D2 Preview: Embrace the Unexpected
March 13, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Anything is possible during the basketball postseason, and this weekend's Division 2 bracket tells some of that story with at least a few surprises in contention for this season's championship.
But there’s no debating this weekend’s contenders haven’t earned their ways to East Lansing.
River Rouge has looked like a contender all along after making the Semifinals in 2018. Harper Woods Chandler Park was one of three undefeated teams in Division 2 at the end of the regular season but still had to get by New Haven, which was tied for the top spot in the final Associated Press poll. Hudsonville Unity Christian got here in part by defeating Benton Harbor, the other No. 1-ranked team when the playoffs began. And Ludington has pulled off the improbable – which we’ll detail below.
Division 2 Semifinals – Friday
Ludington (14-10) vs. Hudsonville Unity Christian (24-2), 5:30 p.m.
River Rouge (22-2) vs. Harper Woods Chandler Park (21-0), 7:30 p.m.
Division 2 Final – Saturday, 6:45 p.m.
Tickets cost $10 per pair of Semifinals and $10 per two-game Finals session (Divisions 3 and 2). 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.)
HARPER WOODS CHANDLER PARK
Record/rank: 21-0, No. 7
League finish: First in Charter School Conference
Coach: James Scott, fourth season (69-20)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 53-51 over No. 1 New Haven in Quarterfinal, 61-60 (OT) over Detroit Henry Ford in Regional Semifinal, 89-40 over Ferndale in Regional Final.
Players to watch: Andre Bradford, 6-3 sr. G (17 ppg, 4.0 apg); Tyland Tate, 6-6 sr. F (15 ppg, 8.0 rpg).
Outlook: Chandler Park followed up its first Regional title by earning its first trip to the Semifinals, stunning New Haven on Tuesday in one of the rare times an undefeated team likely was the underdog. But the Eagles have won two straight league titles and bring a balanced attack to Breslin. In addition to Bradford and Tate noted above, senior Derrick Bryant Jr. (12 ppg, 10 apg), sophomore Jayland Randall (13 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 spg) and senior Josh Diggs (11 ppg) all average double figures scoring – Randall off the bench.
HUDSONVILLE UNITY CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 24-2, honorable mention
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Green
Coach: Scott Soodsma, 27th season (430-189)
Championship history: Class B runner-up 1973 and 1963.
Best wins: 71-45 over Grand Rapids South Christian in Quarterfinal, 63-54 over No. 1 Benton Harbor in Regional Final, 58-49 (District Semifinal), 69-64 and 63-42 over honorable mention Holland Christian.
Players to watch: T.J. VanKoevering, 6-5 sr. F (13.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.1 bpg); Chandler Collins, 6-5 sr. F (10 ppg, 3.1 rpg).
Outlook: Unity Christian will play in its first Semifinal since 1973 riding a 20-game winning streak, and after upsetting reigning Class B champion Benton Harbor and then avenging an earlier loss to South Christian. VanKoevering earned an all-state honorable mention last season and is one of six players averaging at least 6.2 points under longtime leader Soodsma. The Crusaders fill their roles well; senior Noah Wiswary averages four assists per game to go with his 7.8 ppg, while another senior Ryan Takens had made 44 3-pointers entering the week and sophomore Zac Velthouse scores 7.5 ppg with nearly 46-percent success from 3-point range.
LUDINGTON
Record/rank: 14-10, unranked
League finish: Tied for third in Lakes 8 Conference
Coach: Thad Shank, 17th season (265-132)
Championship history: Class B runner-up 2017 and 1953.
Best wins: 65-32 over Alma in Quarterfinal, 49-32 over Escanaba in Regional Final, 50-40 over Standish-Sterling in Regional Semifinal.
Players to watch: Joshua Laman, 6-4 sr. F (15.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 58 3-pointers); Jayden Hathaway, 6-4 sr. C (5.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg).
Outlook: In a tournament filled with surprises, Ludington might be the biggest after entering the postseason with a 9-10 record. The Orioles had lost five of six entering the playoffs, but defeated five teams all with at least 13 wins to get back to Breslin for the second time in three seasons. Laman earned an all-state honorable mention last season and is sure to draw the most defensive attention. Senior Nathan Lange and junior Brayden Porter both add just over six points per game.
RIVER ROUGE
Record/rank: 22-2, No. 4
League finish: First in Michigan Metro Athletic Conference Blue
Coach: Lamonta Stone, seventh season (188-37)
Championship history: Fourteen MHSAA titles (most recent 1999), five runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 78-41 over Division 1 honorable mention Ypsilanti Lincoln, 66-61 over Division 3 No. 1 Flint Beecher, 83-64 over Division 4 No. 3 Southfield Christian.
Players to watch: Nigel Colvin, 6-1 sr. G (13 ppg, 50 3-pointers); Micah Parrish, 6-5 sr. G (12 ppg).
Outlook: Stone, who led River Rouge to the 1999 Class B title, returned this season for his third tenure as leader of the program and with experience also coaching for four college programs. His team has been driving hard after making the Semifinals a year ago, losing only to Benton Harbor and Detroit Martin Luther King and winning its five tournament games by an average of 23 points per. Senior Donavan Freeman adds 10 points per game, and senior Bralin Toney averages 4.8 assists and seven points per contest.
PHOTO: Ludington’s Nathan Lange gathers a loose ball during his team’s Quarterfinal win over Alma. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
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.)