Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Boys Report Week 6
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 12, 2026
Believe it or not, Michigan’s boys basketball teams have played six weeks of their regular season – and have only six weeks left until the start of District tournaments.
And that makes now a perfect time for our annual introduction to Michigan Power Ratings (MPR), which are used to seed all teams for that first round of the MHSAA playoffs.
MPR is determined by considering a team’s success (total wins) and strength of schedule based on games against opponents also playing in the MHSAA Tournament. You can follow how teams rank all season long on the MPR page, where you can search not only by Division and school, but District grouping as well.
“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 Lansing 80, Rockford 71 (OT) These are the top two teams in Division 1 MPR, and the No. 1 Trojans (11-0) remained undefeated by handing the Rams (8-1) their only loss as they met to finish the GottaGetIt Classic at East Kentwood.
2. Crystal Falls Forest Park 69, Kingsford 68 The Trojans (7-2) won this matchup of teams that both reached MHSAA Semifinals at Breslin last season.
3. Frankenmuth 47, Freeland 43 The Eagles (9-0) ended a nine-game losing streak against the rival Falcons (8-2), picking up their first win in this Tri-Valley Conference series since March 4, 2021.
4. Grand Rapids Northview 43, Grand Rapids South Christian 41 (OT) This could prove to be one of the most important results in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold, as Northview (8-2) and South Christian (8-2) shared the title a year ago.
5. Grand Haven 57, Grand Blanc 51 The Buccaneers (11-1) continued their terrific start by ending a week of three close wins with this arguably most notable one over the Bobcats (9-2).
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (10-3) The Warriors are unbeaten aside from a three-game stretch from Dec. 19-28 that saw them lose to two of the state’s best in East Lansing and Rockford (in double overtime) and another Catholic High School League Central contender in Toledo Central Catholic. Since, Brother Rice handed Concord its only defeat and got past Grand Rapids Northview 59-52 on Saturday at East Kentwood. A Friday win over Detroit Catholic Central also kept Rice among five teams with one league loss atop the CHSL Central.
Hudsonville (10-0) The Eagles, after reaching the Regional Finals last season, are attempting to catch rival Rockford both among the statewide elite and locally in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red after finishing second to the Rams a year ago. They face off for the first time Friday, and Hudsonville enters with plenty of impressive wins during the first half including an avenging of that Regional Final defeat to Byron Center and victories over Grand Rapids Christian, Hudsonville Unity Christian and Port Huron Northern.
DIVISION 2
Hudsonville Unity Christian (7-2) A pair of losses to Division 1 contenders listed above – Rockford and Hudsonville – are the only blemishes on an otherwise spotless start. An early 65-48 win over Grand Rapids South Christian has remained among the most notable, but add a 68-58 victory over Macomb Dakota at Saturday’s Hudsonville Showcase as the Crusaders look to carry momentum into the heart of the O-K Black schedule. They’re currently atop the standings with Zeeland East also without a league loss early.
Lansing Sexton (8-1) The J-Dubbs made serious noise with last season’s run to the Division 2 Quarterfinals following a heart-breaking loss that led to them finishing runner-up in the Capital Area Activities Conference White. The volume remains high as Sexton opened this season falling to East Lansing but came back to defeat reigning CAAC White champ Portland to start an eight-game winning streak that’s also included victories over Detroit Cass Tech and Holt.
DIVISION 3
Detroit Loyola (10-2) After finishing 25-2 in 2022-23, Loyola fell back to 12-14 the following winter, then 13-13 last year before making major strides again this season. Loyola did fall 60-59 in overtime last week to Dearborn Divine Child – and those two are tied for first in the CHSL AA after Loyola won their first meeting of the season. But last week’s defeat has been the Bulldogs’ only in-state loss – the other also came in overtime, 70-66 to Cincinnati Western Hills.
Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker (7-1) Laker seems well on its way to a seventh-straight season with a winning record and could be in store for more coming off last winter’s 14-9 finish. Wins last week over Caro (in overtime) and reigning champion Millington helped the Lakers gain some separation in the Big Thumb Conference White standings, and they can gain more with Wednesday’s first matchup of the season with league co-leader Reese.
DIVISION 4
Crystal Falls Forest Park (7-2) The win over Kingsford was the program’s first since 2017 and came after back-to-back losses to Menominee and Dollar Bay, which are both 8-1. The Kingsford game also was the first this season for previously-injured Forest Park all-stater Vic Giuliani, and more big things should be on the way with a healthy lineup. The Trojans opened this season with a notable win at Norway but will see the Knights one more time and also will face Marquette on Feb. 17 at Northern Michigan University.
Fowler (9-1) Last season’s Division 4 runner-up did suffer its first loss last week, to rival Pewamo-Westphalia, but has otherwise been nearly unstoppable with seven double-digit wins including an especially notable one over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in a rematch of last year’s Regional Semifinal. Fowler will face P-W again Feb. 5, potentially with first place in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference on the line once more, and Saturday’s meeting with Concord could be one of the top Division 4 matchups of the regular season.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Central Montcalm (8-0) at Grant (9-0) – This is the only meeting of undefeated teams this week in Michigan, and they are leading their respective divisions of the Central State Activities Association.
