Breslin Bound: 2021-22 Boys Report Week 8
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 31, 2022
This week we welcome February, five weeks to go in the boys basketball regular season and 19 teams bringing undefeated records into both.
That’s always impressive, of course, given the state’s 700 varsity teams total and competitiveness throughout one of Michigan’s most-played high school sports. Two of those unbeaten teams play in Division 1, eight play in Division 2, three in Division 3 and six in Division 4 – and we highlight three during this week’s “Breslin Bound” report.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. Send corrections or missing scores to [email protected].
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Detroit Martin Luther King 74, Detroit Renaissance 70 The Crusaders (11-1) enter the final week of the Detroit Public School League Blue schedule in position to clinch thanks in part to this win over the formerly co-leading Phoenix (9-3).
2. Grand Blanc 64, Flint Carman-Ainsworth 63 The Bobcats (6-4) are the last team undefeated in Saginaw Valley League play thanks to this win over the second-place Cavaliers (6-4).
3. Maple City Glen Lake 64, Benzie Central 58 The Lakers (9-3) handed Benzie its first defeat, in the process moving into a tie for first in the Northwest Conference with the Huskies (10-1) and with their rematch scheduled for Feb. 25.
4. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 47, Warren De La Salle Collegiate 34 The Detroit Catholic League Central continues to reshuffle weekly, now with St. Mary’s (9-2) and Detroit U-D Jesuit tied for first but every team within a game of the lead and the Pilots (9-3) tied for most overall wins among league teams.
5. Detroit University Prep 57, Carrollton 56 The Panthers (4-6) have to be one of the best sub-.500 teams in Michigan, mostly recently handing Carrollton (10-1) its first loss, and after defeats by six or fewer points to Benton Harbor, Detroit Renaissance and Carman-Ainsworth.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
Division 1
Bloomfield Hills (10-2) The Black Hawks are undefeated aside from a pair of losses at December’s Motor City Roundball Classic, to Detroit Renaissance and Detroit Catholic Central (8-3), which actually help fill out a strong body of work overall. Six of Bloomfield Hills’ wins are against teams .500 or better, and the Black Hawks also have an early upper hand as they seek to repeat as Oakland Activities Association White champions.
Muskegon (10-0) There are plenty of highlights to rattle off from the Big Reds’ start. After finishing second in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green last year, Muskegon is two games ahead of the rest atop the league standings. The Big Reds avenged two losses from last season to reigning league champ Zeeland East with Friday’s 58-42 win, and Muskegon also has handed Benton Harbor (11-1) its only defeat, 84-58 on Jan. 8. Only Reeths-Puffer, the second-place team in the Green, has gotten closer than 11 points.
Division 2
Battle Creek Pennfield (9-2) The Panthers’ first run to the MHSAA Finals was one of the feel-good stories of the abbreviated 2020-21 season, and they could be finding their footing again after a couple of mid-January league losses to Battle Creek Harper Creek (9-3) and Coldwater (9-1). Those came immediately after Pennfield handed Marshall (11-1) its only loss. The Panthers will have plenty of opportunities to show what they can do with six games coming up against teams with at least nine wins so far, including rematches with all three of those league foes plus a home game with Benton Harbor.
Hudsonville Unity Christian (12-0) The Crusaders appear on their way to a sixth-straight league title, with a two-game lead in the O-K Blue after the first run through the league schedule. Only one opponent – Grandville Calvin Christian (see below) in a 78-76 Unity win on Dec. 10 – has gotten closer than 10 points. The Crusaders defeated the second and third-place teams in the Blue by 10 and 31 points, respectively, last week.
Division 3
Grand Rapids Covenant Christian (10-2) The Chargers haven’t stopped moving coming off of last season’s Quarterfinal run. Generally playing larger schools, they did avenge a 2021 loss to Wyoming Tri-unity Christian so far with the only losses to Division 2 Unity and Forest Hills Eastern (9-3) in December. Covenant doesn’t play in a league, but did claim a Cornerstone University Holiday Tournament title with wins over Division 2 Allendale and Division 1 Muskegon Mona Shores.
