquette, 57-53 over Division 3 No. 7 Iron Mountain, 59-32 over Division 3 No. 11 Elk Rapids, 57-50 over Division 3 No. 18 Ishpeming Westwood, 56-39 over Division 4 No. 1 Crystal Falls Forst Park.
Players to watch: Owen Olkkonen, 6-3 jr. F (7.0 ppg, 33 3-pointers); Morgan Sleik, 6-4 sr. C (12.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg); Gavin Grondin, 5-11 sr. G (24.3 ppg, 79 3-pointers).
Outlook: Kingsford’s Regional titles last week and last season were the program’s first since 1992, and this will be its first trip to the Semifinals since 1965. The Flivvers avenged losses to Marquette and Iron Mountain along the way, sharing the GNC title with the former, and prior to the Freeland win the other four during the postseason were all by at least 18 points. Grondin earned an all-state honorable mention as a junior and has made nearly 39 percent of his shots from 3-point range. Olsen took over the program this season after previously coaching the boys and girls teams at Gwinn.
ROMULUS SUMMIT ACADEMY NORTH
Record/rank: 23-3, No. 6
League finish: First in Charter School Conference Gold
Coach: Derek Clark, first season (23-3)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 68-41 over No. 37 Lansing Sexton in Quarterfinal, 59-53 over No. 12 Adrian in Regional Final, 60-47 over No. 21 Detroit University Prep, 59-33 over No. 11 Detroit Old Redford, 62-40 over Division 1 No. 28 Birmingham Groves, 65-64 over Division 1 No. 35 Detroit Renaissance.
Players to watch: Amir Perryman, 5-10 sr. G (11.4 ppg, 3.5 apg); Chance Houser, 6-6 jr. F (14.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg); Jordan Fuller, 6-0 jr. G (13.1 ppg, 2.9 apg).
Outlook: Summit is returning to the Semifinals for the second time in three seasons, this time under Clark, who coached Detroit University Prep Art & Design to league and District titles over three seasons before taking over the Dragons. Their losses tell a good story as well; Summit lost to Walled Lake Central (18-5) by just six at the end of December, then by just four to East Lansing and two in overtime to University Prep in a league tournament semifinal. Senior forward Andrew Ashwood (10.7 ppg), junior guard Marquan White (7.5) and junior forward Demetri Campbell (5.6) also bolster the balanced offense.
WARREN LINCOLN
Record/rank: 21-4, No. 1
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference Red
Coach: Wydell Henry, seventh season (113-39)
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2024.
Best wins: 59-44 over No. 11 Detroit Old Redford in Regional Final, 66-65 over Division 1 No. 5 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 56-48 and 74-58 over Division 1 No. 15 Port Huron Northern, 56-51 over Division 1 No. 11 Ann Arbor Huron, 76-66 over Division 1 No. 13 Muskegon.
Players to watch: Geon Hutchins, 6-5 sr. G (16.5 ppg); Markus Blackwell, 6-2 sr. G (19.5 ppg, 2.5 apg); Da’Marion Bozeman, 6-5 sr. G (13.3 ppg).
Outlook: Bozeman, Markus Blackwell and senior guard Moses Blackwell (6.5 ppg) all started last season’s championship game, and 6-7 senior guard Christopher Morgan (11.7 ppg) was a top sub and starts now. Warren Lincoln played the second-toughest schedule in any division this regular season, as its opponents combined won 70 percent of their games. The Abes have won 17 straight after working through a string of defeats to Division 1 East Lansing, Byron Center, Brother Rice and Grand Rapids Northview over a six-game stretch in late December and early January. Markus Blackwell made the all-state first team last season.
Division 3
ARTS & TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY of PONTIAC
Record/rank: 20-1, No. 13
League finish: First in Charter School Conference Silver
Coach: Orlando Lovejoy, first season (20-1)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 74-44 over No. 50 Flint New Standard Academy in Quarterfinal, 82-61 over No. 49 Detroit Loyola in Regional Final, 84-43 over No. 46 Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, 68-61 over Division 2 No. 11 Detroit Old Redford, 83-67 over Division 1 No. 38 River Rouge.
Players to watch: Lewis Lovejoy, 5-8 fr. G (17.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 8.4 apg, 3.4 spg, 2.3 bpg); De’Vontae Grandison, 6-4 jr. F (13.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 4.2 apg, 3.0 bpg); Terrance Hicks, 6-3 sr. G (15.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.0 spg, 1.0 bpg).
Outlook: ATAP finished 3-12 just two seasons ago and 8-7 last year but has taken a mighty step under Orlando Lovejoy. Losing only to nonleague Division 1 Hamtramck (15-9), the Lions won their division of the Charter School Conference and then reached the league tournament championship game (which was canceled) by getting past Old Redford – which was ATAP’s only single-digit win. The Lions have scored more than 80 points 12 times and 90 in three games. Senior guard Teyshaun Hicks adds another 11.9 points, six assists and one block per game.
