Breslin Bound: Boys Quarterfinal Preview
March 21, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The final week of the 2015-16 boys basketball season finds five undefeated teams among the 32 set to play Quarterfinals on Tuesday.
And they're joined by a number of others playing in this final week for the first time, or at least the first time in a long time.
See below for a glance at all 16 Quarterfinals and come back to Second Half all week for team-by-team previews of the semifinalists and coverage of all 12 games plus video highlights from the Breslin Center this weekend.
All games Tuesday tip off at 7 p.m. unless noted.
Class A
Ypsilanti Community (22-1) vs. Detroit U-D Jesuit (25-0) at University of Detroit Mercy (5 p.m.)
This might be the spotlight game statewide on this night with a pair of elite seniors facing off – recently-crowned Mr. Basketball Cassius Winston of U-D Jesuit and award finalist Corey Allen of Ypsilanti Community. Allen is averaging just above 23 points per game, while Winston leads the Cubs with 21.2 and 7.2 assists per game.
Macomb Dakota (25-0) vs. Midland (17-6) at Grand Blanc
Both programs will take significant strides just by stepping on the floor. Dakota, long seen as a Class A contender this winter, will play in its first Quarterfinal, while surprise Midland will make its first appearance since 1979. Junior Jermaine Jackson paces the Cougars at 21 points per game, while senior Payton DeWildt scores 16.7 to lead the Chemics.
North Farmington (22-2) vs. Sterling Heights Stevenson (20-3) at University of Detroit Mercy
North Farmington also is making its first Quarterfinal appearance, also led by a standout guard, senior Billy Thomas at 21 points per game. Stevenson is back in the final week for the first time since 1983, led by a trio of seniors averaging between 11-13 ppg: Mylon Weathers, Vince Ramaci and Luke Lamoreaux.
Lansing Everett (15-10) vs. Hudsonville (19-5) at Lansing Eastern
This Quarterfinal pits two of the biggest upset producers of the Regional Finals – Lansing Everett, which downed undefeated East Lansing after falling to the Trojans twice during the regular season, and Hudsonville, which upended annual power Muskegon. Both are anchored by senior guards, the Eagles by 6-foot-5 Riley Costen (17 ppg) and the Vikings by 6-3 Jamyrin Jackson (16.8 ppg).
Class B
Detroit Henry Ford (17-6) vs. New Haven (22-2) at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore
Last season’s Class B runner-up, Ford has won 12 of its last 14 games with senior guard James Towns leading the way at 23 points and 5.7 assists per game. New Haven lost to Ford 61-55 in a Quarterfinal a year ago but has a difficult trio to stop in 6-11 senior Innocent Nwoko (10.6 ppg, 10 rpg), 6-4 junior Eric Williams, Jr. (17.5 ppg), and 6-6 freshman Romeo Weems (15.5 ppg, 10.8 ppg, 4.6 apg).
Williamston (20-3) vs. River Rouge (22-3) at Charlotte
Williamston is playing with one of the state’s leading scorers in senior guard Riley Lewis (28.6 ppg) and some added inspiration after coach Jason Bauer left the team recently to undergo cancer treatments. River Rouge has one of the most storied programs in MHSAA history and is seeking to return to the Semifinals for the first time since 1999 and follow up the football team’s runner-up finish in the fall.
Essexville Garber (17-8) vs. Big Rapids (22-2) at Bay City Central
Garber has won Regional titles both seasons under second-year coach Chris Watz, who took over after two seasons as an assistant at Olivet College. Junior forward Demetri Martin (19.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg) leads a Big Rapids team that has won Regional titles three of the last four seasons.
Stevensville Lakeshore (18-7) vs. Hudsonville Unity Christian (16-8) at Vicksburg
Lakeshore is back in its first Quarterfinal since 2013 led by 6-11 senior center Braden Burke, who averages 15.9 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Unity Christian is playing in its first Quarterfinal since 2008, also keyed by a post player, 6-4 senior forward Mitchel Takens (15.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg).
Class C
Kalamazoo Hackett (24-0) vs. Grandville Calvin Christian (19-4) at Bangor
Hackett has rarely been tested with only two games in single digits on the way to its first Quarterfinal since 1969. Senior guard Dane Preston leads a solid group of scorers at 18.6 ppg. Calvin Christian is making its deepest run since 2010 and can top 20 wins for the fourth time in eight seasons if senior Tony DeWitte (18.2) and teammates can lock up one more.
McBain (25-0) vs. Ishpeming Westwood (12-12) at Petoskey
McBain has had a number of fantastic runs under 22-year coach Bruce Koopman, but none that’s seen the Ramblers undefeated this late. Craig Sterk, Cole Powell and Logan Eling all score between 14-15 points per game. Westwood’s surprise run has it playing its first Quarterfinal since 2003 while riding the hot hands of an all-senior lineup.
