D1 Preview: Follow the Fan Favorites
March 13, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Friday's first Semifinals – formerly Class A, now Division 1 – always are the most popular ticket of Boys Basketball Finals weekend.
But you’ll want to get to Breslin Center especially early to see this season’s contenders.
It’s no secret that fans statewide are eager to see Ypsilanti Lincoln freshman Emoni Bates. But local Okemos no doubt will bring a big crowd as well. Howell, just down I-96, should too as it plays in its first Semifinal in more than 90 years. And Detroit U-D Jesuit always seems to bring a following, led by a festive student section.
Division 1 Semifinals – Friday
Howell (20-6) vs. Ypsilanti Lincoln (21-4), Noon
Detroit U-D Jesuit (24-2) vs. Okemos (23-2), 2 p.m.
Division 1 Final – Saturday, 12:15 p.m.
Tickets cost $10 per pair of Semifinals and $10 per two-game Finals session (Divisions 4 and 1). All Semifinals will be streamed live on MHSAA.tv and viewable on a pay-per-view basis. The Divisions 2, 3 and 4 championship games will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Detroit’s primary channel, while the Division 1 Final will be shown live on Fox Sports Detroit PLUS. All four championship games will be streamed live on FoxSportsDetroit.com and the FOX Sports app. Free radio broadcasts of all weekend games will be available on MHSAANetwork.com.
Below is a glance at all four semifinalists. Click on the name of the school to see that team’s full schedule and results from this season. (Statistics are through teams' Regional Finals.)
DETROIT U-D JESUIT
Record/rank: 24-2, No. 1
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central
Coach: Pat Donnelly, 11th season (207-53)
Championship history: Class A champion 2016.
Best wins: 91-54 over honorable mention Roseville in Quarterfinal, 79-59 over honorable mention Detroit Cass Tech, 70-69 over Division 3 No. 1 Flint Beecher, 54-47 over Detroit Edison.
Players to watch: Daniel Friday, 6-4 sr. G/F (16.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.5 bpg); Jalen Thomas, 6-10 F/C (12.7 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 3.5 bpg).
Outlook: The Cubs have reached at least the Quarterfinals six seasons straight and won their six playoff games this winter by an average of 27 points per. Jesuit hasn’t lost since Jan. 5, and it’s only instate defeat was Dec. 1 to Division 2 No. 1 New Haven. Friday and Thomas earned all-state honorable mentions last season and senior guard Caleb Hunter (9.6 ppg) made the all-state first team in Class D. Senior guard Julian Dozier adds 12.8 ppg and leads the team at 5.9 assists per contest.
HOWELL
Record/rank: 20-6, unranked
League finish: Second in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West
Coach: Nick Simon, seventh season (108-55)
Championship history: Class B runner-up 1927.
Best wins: 57-56 over No. 5 Saginaw in Quarterfinal, 59-46 over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Regional Semifinal, 55-49 over Linden in District Final, 58-57 over Wayne Memorial.
Players to watch: Josh Palo, 6-2 sr. G (17.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.7 apg); Tony Honkala, 6-2 jr. G/F (10.2 ppg).
Outlook: Howell played its first Quarterfinal since 2014 on Tuesday to earn its first trip to the Semifinals since 1927. The Highlanders have won 14 of their last 16 games, the only losses during that time both to No. 3 Canton, and while giving up 50 or more points only four times during the run. Palo earned an all-state honorable mention last season and is one of four seniors in the starting lineup.
OKEMOS
Record/rank: 23-2, honorable mention
League finish: First in Capital Area Activities Conference Blue
Coach: Jeff Wonch, seventh season (101-58)
Championship history: Class B champion 1982 & 1981, Class A runner-up 2006.
Best wins: 50-45 over East Kentwood in Quarterfinal, 39-34 (Regional Final), 56-41 and 41-35 over DeWitt, 72-28 over Howell.
Players to watch: Evan Thomas, 6-4 sr. G/F (17.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg), Noah Pruitt, 5-9 jr. G (10.7 ppg, 3.0 apg).
Outlook: Okemos is returning to the Semifinals for the first time since the runner-up run in 2006, although Wonch has been to Breslin a little more recently – he led Bath to the Class C championship in 2007. The Chiefs only losses this season were Detroit Catholic Central and Haslett, which both went on to win at least District titles. Long-range shooting could be key – entering the week, five players had made at least 13 3-pointers and the team as a whole was making 33 percent of its shots from beyond the arc.
YPSILANTI LINCOLN
Record/rank: 21-4, honorable mention
League finish: First in Southeastern Conference White
Coach: Jesse Davis, fourth season (54-34)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 56-52 over No. 8 Detroit Martin Luther King in Quarterfinal, 81-79 over Detroit Catholic Central in Regional Final, 58-55 over Ann Arbor Skyline in Regional Semifinal.