ISHPEMING WESTWOOD
Record/rank: 22-5, No. 17
League finish: Second in Western Peninsula Athletic Conference East
Coach: Luke Gray, fifth season (75-37)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 48-40 over No. 16 McBain in Quarterfinal, 62-40 over No. 1 Maple City Glen Lake in Regional Final, 55-53 (District Final) and 61-56 over No. 7 Iron Mountain, 72-44 over Division 2 No. 36 Houghton.
Players to watch: Ethan Marta, 6-4 jr. G (27 ppg, 50 3-pointers, 5.7 rpg, 3.2 apg, 3.5 spg); Tristan Miller, 6-1 sr. F (10.6 ppg, 31 3-pointers); Reid Frustaglio, 6-1 sr. F (9.6 ppg).
Outlook: Westwood is traveling to the Semifinals for the first time since 2003, making a jump from 14-10 a year ago and getting past West-PAC East champion Iron Mountain after a regular-season split in the midst of one of the most impressive tournament runs in any division. The losses came in spurts of three and two as Westwood lost a pair of Division 1 Marquette (22-4) and once to Kingsford, which is playing this weekend in Division 2. Westwood also lost a first meeting with Division 2 Negaunee (15-9) before winning the rematch. Marta entered the week making nearly 63 percent of his shots from the floor.
PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 9
League finish: First in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Coach: Dominic Schneider, fifth season (98-21)
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2019, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 50-45 over No. 14 Schoolcraft in Quarterfinal, 46-39 over No. 23 North Muskegon in Regional Final, 56-39 over Division 1 No. 20 Grand Blanc, 59-48 and 51-49 over Division 4 No. 4 Fowler.
Players to watch: Grady Eklund, 6-3 jr. G (17.5 ppg, 45 3-pointers, 3.4 apg); Trent Piggott, 6-5 jr. G (8.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg); Dominic Weber, 6-2 sr. G (9.1 ppg, 66 3-pointers).
Outlook: Schneider has directed the Pirates to three league, five District and three Regional titles since taking over the program, and this will be their first trip to the Semifinals since the 2019 championship run. Eklund made the all-state first team last season and can fill the scoresheet when needed. In addition to defeating Division 1 Grand Blanc on Feb. 7, P-W also got looks at strong competition in losses to Division 1 Hudsonville and Flint Carman-Ainsworth and Division 2 Grand Rapids South Christian. The Hudsonville defeat Feb. 18 was P-W’s only loss over its last 19 games.
RIVERVIEW GABRIEL RICHARD
Record/rank: 23-2, No. 2
League finish: First in CHSL AA
Coach: Kris Daiek, 14th season (226-75)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 62-30 (Quarterfinal), 82-48 and 88-65 over No. 5 Jackson Lumen Christi, 77-53 over No. 35 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central in Regional Final, 81-46 and 88-50 over Division 2 No. 46 Dearborn Divine Child, 79-58 over Division 1 No. 12 Flint Carman-Ainsworth.
Players to watch: Nick Sobush, 5-10 sr. G (19.7 ppg, 53 3-pointers); Luke Westerdale, 6-1 sr. G (16.8 ppg, 86 3-pointers, 3.8 apg); Charles Kage, 6-8 sr. F (11.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg).
Outlook: All five starters and the only sub who saw the floor in last season’s two-point Semifinal loss to Old Redford will be back this weekend, riding an 18-game winning streak and with their only two defeats this time to Division 1 Grand Blanc and Division 2 Flint Powers both in December. Sobush made the all-state first team last season. Senior 6-5 forward Drew Everingham (10.8 ppg, 46 3-pointers) is another returning starter and perimeter threat, and junior guard Derek Lesko (4.8 ppg) fills out that intact starting lineup from a year ago. Senior 6-4 forward Bryce White is adding another 7.3 points off the bench.
Division 4
ALLEN PARK INTER-CITY BAPTIST
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 6
League finish: First in Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue
Coach: Mark Kraatz, 36th season (596-285)
Championship history: Class D champion 1985.
Best wins: 63-50 over No. 17 Kingston in Quarterfinal, 58-41 over No. 8 Clarkston Everest Collegiate in Regional Final, 70-50 (District Final), 64-63 and 56-43 over No. 32 Southfield Christian, 64-61 over Division 1 No. 46 Riverview.
Players to watch: Ethan Esse, 5-10 jr. G (22.3 ppg, 64 3-pointers, 4.6 apg); Carlos Jackson, 6-3 jr. F (11.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 5.0 apg); Mason Kowalski, 6-3 jr. F (9.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.4 apg).
Outlook: Esse and Jackson started on last season’s championship team, and Kowalski, senior guard Josh Hamilton, junior forward Asher Bettinger and sophomore guard Jack Dawson saw the most minutes off the bench and fill larger roles on this team. Esse made the all-state first team last season and has added another bucket to his scoring average while remaining a dangerous threat from 3-point range. Inter-City’s losses came to Division 1 Detroit Cass Tech (19-4) and Taylor and Division 2 Detroit Voyageur College Prep, and the Chargers earned several more wins against larger opponents.
