Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Boys District Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 24, 2025
March is finally on the horizon, our state finally seems to be thawing out from a long, snowy winter – and all signs point to East Lansing as Districts tip off the MHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament tonight for more than 700 teams.
We always switch up our “Breslin Bound” format once the MHSAA Tournament starts, as last week’s most intriguing results below are followed this time by glances at three District brackets of note in each division. Host sites are bolded, and teams playing in those brackets are listed by seed as determined by Michigan Power Ratings (MPR).
Everything you could want to know this week about tickets, brackets and more can be found on the Boys Basketball page. To watch any of several games online, visit the NFHS Network.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid 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. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 76, Detroit Renaissance 73 Catholic High School League champion St. Mary’s (15-6) claimed its second-straight Operation Friendship victory, in a close one this time over the Detroit Public School League-winning Phoenix (14-8).
2. Novi 66, Wayne Memorial 64 After edging Northville by two points four days earlier to clinch the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West title outright, Novi (18-4) moved past East winner Wayne (19-3) for the overall league championship.
3. Flint Kearsley 75, Goodrich 73 Kearsley (16-6) jumped from third in the Flint Metro League Stripes last season to a three-way tie for first this winter, then edged Lake Fenton by three and Goodrich (17-5) by a bucket to claim the overall league title.
4. Kingsford 72, Marquette 60 The Flivvers (17-3) avenged a 58-53 loss to Marquette (19-3) from Jan. 3 to pull even with the Sentinels and share the Great Northern Conference championship.
5. Hartford 61, Centreville 50 The Huskies (19-2) avenged their lone league defeat, 59-50 on Jan. 27, to pull even with Centreville (18-3) and share the Southwest 10 Conference title.
Districts at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold, and teams are listed by seed:
DIVISION 1
Auburn Hills Avondale
1. Waterford Mott (19-3), 2. Auburn Hills Avondale (15-7), 3. Clarkston (15-7), 4. Lake Orion (15-7), 5. Waterford Kettering (1-21).
Clarkston would be the favorite most seasons but enters after finishing fourth in the Oakland Activities Association Blue and having been swept by its Wednesday opponent, league runner-up and District host Avondale (15-7). On the other side, Mott was the co-champion from the Lakes Valley Conference and fell just a pair of overtime losses from a perfect league run. Lake Orion was runner-up in the OAA White and fell to Clarkston 49-38 on Dec. 4 – a few months ago but sure to be mentioned if they meet again Friday.
Grosse Pointe South
1. Detroit Martin Luther King (17-4), 2. Detroit Cass Tech (19-3), 3. Grosse Pointe North (18-4), 4. Grosse Pointe South (7-14), 5. Detroit East English (9-10), 6. Detroit Western (2-15).
King/Cass Round 3 is likely the expected Friday title matchup. They’ve met in District play the last three seasons and split their meetings this season with Cass winning 54-42 on Dec. 17 and King taking the rematch in the Detroit Public School League Tournament 58-52. Grosse Pointe North will do its best to crash the party coming off a Macomb Area Conference Blue championship and riding an 11-game winning streak that’s included a 58-43 win over Adrian (18-4).
Muskegon Reeths-Puffer
1. Rockford (20-2), 2. Muskegon (19-2), 3. Greenville (21-1), 4. Muskegon Mona Shores (10-12), 5. Cedar Springs (9-13), 6. Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (6-16).
A potential championship matchup of Ottawa-Kent Conference Red champion Rockford and O-K Green title winner Muskegon is what most will anticipate, and that makes sense – all four of their combined losses came to teams ranked among the top seven in statewide Division 1 or MPR, and traditionally they are two of the strongest West Michigan programs in any division. But River Cities Alliance champion Greenville definitely gives this bracket an intriguing wild card – its only loss came to Allendale (16-6), and 17 of the Yellow Jackets’ wins were by double digits.
