Breslin Bound: 2023-24 Boys Report Week 1
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 4, 2023
We've got a long way to go before the stories of this season conclude with four MHSAA boys basketball champions crowned March 15 at Michigan State University's Breslin Center.
B
ut the first week of the 2023-24 regular season gave us plenty to fill our first installment of “Breslin Bound” – our official tip-off to following more than 700 boys basketball teams through those final buzzers in East Lansing.
“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. Flint Carman-Ainsworth 46, Flint Beecher 44 This was their first meeting since January 2022 and it provided a memorable start as the Cavaliers downed the reigning Division 3 champion.
2. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 75, Ferndale 66 These two both have several new contributors, but big things will be expected again as well as Brother Rice regularly contends in Division 1 and Ferndale is the reigning Division 2 champion.
3. Lansing Waverly 58, Detroit Martin Luther King 57 Waverly took major strides last season doubling its win total from 2021-22 and could be on the verge of more coming off this impressive victory at the Detroit Douglass Tip-Off Classic.
4. Norway 49, Munising 48 After the Knights gave Munising a tough final regular-season test last season, the Mustangs went on to claim the Division 4 championship. Norway will attempt to build off back-to-back 15-7 seasons starting with this win.
5. Wyoming Tri-unity Christian 64, Grandville Calvin Christian 44 These two combined to finish 46-9 a season ago, when Calvin defeated Tri-unity 63-42 in the regular-season finale (although the Defenders rebounded to finish Division 4 runners-up).
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Rochester Adams (2-0) The Highlanders provided one of the best late-breaking stories of last season, reaching the Division 1 Quarterfinals after finishing fourth of five teams in a strong Oakland Activities Association Red that also featured North Farmington and Ferndale. The momentum started rolling again with wins last week over Milford 52-48 and Macomb L’Anse Creuse North 74-59.
Utica (2-0) Last season’s co-champion in the Macomb Area Conference Blue defeated MAC White reigning champion Port Huron Northern 68-49 in their opener and then Utica Eisenhower 56-41 at the MAC Champions of Champions event at Center Line. Utica improved to 15-7 last season after finishing 7-14 in 2021-22.
DIVISION 2
Dundee (2-0) After holding its own last season in a strong Lenawee County Athletic Association and finishing 13-12 overall, Dundee is hoping to turn a fast start last week into a climb up the standings with league play starting Friday. The Vikings doubled up East Jackson 52-26 and downed Milan 67-37 to start things off.
Goodrich (1-0) A 22-5 finish last season included a shared championship in the Flint Metro League Stars and a run to the Division 2 Quarterfinals, where the Martians fell by only five to eventual champion Ferndale. The second-to-last of those five losses came to Flint Beecher, 70-55, but Goodrich avenged it Friday with a 58-55 win over the Bucs.
DIVISION 3
Hillsdale (2-0) The Hornets finished just 4-19 last season, their second sub-.500 in a row. But the turnaround may be starting. Hillsdale is halfway toward last year’s win total after defeating Union City 53-45 and Jonesville 50-40 – and after losing to Union City 52-36 and Jonesville 39-23 last season, with Jonesville going on to finish 19-6.
Royal Oak Shrine Catholic (2-0) This is another team well on its way to bettering last season’s success by Jan. 1. After going 3-19 last winter, Shrine defeated Bloomfield Hills Roeper 48-30 and Utica Ford 55-52 in overtime last week. Ford had defeated the Knights 63-50 last season, and the 55 points Shrine scored this time would have been their second-highest total of 2022-23.
DIVISION 4
Adrian Lenawee Christian (2-0) Lenawee Christian finished last season on an 11-5 run after a 2-7 start, and might be rolling that right into this season as well after opening with a 74-60 win over Blissfield and 73-58 overtime victory over Hanover-Horton. Blissfield was among teams to deal the Cougars a loss during last season’s tough early stretch. Lenawee Christian is playing in the Tri-County Conference this winter after playing previously as an independent.
Wakefield-Marenisco (2-0) The Cardinals were a solid 13-10 last season, with the final week including a third win over Bessemer as they faced off in a District Semifinal, followed by a third loss to Ironwood in the District championship game. This season’s first week saw the same schedule, but a better outcome – Wakefield-Marenisco edged Bessemer 60-57 and this time defeated Ironwood 48-30. Ironwood was first and W-M third last season in the Copper Mountain Conference Porcupine Mountain.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – River Rouge (1-0) at Ferndale (1-1) – As noted above, Ferndale was last season’s Division 2 champion, and defeated Rouge 72-60 in last winter’s meeting.
Friday – Kalamazoo Central (0-0) at Battle Creek Central (0-0) – These longtime rivals finished first and third, respectively, in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East last season.
Saturday – Detroit Cass Tech (0-0) at Holt (1-0) – The Rams host the reigning Division 1 champion Technicians in the 4:30 p.m. game of the Moneyball Classic.
