MHSAA bracketology: Division II Outlook

Back for another year. It’s America’s.. err..Michigan’s…err… my favorite game. The chance to predict one of the more volatile and unpredictable brackets in sports. The upcoming state high school basketball tournament. I’m planning on going through each of the four classifications and try to forecast what will happen. For the sake of brevity. I’m only going to project out to the Elite Eight (Quarterfinal) round. 

As always…. This is high school sports. All meant to be in good fun. I have no dogs in this fight. If this is taken by some team and used as motivation or bulletin board material. That would honestly be perfectly fine with me.

After giving you Divisions III and IV. It’s on to the big boys. 

**Current record in parentheses**

Quarterfinal #5 @ Gaylord
Ludington (20-2) vs Freeland (18-3)

Overview: I feel pretty good about Ludington on the top line. Kingsford got to this spot last year and the Flivvers (will always cite that mascot when I can) are good once again. Kingsford junior Jett Buckley is really fast and skilled guard (no puns here) However Ludington has about five Buckley type players depending on what they choose to do with some 5th quarter JV players. That’s not hyperbole. Junior Taj Williams leads an extremely deep backcourt with multiple options. Ferris St football commit Cameron Gunsell provides enough size (6-4) and strength to get to the quarterfinal round. 

The bottom line is an absolute gauntlet. By my count, I see at least seven teams with a legitimate chance to come out of the pod. Oddly enough more than half of them represent schools that begin with the letter “F”. For the sake of brevity, I’ll stick to three. Freeland is the favorite after reaching the quarterfinal last year and returning their entire rotation. Frankenmuth is a deep squad loaded with athletes who are going to play a sport other than basketball at the next level. Flint Powers Catholic has senior Andrew Caldwell who might be the single best scorer in the division. It’s not the most imaginative pick, but I’m sticking with Freeland. 

Wilson Huckeby (Saginaw Valley St) and Tristan Comer (Michigan St- Football) get a lot of the deserved attention. I have liked what I have seen from 6-2 wing Tucker Hileman. He has developed into a legitimate third option if Huckeby has the rare off shooting night. Point guard Cooper Wagner, a senior transfer from Saginaw Swan Valley gives them an element of ball playmaking that last year’s team did not have.

Pick: Ludington is the exact type of team gives Freeland trouble. Fast, aggressive defensively, well coached, and deep. However, I will channel my inner Lee Corso and give you a “not so fast my friend” On the flipside, Freeland is the type of team that has given Ludington problems. Big and experienced squads that execute like Traverse City West and North Muskegon, exposed these weaknesses. Freeland will do the same. The Falcons return to Breslin Center.

Quarterfinal #7 @ Chelsea
Lansing Sexton (19-2) vs Romulus Summit Academy North (21-1)

Overview: While this pod is deep with talent. The favorites in this grouping are pretty well stratified above the rest of the field. The top line will most likely come down to a rematch of last years “March Moment”. A buzzer beating Lansing Sexton heave to sneak by Chelsea and get the quarterfinals. Normally I would give the edge to the losing squad the second time. Due to the nature of statistical toss up games. However, in this case Chelsea graduated much of last year’s group while Sexton returns virtually intact. If Chelsea can get by Sexton this year. Freshman star Drew Cabana will put quite a coda on what has been outstanding inaugural campaign. If you don’t know this name yet, you soon will.

I love good point guards in March. They don’t come much better than Sexton senior Keyshawn Summerville. The sub-six foot dynamo should be highly motivated to make a return trip to the quarterfinals. He has plenty of help in the backcourt in the form of fellow seniors Markese and Mario Murray. There is height down low with 6-6 junior Korey Jackson. Adding in the hometown storyline with a trip to the Breslin Center on the line. This is the type of team I love to pick. But…

The resume of Romulus Summit Academy North is simply too good to ignore. Their only loss came to an out of state opponent over the holidays. They were the most impressive team I saw at the loaded BCAM event way back in June. Despite a high profile transfer out of program since then. Nothing has taken me off the position that they are the best team in the division. I love good guards in March. They don’t come much better than seniors Jordan Fuller (Tiffin-OH commit) and Marquan White. Dynamic freshman Codey Bush has put together an outstanding maiden run and makes this a tough trio to beat. There is size along the frontline with Tylon Pitts (6-5) and sophomore King Pierce-Black. (6-7). I like the future of the Dearborn Divine Child program, and they do host the region. In the present though, this is still Summit’s spot.

Pick: A rematch from last year’s quarterfinal won by Summit. The trio mentioned above should cancel out Sexton’s backcourt. While it will be closer than last year. The Dragons make it back-to-back trips to the Breslin Center.