Grandville Calvin Christian (8-3) The Squires continue to put distance between themselves and an 0-3 start that concluded with an overtime loss to Covenant (see above). Calvin defeated former co-leader Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian 75-62 on Friday to move into first place alone in the O-K Silver. Also bringing context to that winless start – the first two defeats came to Division 2 Holland Christian (7-5) and Unity.
Division 4
Clarkston Everest Collegiate (8-2) The Mountaineers are coming off their second loss, to Genesee Christian (10-2), but defeats have been few lately as Everest is a combined 23-5 over the last two years. The Mountaineers lead the Detroit Catholic League Intersectional #2 as they look to extend their league title streak to three, and they have notable wins over Marine City Cardinal Mooney (9-3) and Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (9-4).
McBain Northern Michigan Christian (10-0) The Comets are only one game into the second half of the Highland Conference schedule but already three games ahead of the field as they pursue what would be a first league title in at least a decade. It’s been an impressive rise for NMC, which broke a seven-season streak of sub-.500 finishes by going 12-3 (and also winning a District title) a year ago.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – East Lansing (10-3) at Williamston (12-0) – The leaders of the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue and Red, respectively, match up with the winner likely considered the Lansing area’s best.
Tuesday – Dearborn (10-1) at Belleville (7-3) – Belleville has a one-game lead on Dearborn in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East thanks to a 63-43 win on Jan. 4.
Friday – Kalamazoo Central (9-4) at Richland Gull Lake (8-4) – Gull Lake won the first meeting, 78-75 in overtime Dec. 16, and they’re tied atop the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East
Friday – Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (9-2) at Detroit Catholic Central (8-3) – St. Mary’s won the first meeting 75-64 and could begin breaking up the tightly-packed league standings with a big week that starts on the road at De La Salle.
Saturday – Ferndale (8-2) vs. Muskegon (10-0) at Cornerstone University – Contenders in Divisions 2 and 1, respectively, face off at the RedHawk Challenge.
Second Half’s weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO A pair of Carman-Ainsworth defenders wall off the passing lanes during last week’s 64-63 loss to Grand Blanc. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Boys Report Week 7
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 19, 2026
League play is taking over the spotlight as boys basketball season moves through its second month and several conferences reached their midway points last week.
We highlight several of those races below, and there will be more details to come as Michigan’s statewide contenders focus first on local rivals before stretching out their championship chases with the MHSAA Tournament beginning a month from Friday.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. East Kentwood 69, Rockford 68 Add East Kentwood (10-1) to the contenders in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red, which top-to-bottom might be strongest league in Michigan after the first half as Rockford (10-2) has been ranked among the top few statewide.
2. Detroit Catholic Central 86, Benton Harbor 82 The Shamrocks (8-4) stopped a two-game slide with a win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s followed by handing Benton Harbor (14-1) this first defeat at the Rocket Classic at Westland John Glenn.
3. Fowler 56, Concord 52 These two remain among the top three in Division 4 MPR statewide but with a little shuffling as Fowler (12-1) dealt Concord (11-3) this loss.
4. Saginaw Heritage 62, Mount Pleasant 42 The Hawks (11-3) finished the first half of the Saginaw Valley League North schedule by moving into first place alone and sending the Oilers (10-2) into second.
5. Auburn Hills Avondale 43, Clarkston 38 Similarly, Avondale (12-1) finished the first half of the Oakland Activities Association schedule in first place with Clarkston (10-3) now a game back.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
East Lansing (13-0) The reigning Division 1 champion has now won 36 straight games and capped the weekend with a 47-31 victory over Warren Fitzgerald in the Horatio Williams Freedom Classic at Wayne State. A week earlier, the Trojans downed Rockford 80-71 in overtime in what was a matchup of the top two teams in Division 1. Also among the most notable this winter are a 62-41 win over Brother Rice, a 63-60 win over Roseville and a 41-40 victory over Detroit Martin Luther King.
Grandville (9-0) The O-K Red has four teams with at least 10 wins this winter and one undefeated team in Grandville, which saw its matchup with Grand Haven on Friday postponed but can continue to build on its big start this week against Rockford and Hudsonville. The Bulldogs already have all but guaranteed bettering last season’s 9-15 finish, with a 47-45 win over Pewamo-Westphalia at the Cornerstone University Holiday Showcase among the most impressive victories during the turnaround.