Players to watch: Emoni Bates, 6-10 fr. (29.2 ppg, 53 3-pointers, 10.1 rpg, ); Jalen Fisher, 5-10 sr. G (13.1 ppg, 3.3 spg).
Outlook: Bates entered this season known as perhaps the top player his grade in the country. It’s fair to say his impact has been even greater than anticipated. He’s keyed Lincoln’s run to its first Regional title and now first Semifinal berth, making game-winning shots in both of last week’s games as he’s continued building one of the most memorable freshman seasons in state history. But his teammates certainly have done their parts. In addition to Fisher, seniors Amari Frye (10.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and Tahj Chatman (10 ppg, 2.9 apg) also are averaging double-digit scoring, and Lincoln as a team is making nearly 45 percent of its shots from the floor with Bates, Fisher and Chatman also all at 73 percent or better from the free-throw line.
PHOTO: Okemos’ Evan Thomas looks for an opening during Tuesday night’s Quarterfinal win while East Kentwood’s Ja’moni Jones (1) defends. (Photo by Eric Sawatzki.)
Warren Lincoln Turns to Shutdown Defense to Lock Up Repeat Opportunity
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
March 14, 2025
EAST LANSING – It wasn't the first time Warren Lincoln had to push aside a sluggish first half to eventually meet the goals the Abes have for themselves.
In fact, they turned to an old friend to thrust themselves into a second-straight Division 2 Final.
Lincoln was all about defense in knocking off Grand Rapids Catholic Central 43-39 in Friday's concluding Semifinal at the Breslin Center.
After the Abes mustered only 21 first-quarter points, they turned to their defense to oust the Cougars and become the first Division 2 school since Lansing Sexton in 2011-12 to play for back-to-back titles.
Lincoln is in that position because of defense, coach Wydell Henry said.
"We had to defend," Henry said. "We don't want to give up 50 points, and that's 10 a quarter. We knew we had to come out and rebound, relax and play unselfishly in the second half."
Which is exactly what the Abes did. Aided by committing only four turnovers during the entire game, Lincoln rallied from a 25-21 halftime deficit to win a matchup that saw seven lead changes or ties over the final 11 minutes.
The last came when Lincoln's Geon Hutchins snapped a 35-35 tie on a 3-pointer with 5:18 to go. Two and a half minutes later, Hutchins hit another one to give the Abes a 41-37 lead with 2:24 left. The closest GRCC came after was 41-39 with 1:40 to go on a layup by Jack Bowen.
The Cougars hurt themselves by missing four key fourth-quarter free throws.
"We've been battle-tested all year, and kudos to Catholic Central – they played 32 minutes – but we're used to that," Henry said. "We were standing around offensively (in the first half) and not moving, and that's not basketball. But we won, and that's what it's all about."
The win sent Lincoln (22-4) into Saturday's 6:45 p.m. Division 2 Final against Romulus Summit Academy North, a 52-40 winner over Kingsford in their Semifinal.
Lincoln senior guard Markus Blackwell, who finished with 11 points, said his team never worried about its slow start.
"There are always nerves, but once you get out there you settle down and play your game," he said.
Senior guard Da'Marion Bozeman, who had 10 points and six rebounds, said he knew he had to up his game over the last 16 minutes.
"I had to pick up my game and perform like I wanted, like rebounding better," he said. "I always have to make sure I'm doing something to contribute."
Henry, who has won 114 games in seven years at Warren Lincoln, said it's not particularly rare for his team to survive a game while scoring in the 40-point range. The team held Byron Center to 65 points early in the season and kept 11 opponents under 50.
"I just tell the guys at the end of a game it's a win," he said. "If we're going to be successful, we've got to play together. It's tough to get kids to sacrifice (scoring), but these guys do that.”
Grand Rapids Catholic Central first-year coach Chris Pearl took over a team that had just graduated the 2024 Mr. Basketball Award winner, another Division II college signee, and saw its longtime coach step away. Yet, the Cougars still reached this season’s Semifinals.
"The first three quarters were in our favor. We were ready to compete," he said. "Warren Lincoln for 32 minutes was a tad better. Defense has been our M.O., and I didn't expect it to stop today."
PHOTOS (Top) Warren Lincoln’s Moses Blackwell works to get past Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Izaya Larthridge (4) during Friday’s second Division 2 Semifinal at Breslin Center. (Middle) The Cougars’ Jack Bowen (24) drives to the basket with Lincoln’s Geon Hutchins moving in to defend. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)