DIVISION 2
Adrian
1. Onsted (20-1), 2. Adrian (18-4), 3. Adrian Madison (18-3), 4. Tecumseh (16-6), 5. Milan (5-17).
The top two teams from the Lenawee County Athletic Association and Southeastern Conference White top this bracket, as Onsted and Madison shared the LCAA title and Adrian High was first and Tecumseh second in the SEC White. Onsted and Madison split, with Madison winning the second meeting Jan. 30, and that may become notable if they meet one more time as that was Onsted’s only loss. Adrian defeated Tecumseh by 11 and 19 and also Madison by 16 on Dec. 16 – but the Maples are coming off a 73-60 loss to Brooklyn Columbia Central (18-4).
Grand Rapids Catholic Central
1. Grand Rapids Covenant Christian (19-3), 2. Hudsonville Unity Christian (20-2), 3. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (15-7), 4. Allendale (16-6), 5. Grand Rapids West Catholic (9-12), 6. Wyoming Lee (8-14).
Covenant Christian moved into Division 2 this season after reaching the Division 3 Quarterfinals a year ago, and the Chargers loaded their schedule with several Division 1 and 2 teams and contenders from Divisions 3 and 4 – notably handing North Muskegon its only loss but also falling to Unity 46-39 on Dec. 3. That was some time ago but will provide some familiarity if Covenant and the O-K Black champion Crusaders meet again. Don’t count that as a sure thing, however. Unity saw potential Wednesday opponent GRCC at Calvin University on Dec. 14, winning but in overtime 53-49. And Covenant saw its potential Wednesday opponent Allendale on Dec. 20, winning 58-52 in another close matchup.
Otsego
1. South Haven (17-3), 2. Paw Paw (19-3), 3. Parchment (19-3), 4. Plainwell (14-6), 5. Allegan (9-11), 6. Otsego (5-15).
The top four-seeded teams in this bracket either won or finished runners-up in their respective leagues – Parchment winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley, Paw Paw winning the Wolverine Conference, Plainwell placing second in the Wolverine and South Haven second in the SAC Lakeshore but still earning the top seed this week. South Haven did defeat Parchment 57-45 at Kalamazoo College on Nov. 30, and also has notable wins over Galesburg-Augusta (18-4) and Berrien Springs (17-4). Parchment has won 17 of its last 18 games, falling only to Battle Creek Pennfield (18-4) by three during that time.
DIVISION 3
Bark River Harris or Higher Seed (non-traditional)
1. Iron Mountain (19-3), 2. Munising (19-2), 3. Menominee (11-11), 4. Gwinn (9-13), 5. Bark River-Harris (7-15), 6. Manistique (4-18).
Western Peninsula Athletic Conference East champion Iron Mountain has pairs of wins over Gwinn and Manistique and a 16-point victory Feb. 3 over Menominee, which knocked the Mountaineers out of the District a year ago. Munising won the large schools division of the Skyline Central Conference and also has a pair of wins over Manistique and one over Gwinn – and may have to defeat Menominee in the District Semifinal to reach Friday’s championship game. Bark River-Harris is the named host for this non-traditional bracket and will host all games it plays; otherwise the highest seed in each game will host that contest.
Hanover-Horton
1. Jackson Lumen Christi (19-3), 2. Grass Lake (21-1), 3. Hanover-Horton (14-8), 4. East Jackson (11-11), 5. Napoleon (9-13), 6. Vandercook Lake (4-18).
Lumen Christi has emerged as a basketball contender the last two seasons, reaching the Quarterfinals a year ago and finishing CHSL AA runner-up this season to another Division 3 contender in Riverview Gabriel Richard. Grass Lake has made a jump too after finishing 11-13 a year ago, winning the Cascades Conference East and overall championships with its only loss last week to Clinton, 42-40. Grass Lake has a Dec. 3 53-48 win over Hanover-Horton, a possible Wednesday opponent and the runner-up from the Cascades Conference West. East Jackson finished fourth in the Cascades East, also enjoying a nice bump after going 8-15 a season ago.
Quincy
1. Schoolcraft (16-6), 2. Centreville (18-3), 3. Union City (14-8), 4. Bronson (11-11), 5. Quincy (11-10), 6. Homer (5-17).