Tuesday – Clarkston (9-2) at Auburn Hills Avondale (10-1) – They will head into their first of two meetings tied for first in the Oakland Activities Association Red.
Thursday – Colon (7-1) at Mendon (10-0) – The Hornets are first in the Southern Central Athletic Association West and Colon second after Mendon won their first matchup 80-73 in overtime.
Friday – Rockford (9-1) at Hudsonville (10-0) – A lot could change between now and this game with Rockford set to face East Kentwood and Hudsonville taking on Grand Haven on Tuesday, and those four among five O-K Red teams entering league play undefeated or with only one loss.
Friday – Saginaw Heritage (9-3) at Mount Pleasant (9-1) – This will be the lone regular-season meeting between these Saginaw Valley League North co-leaders.
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PHOTOS (Top) Goodrich’s Miles Washington (40) works to get a shot up past a Saginaw Heritage defender during the Martians’ 65-48 win Jan. 3. (Middle) Hudsonville’ Jovaan Daniels (1) defends while Detroit University Prep’s Tony Dent drives during the Eagles’ 72-56 win also on Jan. 3. (Photos by Terry Lyons.)
Clarkston Earns 1st Shot at Dream Finish
March 24, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – Dan Fife dreamed of playing for an MHSAA basketball championship at Jenison Field House while a student at Clarkston 50 years ago.
Thursday afternoon, the current Wolves made similar dreams come true – and offered their coach that opportunity he never was able to achieve as a player.
Clarkston’s 78-35 win over league rival West Bloomfield in Friday’s first Class A Semifinal earned the program its first appearance in an MHSAA boys basketball championship game.
The Wolves have had piles of success under Fife, the fourth winningest coach in state hoops history with 676 wins since taking over the program before the 1982-83 season. He’s led Clarkston to 30 District and 12 Regional titles, with Friday’s Semifinal the second during his tenure.
“Coach Fife, I don’t think he’ll admit how much it means to him. But it’s everyone’s goal at the beginning of every season; your ultimate goal is to finish out with a win,” Clarkston junior guard Foster Loyer said. “For Coach Fife, and the community of Clarkston, that would just mean the world to all of us, just motivate us to keep working even more.”
Clarkston (26-1), which entered the postseason tied for No. 3 in The Associated Press’ final regular-season Class A poll, will finish this season against Grand Rapids Christian at noon Saturday at the Breslin Center.
The Semifinal was the third ever in Wolves history. And the rare opportunity to advance to Saturday came with an even rarer opportunity to face a familiar opponent in this late round of the tournament.
Clarkston had beaten West Bloomfield (17-9) by 11 and seven during the regular season on the way to winning the Oakland Activities Association Red championship; the Lakers tied for third in the league.
And they knew what to expect from Loyer, a junior already committed to play at Michigan State. But it didn’t help much this time.
Loyer’s first shot of the game, an attempted layup, sailed over the rim. His second shot, a 3-pointer, touched nothing but net.
Making 10 of 17 shots from the floor and 5 of 8 3-pointers, Loyer finished with 32 points, to go with seven assists. Senior forward Dylan Alderson added 27 points, and sophomore center Taylor Currie had 10 points and 16 rebounds as Clarkston hit 57 percent of its shots from the floor – including an incredible 69 percent during a first quarter that ended with the Wolves carrying a 24-13 lead.
Clarkston took an 18-point advantage into halftime.
Senior guard Kevin McAdoo led the Lakers with 22 points, but as a team they made only 22 percent of their shots from the floor, and had just one steal as Clarkston had only four turnovers but 17 assists.
“It’s a tough one to swallow today, especially with the ride we were on to get here,” said seventh-year West Bloomfield coach Jeremy Denha. “What a fun, fun time to get here with the ups and downs and the way the kids battled. We hadn’t sniffed a District Final, let alone a District title, since I’d been here – we hadn’t won one since 2003. For us to make this magical run, get to Breslin, play Clarkston a third time … yeah, the outcome is disappointing, but it’s about the journey too.”
Fife has been on a lot of these trips. So he'd likely quickly agree with his OAA colleague. And especially with how this journey has a chance to end for the first time.
“I’m not worried about what it means to me. I have an expectation; I’ve always had one no matter what I’m doing. If I’m playing something, I’m going to compete,” Fife said. “The reality is, I dreamed of playing in the state championship when I was in high school. I wanted to get to Jenison. That was always my dream, and I’m just trying to instill in the kids to have the same dream – to play basketball and get to this point. They’ll remember this day the rest of their lives, and tomorrow’s game, regardless of what happens.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Clarkston’s Foster Loyer breaks past West Bloomfield defenders to get a shot up during Friday’s first Class A Semifinal. (Middle) The Wolves’ Tieler Houston (15) gets position on West Bloomfield’s Daniel Wrack.