Quarterfinal #8 @ St Clair County CC
Detroit University Prep (12-9) vs Detroit Country Day (15-7)

Overview: Going into the season, the top line of this bracket looked it was going to be the deepest line of the division. Transfer losses and just losses in general, have caused it to lose some luster. However, there are still some talented teams in here. Detroit Edison and Harper Woods Chandler Park have the best records. Defending champ Warren Lincoln and Ferndale have arguably the best talent. I’m going to go ever so slightly off the board with a nine loss University Prep squad. Nine losses are a lot, but the schedule was brutal. I like the fact that they are led by two battle tested seniors in Maurice Jackson (6-5) and Chris Bryd (6-4). I saw potential in the backcourt around the holidays in a loss to ATAP. Senior Tony Dent and junior Mari Northfleet should be improved and ready for March.

On the bottom line there are a myriad of ways to go as well. Yale has a sparkling record, and a senior leader in Jackson Kohler (6-0) Goodrich has a big-time junior talent in Jensen LaPla (6-5) and rugged athletes with success in multiple sports. However, I have held all year that if Country Day is healthy, this is the Yellow Jackets spot. The junior duo of Christian Cast (6-3) and Isaiah Marino (6-6) is healthy and formidable. BCS football recruit junior Anthony Cartwright (6-4) provides size and strength down low. There is plethora of young talent on the bench as well.

Pick: After a long drought (by their standards) Detroit Country Day will return to the Breslin Center. A site they owned in the late nineties and early aughts.

Quarterfinal #6 @ Hamilton
Grand Rapids Christian (15-5) vs Grand Rapids South Christian (18-3)

Overview: If you are a regular reader, you have seen me cite the West Michigan parochial school hegemony. Coaching and graduation attrition have begun to show some cracks in the fortresses these schools have built. Teams like Benton Harbor, Fruitport, Paw Paw, and South Haven have put together strong regular seasons. The adventurous prognosticator would love to go in another direction. I just don’t see it happening this year. On the top line Grand Rapids Christian appears to have an easier road to get to quarterfinals. They also have a college bound senior duo in Carl Thompson (IPFW) and Connor Johnson (Northern Michigan) that will be a difficult out.

The bottom line is deep. The aforementioned duo from the Southwest Lakeshore (Benton Harbor, South Haven) are here. As is Paw Paw, and their deep but small backcourt. Whoever comes out of the Godwin Height district should still get this spot. You can check the archives; I have been a big believer in the connectedness of Hudsonville Unity Christian all year. Nearly their entire starting five has chosen to play together at the next level (Calvin) They are very big on the frontline and more dynamic than you think on the perimeter. Their head coach just notched his 700th win. There is nary a weakness on this team. So naturally I’m going to go with…

Grand Rapids South Christian. Everything I just wrote about Unity, you could say the inverse about the Sailors. I was late to the party with this group. They have significant size along the frontline, but not as much as Unity. They have sound experience on the bench, but their fourth-year head man is nowhere near 700 wins. They might technically be a more connected unit, as virtually their entire backcourt is related. Unity holds a decisive head-to-head victory. However, it was early and South should be playing better as unit now due to their youth. Accordingly, I like the wildcard that could be freshman guard Crew Zichterman breaking out in March. The same could happen with his brother junior Max Zichterman. The heartbeat of the team though is the size and senior leadership of JJ Modderman, Josh Fles, and Caleb Krosschell. South avenges their loss and heads to the quarters.

Pick: On paper South might be the favorite with an early head-to-head victory. I have a hard time going against Thompson (6-4) and Johnson (6-7) though. That will be too much size and experience the second time around.

Semifinal # 3
Freeland vs Romulus Summit Academy North

Pick: When you have shooter who can get as hot as Wilson Huckeby, anything is possible. However, Summit has the depth to throw waves of defenders at him. The Dragons move onto the final.

Semifinal #4
Detroit Country Day vs Grand Rapids Christian

Pick: I won’t overcomplicate this. Both teams have college bound dynamic duos (see above) However Christian’s duo is made up of seniors. Those seniors played on this stage two years ago. I have some concerns if the Eagles junior point Braylon Taylor isn’t back from injury though. Christian back into the final for the second time three years.

The Final

If there was word to describe the Summit program, it would be resilient. They recently went through a span or three coaches in three years. They have lost more than one player to transfer in the last few years. Through it all they continue to win at a high clip. They appear to be poised to finish off this run of success with the only thing missing… a state championship. I’m picking it, the Dragons will raise a banner.