Flint Beecher (22-2) vs. Ithaca (23-2) at Troy Athens
Reigning Class C champion Flint Beecher is playing for its fourth championship in five seasons and riding a 16-game winning streak. Ithaca, meanwhile, is playing in its first Quarterfinal since 1956 – but won’t be intimidated led in part by three starters who played prominent roles on the Division 6 championship football team.
Hanover-Horton (23-2) vs. Detroit Loyola (20-5) at Tecumseh
Hanover-Horton has won 15 straight District titles and returned to the Quarterfinals last season, advancing all the way to a Semifinal against Beecher. Loyola is known much more for football as a regular finalist at Ford Field, but will make its first Quarterfinal appearance in hoops after downing 18-win Detroit Allen Academy and Riverview Gabriel Richard and 21-win Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central along the way.
Class D
Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (19-5) vs. Adrian Lenawee Christian (17-7) at Coldwater
Wyoming Tri-unity Christian has been a near-regular during the final week, but is seeking to advance to the Semifinals for the first time since 2013. Senior guard Willie Otole leads at 15.1 ppg. After finishing Class D runner-up in 2014, Lenawee Christian fell to .500 last winter, but is back in contention led by sophomore 3-point ace Trey Helinski (14 ppg).
Waterford Our Lady (20-4) vs. Marine City Cardinal Mooney (17-7) at West Bloomfield
Our Lady brings back three starters this week from the team that missed the Class D Final a year ago by a point – including senior guard Andrew Kline (18.5 ppg). Cardinal Mooney will make its second Quarterfinal appearance and first since 2010, led by sophomore guard Daniel Everhart at 17.2 ppg.
Fulton (18-6) vs. Bellaire (24-1) at Traverse City West, 6 p.m.
The Pirates will play in their second straight Quarterfinal and are led by senior guard Colton Antes, who is set the graduate as one of the top 3-point shooters in MHSAA history. Bellaire’s only loss this season was to eventual 20-win Class C East Jordan. The Eagles start four seniors and rely on three more off the bench.
Onaway (21-4) vs. Powers North Central (25-0) at Sault Ste. Marie
Onaway has put together an impressive rise, adding to its win total the last five seasons under coach Eddy Szymoniak after the team went 1-20 in 2011 in his debut. The Cardinals could add their biggest highlight yet by taking down reigning champion North Central, which hasn’t lost since 2015.
PHOTO: Ypsilanti Community takes on Macomb Dakota in one of the state's most anticipated Quarterfinals on Tuesday. (Photo by Betsy Howell.)
Breslin Bound: 2022-23 Boys Report Week 12
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 27, 2023
The seeds for this season’s District brackets are set as 726 Michigan boys basketball teams are finishing up their regular seasons this week in advance of the playoffs beginning March 6.
Brackets were seeded and filled Sunday, and published here for all four divisions:
Division 1 | Division 2 | Division 3 | Division 4
This will be the last of our regular-season “Breslin Bound” reports, as next week we switch the format up a bit while previewing several of the strongest Districts across the state.
“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. Grand Rapids South Christian 82, Grand Rapids Catholic Central 54 The Sailors (18-3) also needed to defeat Cedar Springs three days later, but this win over GRCC (15-6) opened the opportunity to share the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold title with the Cougars and also ended their 75-game league winning streak going back to Feb. 21, 2017.
2. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 68, Detroit U-D Jesuit 63 The Warriors (20-1) claimed their first Detroit Catholic League tournament championship reportedly since 1990 with their third win this season over the Cubs (17-4).
3. East Kentwood 61, Hudsonville 49 Friday’s winner-take-all for the outright O-K Red championship went to the Falcons (16-5), who had fallen to Hudsonville (15-6) by nine Jan. 27.
4. Warren Michigan Collegiate 58, Romulus Summit Academy 50 The Cougars (18-2) clinched the Charter School Conference tournament title in a rematch of last season’s championship game, won by Summit (18-2).
5. Hart 63, Mason County Central 45 The Pirates moved to 20-0 and clinched the outright West Michigan Conference Rivers championship – reportedly their first league title since 1963 in boys hoops.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
East Kentwood (16-5) The Falcons have hit their stride during a seven-game winning streak that included clinching the O-K Red title (see above) and also avenging an earlier loss to Grandville, plus defeating Detroit Old Redford at Benton Harbor’s Wilson Chandler Shootout. East Kentwood was 6-15 just a season ago and 3-12 the year before that, but also has pairs of wins over Rockford (14-7) and Grand Haven (16-5) this season and an opportunity to impress further in the regular-season finale against South Christian.