This could be one of the most evenly-matched brackets in any division. Schoolcraft was the SAC Valley runner-up but defeated Centreville 62-54 on Feb. 5. Centreville shared the Southwest 10 Conference title. Union City was one of three runners-up in the Big 8 Conference (where Bronson finished fifth and Quincy sixth), sweeping Bronson but winning the second meeting only 63-61 and splitting with Quincy losing the second meeting 58-48 just last week – although those two are on Schoolcraft’s side of the bracket and Union City must instead defeat Homer and Centreville to get to Friday. Schoolcraft reached the Regional Final a year ago before falling to eventual Division 3 champion Niles Brandywine.
DIVISION 4
Crystal Falls Forest Park or Higher Seed (non-traditional)
11. Crystal Falls Forest Park (20-2), 2. Norway (17-5), 3. Powers North Central (10-11), 4. Stephenson (15-7), 5. Hannahville Nah Tah Wahsh (15-7), 6. Carney-Nadeau (6-16).
Skyline Central Conference small-schools division champion Forest Park swept third-place Powers North Central and also has a pair of wins over Norway and one over Stephenson as the Trojans seek to match and surpass last season’s run to the Quarterfinals. Their only losses were to Great Northern Conference co-champions Marquette and Kingsford. Norway finished second to Munising in the SCC large-schools division, with four of its five losses to teams with at least 19 wins. North Central has won only three of its last 11 games, but two straight including last week over Hannahville Nah Tah Wahsh 68-63. Stephenson also has a win over Nah Tah Wahsh and split with North Central – avenging a 34-point loss with a 12-point win a month later.
Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary
11. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (18-3), 2. Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central (13-8), 3. Coleman (13-9), 4. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (13-9), 5. Merrill (5-17), 6. Midland Calvary Baptist (5-16).
Mid-State Activities Conference champion Sacred Heart is seeking to return to the Division 4 championship game after finishing second last season, and went 2-2 in nonleague play this winter stacking the schedule with Beal City, Marine City Cardinal Mooney, Maple City Glen Lake and Jackson Lumen Christi. Nouvel finished second in the Tri-Valley Conference Blue but played Ithaca (17-4) last week for a share of the title and loaded its nonleague schedule as well. Among potential stoppers, Coleman is enjoying its first winning season since 2019-20, and MLS its first since 2020-21 and with a split with Nouvel – although the Panthers avenged losing the first game by seven points by winning the second by 15.
Vestaburg
1. Fowler (19-3), 2. Fulton (17-5), 3. Portland St. Patrick (14-7), 4. Vestaburg (12-8), 5. Breckenridge (10-11), 6. Ashley (1-21).
While Fowler may be the favorite – the Eagles finished second in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference to Division 3 Pewamo-Westphalia (19-3) and have double-digit wins over Fulton and St. Patrick – there are opportunities to shake things up. Fowler did win its one matchup with Fulton 62-32, but the Pirates went on to finish second in the MSAC and downed Sacred Heart 70-62 last week. St. Patrick finished third in the CMAC and cut its deficit against Fowler from 22 to 13 between their first and second meetings. Vestaburg was fourth in the MSAC, losing the second meeting to Fulton by 11 but winning the first by six, and Breckenridge took Fulton to overtime in their second game.
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PHOTOS (Top) Haslett's Wardrell Wicker (5) gets in defensive position as Okemos' Branden Pruitt (21) considers his options during a 58-48 win Feb. 3. (Middle) Flint Carman-Ainsworth's Jaden Green (5) drives to the basket during his team's 90-88 triple-overtime win over Flint Powers Catholic on Tuesday. (Haslett/Okemos photo by John Johnson. Carman-Ainsworth photo by Terry Lyons.)
Tri-Unity Avenges Season-Opening Loss, Earns Retiring Coach Another Finals Win
By
Jeff Bleiler
Special for MHSAA.com
March 15, 2025
EAST LANSING — The Wyoming Tri-unity Christian High School boys basketball team was not about to end its season the way it started – with a loss to Fowler.
The Defenders also were not going to let legendary coach Mark Keeler ride off into the sunset after a 38-year career without another Division 4 championship.
