'Top Shooters' Reign at Breslin
March 27, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan awarded its top 3-point and free-throw shooters at the championship game halftimes during the Boys and Girls Basketball Finals over the last two weekends.
Four champions were crowned, including a girls free-throw winner who finished runner-up a year ago.
All four championship matches were broadcast on MHSAA.TV and can be watched by clicking the links below.
Girls free throw: Lincoln Alcona senior Karina Cole, last season's runner-up, finished first this time just ahead of St. Clair Shores Lakeview's Leah Charrette. Click to watch.
Girls 3-point: Macomb Dakota's Rio Dudgeon, who will play next season at Oakland University, finished first with Ada Forest Hills Eastern's Kaleese Jeffries coming in second. Click to watch.
Boys free throw: Saugatuck's Michael Winowiecki finished first, followed by Walled Lake Northern's Trent Lansa. Click to watch.
Boys 3-point: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern's Tommy Dozeman was the champion, with Traverse City Christian's Kris Crosby the runner-up. Click to watch.
PHOTO: (In clockwise order) Top Shooters champions for girls free throw, boys free throw, boys 3-point and girls 3-point contests pose at the Breslin Center.
“Reaching Higher” Marks 5th Year
July 11, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The annual Reaching Higher showcases of Michigan’s top high school basketball players will return to South Lyon High School beginning with the boys event Wednesday, July 17, followed by the state’s top girls prospects taking the floor July 25.
More than 220 athletes with aspirations to play at the college level will train and scrimmage under the tutelage of high school coaches from across the state and in front of college coaches expected to represent all three NCAA divisions, the NAIA and junior college levels. Coaches from 42 college basketball programs attended during the 2012 Reaching Higher events, including 12 from Division I schools.
This will be the fifth year of Reaching Higher. An educational effort by the Michigan High School Athletic Association and the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan, the Reaching Higher experience includes classroom sessions for student-athletes and their parents as well as on-court drills and scrimmaging. The events aim to give athletes a vision of what it takes to become a college basketball player and also succeed in college life.
Participants in the program were selected by a committee of BCAM members. The process began in December when local high school coaches submitted nominations to the selection committee. Participants were chosen in February.
A complete schedule of activities and invitees can be found on the “Reaching Higher” page of the MHSAA Website.
PHOTOS: Players face off during a scrimmage at the 2012 Reaching Higher girls basketball showcase at South Lyon High School.