CRYSTAL FALLS FOREST PARK
Record/rank: 25-2, No. 1
League finish: First in Skyline Central Conference small-schools division
Coach: Jason Price, fourth season (70-27)
Championship history: Class D runner-up 1995 and 1981; Crystal Falls, Amasa and Alpha high schools won a combined 14 titles with five runner-up finishes before consolidating into Forest Park in 1967.
Best wins: 45-43 over No. 14 Pickford in Quarterfinal, 58-35 (District Final), 66-44 and 65-54 over No. 5 Norway; 51-34 (Regional Semifinal), 69-58 and 47-36 over No. 18 Felch North Dickinson; 76-41 over No. 24 Ewen-Trout Creek, 62-56 over Division 3 No. 8 Munising.
Players to watch: Kevin Giuliani, 6-5 sr. F (14.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg); Vic Giuliani, 6-2 soph. F (22.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg); Gabe Quevedo, 5-7 sr. G (6.9 ppg, 36 3-pointers, 3.8 apg).
Outlook: Price has taken Forest Park from 7-9 the season before he took over to two straight Regional titles and now the program’s first trip to the Semifinals since 2004. The Trojans tested themselves in losses to Division 1 Marquette and Division 2 Kingsford and also picked up wins over Division 2 Escanaba and Division 3 Menominee. Forward Matt Showers (5.2 rpg) joins Kevin Giuliani and Quevedo in the starting lineup, but they are the only seniors and the top two subs are underclassmen in addition to Vic Giuliani and sophomore Dax Huuki (7.2 ppg) filling out the starting lineup. Sophomore guard Izaiah Tarter adds 8.1 points and 3.8 assists per game off the bench.
FOWLER
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 4
League finish: Second in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Coach: Kam Riley, sixth season (77-62)
Championship history: Class D champion 1952, runner-up 2002 and 1950.
Best wins: 66-27 over No. 19 Bellaire in Quarterfinal, 60-53 over No. 11 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in Regional Semifinal, 62-59 over No. 2 Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, 58-46 (District Final), 53-40 and 59-37 over No. 23 Portland St. Patrick; 62-32 over No. 16 Fulton, 69-57 over Division 2 No. 33 Marshall.
Players to watch: Jacob Halfmann, sr. G (12.5 ppg, 41 3-pointers, 4.0 apg); Aaron Simon, sr. G (12.3 ppg, 65 3-pointers); Alex Halfmann, sr. F (11 ppg, 6.7 rpg). (Heights not submitted.)
Outlook: Fowler will play in its first Semifinal since 2002 after winning a District for the second-straight season. The Eagles opened this winter with a win over reigning champion Tri-unity Christian, and their only losses were twice to Pewamo-Westphalia – playing in Division 3 this weekend – and once to Division 2 Fruitport (17-6). Four seniors anchor the starting lineup including the three noted above and guard Asher Koenigsknecht, who adds 11.7 ppg and entered this week with 53 3-pointers. He, Jacob Halfmann and Simon all had connected on at least 38 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc.
WYOMING TRI-UNITY CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 25-2, No. 2
League finish: First in Alliance League
Coach: Mark Keeler, 38th season (719-218)
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2024), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 56-43 (Quarterfinal) and 58-44 over No. 9 Adrian Lenawee Christian, 80-45 over No. 15 Bellevue in Regional Final, 50-29 over No. 21 Marion, 50-34 over Division 3 No. 39 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian, 62-42 over Division 3 No. 12 Beal City, 52-39 over Division 3 No. 14 Schoolcraft, 38-30 over Division 2 No. 5 Grand Rapids Covenant Christian.
Players to watch: Keaton Blanker, 5-11, sr. G (11.1 ppg, 4.2 apg); Noah Silverton, 6-3 sr. G/F (11.1 ppg); Joey Mellon, 6-7 sr. C (13 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.3 bpg).
Outlook: Tri-unity is not only attempting to send coach Mark Keeler into retirement with one more championship, but also get to Saturday’s Final for a fifth-straight season; the Defenders also won Division 4 in 2022 and finished runners-up most recently in 2021 and 2023. Blanker – who had 11 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in last year’s title game – is the only returning starter from that run although Mellon saw solid minutes off the bench. Sophomore forward Cody Osbun is another returning player who has moved into the starting lineup and averages 7.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Tri-unity’s only losses were to Fowler (noted above) and Division 2 Grand Rapids West Catholic, both in December.
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PHOTOS (Top) Crystal Falls Forest Park's Gabe Quevedo, dribbling, considers his next move during Tuesday's win over Pickford. (Middle) East Lansing's KJ Torbert drives to the basket during a regular-season victory over Lansing Waverly. (Forest Park photo by Cara Kamps. East Lansing/Waverly photo by John Johnson.)