DIVISION 2
Frankenmuth (11-0) Although the Eagles finished last season third in the Tri-Valley Conference Red, they defeated champion Bay City John Glenn in a District Final and appear to have carried that momentum into this season as they capped the first half of league play undefeated. Frankenmuth sits in first place thanks to a 47-43 win over second-place Freeland on Jan. 9, and remains undefeated overall in part because of a 47-46 overtime win over the host Raiders at the Flushing Winter Classic.
South Haven (10-0) The Rams have won 15 or more games all of the last three seasons and could be on the verge of taking another step up coming off their 17-4 finish a year ago. That run included finishing second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore after being swept by champion Bridgman, but South Haven already owns a 59-41 win over the Bees and also handed Coloma its only league loss. A Feb. 10 trip to currently-undefeated Gobles should be circled on the calendar.
DIVISION 3
Harbor Beach (8-2) A 49-48 loss to Division 1 Marquette may have been a tough way to end the week, but it couldn’t have started much better than handing Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker a 45-42 defeat – Harbor Beach is in first in the Big Thumb Conference Black, while Laker leads the BTC White. The Pirates finished 23-2 a year ago, so they have plenty to build on and they’ve lined up some nice postseason prep taking on Marquette and with their other loss to Division 2 contender Freeland on Jan. 2.
McBain (9-1) The Ramblers are chasing Beal City in the Highland Conference after falling to the Aggies 49-41 on Dec. 19. But McBain also lost their first meeting with Beal City last season and rebounded to win a third-straight league title. Those two face off again Feb. 3 in Beal City. In the meantime, McBain finished this past week dealing third-place LeRoy Pine River a 68-45 loss and on Jan. 2 avenged its other regular-season defeat from a year ago by downing Cadillac 64-37.
DIVISION 4
Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (10-1) The Chargers have a new all-time leading scorer in Ethan Esse, who broke coach Mark Kraatz’s career record for career points during a 78-54 win over Whitmore Lake last week. Their team also is off to another stellar start coming off last year’s run to the Division 4 Quarterfinals. After losing to Detroit Country Day in the season opener, Inter-City has played only two single-digit games – in wins over Division 1 Grosse Pointe South and Allen Park. The Chargers are first in the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue thanks to last week’s 67-51 win over Southfield Christian.
Felch North Dickinson (9-1) Coming off a Division 2 runner-up finish in 8-player football, the Nordics have brought their successful run into basketball season with their only loss Dec. 16 to Stephenson. North Dickinson finished 18-6 a year ago and last week avenged last-winter losses to both Norway and Munising. Next up is arguably the biggest of all; the Nordics visit Crystal Falls Forest Park, which defeated them three times last season including in a Regional Semifinal.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Greenville (11-1) at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (13-0) – These two are tied atop the River Cities Alliance, with Greenville the reigning league champion.
Tuesday – Croswell-Lexington (10-3) at Yale (13-0) – Yale shared the Blue Water Area Conference title last year, with Cros-Lex a game back in third, and missed winning the league outright in part because of a 42-40 loss to the Pioneers that Yale then avenged with a three-point District Final win.
Tuesday – Ludington (11-0) at North Muskegon (12-1) – These are the league leaders in the West Michigan Conference Lakes and Rivers, respectively.
Tuesday – Detroit Western (13-0) at Detroit Davis (9-1) – The Cowboys own a half-game lead over the Aviators in the Detroit Public School League Gold as both head into the final stretch of league play.
Friday – Grand Haven (12-1) at East Kentwood (10-1) – The O-K Red will continue to sort itself out as these are two of three teams undefeated in league play entering this week.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” reports are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and X @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) Surrounded by Negaunee’s entire lineup, Ishpeming Westwood's Ethan Marta makes a move into the lane to score two points during a 65-41 win Friday; he set a school record with 46 points. (Middle) Saginaw Heritage senior Jaylin Cooper (5) drives past a Freeland defender during their Jan. 6 matchup, won by the Falcons 65-58. (Negaunee/Westwood photo by Cara Kamps. Heritage/Freeland photo by Kolleth Photo.)