River Rouge (15-5) The Panthers have won 10 of their last 12 as they prepare for the postseason, with a pair of wins over Hamtramck (13-7) and others over Davison (16-6), Lansing Waverly (16-6), Grosse Pointe South (17-4) and Brownstown Woodhaven (16-4) boosted by good losses to Brother Rice and Ferndale among others. Rouge earned the second seed at the District at Detroit Cass Tech, with another boost from defeating Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 63-59 at Saturday’s 313 Classic.
DIVISION 2
Cadillac (16-4) The Vikings bounced back from two and one-point losses to Traverse City Central and Petoskey, respectively, to defeat Traverse City West 58-30 on Friday and clinch a shared Big North Conference championship with the Trojans. It was a repeat of the 2021-22 league finish, and Cadillac will hope to build on last season’s playoff run as well after reaching the Division 2 Quarterfinals. Cadillac followed up the one-point loss to the Northmen with a one-point win over Big Rapids (17-2), which went well with other impressive victories over Ludington (18-2) and McBain (17-4).
Grand Rapids South Christian (18-3) As noted above, the Sailors ended GRCC’s incredible league winning streak – but that wasn’t the first highlight for South Christian this winter. Total, the Sailors have 11 victories over teams with double-digit wins, and 15 victories have come by double digits. They started 1-2 with losses to Grand Rapids Christian and Grand Rapids Northview, but those along with a loss to GRCC in their first meeting no doubt helped boost South into the top seed in its District at Plainwell.
DIVISION 3
Ecorse (13-3) After reaching the Division 3 Semifinals a year ago, Ecorse is picking up plenty of momentum for a repeat run with 11 straight wins after taking its three losses consecutively in December to larger Oak Park, Detroit Renaissance and Detroit Catholic Central. The Raiders have gone over 80 points seven times and 90 points five times during this current streak, which began with a win over Division 1 Woodhaven. Ecorse most recently defeated Detroit University Prep Art & Design (14-5) by four at the 313 Classic.
Traverse City St. Francis (17-3) The Gladiators appear to be in top form, having earned a shared Lake Michigan Conference title last week in part by defeating then-leader Boyne City 58-34 to avenge a Jan. 24 loss to the Ramblers. The only other defeats came to Division 1 Grand Haven and Detroit Cass Tech (21-0), and the latter by only seven points. St. Francis will squeeze the last bits of prep possible out of this week with tests against McBain (17-4) and Cadillac before heading into the District at Lake City seeded first and opposite postseason rival Glen Lake (17-3).
DIVISION 4
Rudyard (16-5) The Bulldogs are among the handful of Upper Peninsula schools that play in multiple conferences, and while they are third in the Straits Area Conference they have finished a perfect run through the Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference. Only last week, to Sault St. Marie, did Rudyard take its first loss by more than five points. The Bulldogs are seeded first in the District they host next week, with four other EUPC teams in the field. Wins over Mackinaw City (17-3) and Indian River Inland Lakes (15-5) no doubt provided a solid boost toward that rating.
Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (15-5) The reigning Division 4 champion is a win better than at this point last season, and with the same kind of experience as usual having played mostly larger schools outside of league play. A pair of losses by a combined five points have the Defenders as part of a three-way tie for second place in the Alliance League, but they have four wins over teams with 12 or more victories – most recently against Pewamo-Westphalia (12-6) and reigning Division 3 champion Schoolcraft (13-7).
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Ferndale (12-7) at North Farmington (17-1) – These two have the top MPRs in Divisions 2 and 1, respectively, and are second and first in the Oakland Activities Association Red thanks to North Farmington’s 50-48 win in the first meeting Jan. 31.
Tuesday – Kalamazoo Central (18-2) at Muskegon (19-2) – A pair of programs with two of the longest traditions of success in state history match up in the regular-season finale for both.
Thursday – Grand Blanc (19-2) at Flint Beecher (16-3) – Grand Blanc has won the last two meetings between these Flint-area powers, in regular-season finales last year and in 2020.
Thursday – Iron Mountain (19-1) at Negaunee (15-5) – The Mountaineers have a one-game lead on the Miners heading into this Western Peninsula Athletic Conference East finale.
Friday – Detroit Cass Tech (21-0) vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (20-1) at Detroit Mercy – This Calihan Hall Operation Friendship showdown of champions could end up among the most memorable in the series in some time.
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.
PHOTO Otsego takes on Paw Paw on Friday in an eventual 58-44 win that kept the Bulldogs atop the Wolverine Conference standings. (Photo by Gary Shook.)