On the strength of suffocating defense and two double-digit scoring runs, along with frigid Fowler shooting during the first half, Tri-unity defeated the Eagles 49-32 on Saturday at the Breslin Center to claim its second-straight title and third over the last four years.
Keeler, who announced his retirement earlier this season, departs with his seventh MHSAA Finals championship. Fowler was making its first appearance in the championship since 2002 – when the Eagles also lost to Tri-Unity.
“This is not going to be a good time for me because I’m pretty emotional,” Keeler said. “I’m so stinking proud of them. Was that good defense? I think that was good defense. We played a great team. I thought we didn’t quit.”
Keaton Blanker led Tri-unity (27-2) with 12 points, followed by Noah Silverton with 11, all in the first half.
“Our biggest emphasis was playing 32 minutes,” Blanker said. “We don’t stop fighting until that final buzzer, and we did that. I’m just so happy for all us players.”
Tri-unity graduated eight seniors from last year’s championship team, with only Blanker and Joey Mellon seeing significant playing time, so another Division 4 title wasn’t necessarily a sure thing, especially after the loss to Fowler on opening night at home.
“I don’t think a lot of people thought that we could do this,” Blanker said. “We just fought. Every day at practice was a straight grind.”
Tri-unity’s defense was smothering all season – holding teams to an average of 39 points per game, the lowest of Keeler’s tenure – and it was downright sterling Saturday.
The first Fowler basket was a 3-pointer by Jacob Halfmann more than five minutes into the contest after Tri-unity scored the game’s first 11 points. That was quickly followed by another 3-pointer by Aaron Simon, but that was all the Eagles could muster as Tri-unity led 11-6 after the first quarter.
Six quick points from Tri-unity – aided by Fowler turnovers – pushed the lead back to 11 less than two minutes into the second quarter. At that point, Fowler had three times as many turnovers (six) as field goals (two).
The lead stretched to 16 halfway through the second quarter, prompting a third Fowler timeout.
A Jacob Halfmann 3-pointer at the 3:15 mark ended another lengthy Fowler scoring drought – and a 13-0 Defenders run – and made the score 24-9. He finished with a team-high 11 points.
The Eagles (25-4) struggled in the first half to find an answer for Silverton, who eclipsed double figures in points before they did.
“Today we just started a little slow. It took a little bit for us to settle in,” an emotional Fowler coach Kam Riley said. “We kept talking about, we got to settle in and be ourselves, and I thought we did that as the game progressed. Against a good team like Tri-unity, you dig a hole, it’s going to be tough to get out of it.”
An Alex Halfmann layup with 2:05 to play in the first half was the first Fowler field goal inside the 3-point arc. Despite a solid finish to the half by Fowler, the Defenders carried a 28-16 lead into the break.
The Eagles cut the lead to seven late in the third quarter as Tri-unity suddenly appeared mortal.
“They came back at us at the start of the second half, and we knew they would,” Keeler said. “I just thought my guys played great defense. I was more excited about our defense.”
A Clayton Rowlader 3-pointer pushed the lead back to double figures. Fowler pulled within 39-30 with 3:48 to play before Tri-unity closed the game with a 10-2 run boosted by two more 3-pointers by Rowlader. The Defenders finished 4-of-10 from long range after making only one of 23 attempts combined during Regional Final and Quarterfinal victories.
Keeler said this championship was different than the others because it’s his last, and that despite the loss of so many upperclassmen from last year’s team, he had a feeling this team could win it all.
“The competitive part of me, I wanted to win and I knew we could because I’ve watched these guys mature,” Keeler said. “I love defense. It’s the old adage, if you can do offense, you’ll win games, but if you play good defense, you’ll win state championships.”
Keeler finished his career with a 721-218 varsity coaching record, his wins ranking third in MHSAA boys basketball history.
PHOTOS (Top) Tri-unity Christian’s Keaton Blanker (4) exits the game in celebration during his team’s Division 4 Final win Saturday at Breslin Center. (Middle) The Defenders’ Cody Osbun elevates above three Fowler players to put up a shot. (Below) Fowler’s Aaron Simon (30) makes a move into the lane. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)