Saturday – Grand Rapids South Christian (0-0) vs. Rockford (1-0) at Calvin University – This will be the 10 a.m. opener of The Invite at Calvin University, with the reigning Division 2 runner-up Sailors taking on a Rockford team coming off an 18-win season.
Saturday – Grand Rapids Catholic Central (0-0) vs. Grand Rapids Northview (1-0) at Calvin University – This will cap off The Invite tipping approximately 7:35 p.m. and pitting last season’s Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold co-champion and White outright champion, respectively.
MHSAA.com'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.
PHOTOS (Top) A Westland John Glenn player gets to the basket during U-D Jesuit's season-opening 83-48 win over the Rockets. (Middle) Bath defenders surround a Charyl Stockwell player during the Sentinels' 63-55 victory. (Top photo by Olivia B. Photography; middle photo by Click by Christine McCallister.)
East Lansing Downs Reigning Champ to Earn Chance at 1st Title Since 1958
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
March 14, 2025
EAST LANSING – Kelvin Torbert can't count all the times he's been to the Breslin Center to watch others celebrate MHSAA basketball championships.
But Torbert may not have to wonder what those moments are like any more after helping resilient East Lansing to a 51-44 win over 2024 champ Orchard Lake St. Mary's in Friday's first Division 1 Semifinal.
"My dad would always get us front row seats, and he'd show me how teams were running an offensive set or how to play defense," said Torbert, a junior point guard. "He said one day I'd be there to play. It's something I've always dreamed about – playing in a state final."
The Trojans (27-1) stormed into their first since 1958 by overcoming a couple of potential fatal shortfalls on offense while playing outstanding defense on OLSM's Trey McKenney, named as the state's Mr. Basketball Award winner earlier this week. East Lansing was also virtually flawless down the stretch after trailing much of the second half, including 39-38 with 6:27 to go. But the Trojans closed out the game with a 13-6 run that included hitting 7 of 8 huge free throws over the last 53.7 seconds.
"We knew we could beat Orchard Lake St. Mary, and that's no disrespect to them," said East Lansing coach Ray Mitchell, whose team will enter Saturday's 12:15 p.m. title game on a 22-game winning streak. "We felt we matched up well with them. We think we have the most athletic starting lineup in the state, and we played that way."
East Lansing had to brush aside two streaks where offense was at a premium. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (20-7) scored the game's first 10 points in keeping the Trojans off the scoreboard for the first 3:22. Then in the third quarter, East Lansing managed just three points during the first four minutes. The Trojans trailed 39-36 with 7:16 left.
Mitchell said there is one strength which saves the Trojans when the offense sputters: defense.
"We've been in that situation before, and we've settled down. We know how to win," said Mitchell, whose team has limited opponents to an average of 42 points per game in the tournament. "We start with defense every single day. Basic drills and being in the right place. They've connected with that. We feel we're the best defensive team in the state."
The Trojans' defense on McKenney was solid. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound all-stater did score 21 points, but was a modest 7-of-18 from the floor, including missing six of his nine 3-point attempts. Much of that credit goes to the Trojans' Jayce Branson, a senior guard assigned to shadow McKenney, who entered the game averaging nearly 23 points per game.
"Trey is a nice player, hard to guard," said Branson, an offseason travel teammate of McKenney's since eighth grade. "My mindset was to stop him. He's their leading scorer, and they run their offense through him. I just wanted to stop him, and I did. I've seen his moves on tape and when we're together – I've studied all that."
Torbert finished with 19 points, six rebounds and two assists. Kingston Thomas, a sophomore guard, added 12 points and seven rebounds. He was clutch in the fourth quarter, when he hit a short jumper, another shot along the baseline and added a layup in the space of 2:26 to turn a 39-38 deficit into a 46-41 lead with 53 seconds left.
"Obviously it was a back-and-forth game and it wasn't our best night, but (East Lansing) had a lot to do with that," Orchard Lake St. Mary's coach Todd Covert said. "Sometimes the ball bounces for you and sometimes the right way for the other team. It was two great teams out there. I would've thought if we held a team to 40-some points we would be in good shape."
McKenney said it was a combination of East Lansing defense and his team connecting on just 16-of-49 shots, including only 3-of-16 from 3-point range.
"I didn't hit my shots," he said. "They played good defense ... but we let them get in transition, and that's their game. It was a close game we just didn't win."
The Trojans' Cameron Hutson said it'll be a thrill to actually play in a championship game Saturday rather than viewing it from the stands.
"I've been here a handful of times, and I've definitely thought of this moment," he said. "When we needed a big shot or free throw, I was ready to knock it down."
PHOTOS (Top) East Lansing’s Jayce Branson throws down a dunk during his team’s Division 1 Semifinal win Friday at Breslin Center. (Middle) The Trojans’ Cameron Hutson works to get to the basket as St. Mary’s Trey McKenney defends. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)