Brad Redford

The Golden State Warriors won their NBA-record 50th consecutive home game Wednesday, but they have bigger fish to fry.

The record the Warriors are chasing is the single-season mark of 72 victories, set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

Right in the middle of the pursuit for NBA fame is Draymond Green, who won two state championships at Saginaw High, became an All-America player at Michigan State and found fame and fortune in the NBA helping the Warriors win the NBA title last spring.

Rooting like crazy for Green and the Warriors is Brad Redford.

“Oh, yeah, you have to,” Redford said. “Obviously because of that connection with Draymond, and it’s cool to see a guy from Michigan and the Saginaw area doing what he’s doing at the NBA level.”

Redford is the reason there is one thing missing from Green’s résumé: Mr. Basketball.

This season’s Hal Schram Mr. Basketball award will be presented Monday at the Free Press, and over the years there have been some surprising winners. Redford was one of them.

The year was 2008, and Green was the overwhelming preseason choice as the state’s No. 1 player.

The MSU-bound senior had already led Saginaw High to one state championship and was well on his way to a second title.

Brad Redford

It seemed like a mere formality that Green would be named Mr. Basketball, and the voting would not be close.

And then Steph Curry came along.

Well, it wasn’t exactly that Steph Curry, the one who is generally regarded as the most amazing basketball player on the planet these days and just so happens to be Green’s current teammate.

The Steph Curry we’re referring to is 6-foot Brad Redford, who was a senior at Frankenmuth in 2008, when he put together a Steph Curry-like season long before Steph Curry began having Steph Curry-like seasons.

As preposterous as it sounds now, given Green’s All-America status at MSU, selection as an NBA All-Star and after playing such an instrumental role in the Warriors’ NBA championship last season, Redford seemed to be a logical choice for a lot of high school coaches who voted on the award.

After beginning the season ranked No. 3 in the state behind Green and Romulus’ Dominique Buckley, Redford averaged a Curry-like 36.7 points a game and made a state-record 102 consecutive free throws, second-best nationally.

His 953 points that season are still the second most in state records and he set the state record for free throw shooting in a season (201-for-207, 97.1%) and career free-throw shooting (467-for-500, 93.4%) and three-point baskets in a season (143).

Meet the finalists for Michigan’s Mr. Basketball

Redford, who had signed with Xavier, was very much a player of consequence back then and he grew up playing AAU ball with Green.

They played together on the Road Runners before high school and then were teammates for three years on the Michigan Mustangs and became close friends.

“You get to a point where guys go their separate ways,” Green said during the NBA All-Star weekend. “Through college, we kind of lost contact, but he’s always been a good friend of mine and always will be.”

Redford has always been one of Green’s biggest fans, and is even more so now.

“For me, watching him play and being around him, his mental side is just so strong,” said Redford, 25, who operates Brad Redford Basketball in the Cincinnati area. “And he’s such a confident kid and he believes in himself and he hasn’t let anybody tell him he couldn’t do anything.”

But he wasn’t Mr. Basketball, despite his preseason designation as the state’s best player.

Looking back on it. Green never stood a chance once a video of Redford hit YouTube.

Sharon Bade was Frankenmuth’s volleyball coach, and she videotaped all of Frankenmuth’s games when Redford was a player.

She edited some of Frankenmuth’s games into a highlight tape of Redford’s season and his older brother, Dan, decided it should go on YouTube.

It didn’t take long before the clip went viral, or as much as anything could go viral back in 2008.

The video, which as of Friday morning has been seen 117,409 times, shows Redford hitting shots from … Steph Curry-range.

“With in the first couple of days it had 50,000 hits and we just put it out for fun,” Redford said, laughing. “We were just messing around. The footage in the highlights is only from four games. We didn’t really pull a lot. We just took four games, put it together, put some music behind it and that was it. There wasn’t a whole lot of glitz and glamour behind it.”

Suddenly Redford was more than just a rumor of some guy on the east side of the state who was having a terrific season.

“I don’t know if people knew how I was getting those numbers,” Redford said. “I think the visual added that ‘Wow!’ factor that kind of helped propel people to put me in the conversation. Before the video came out people were definitely talking about me, but that allowed people to visually see how I was scoring.”

Draymond Green

Redford is still astonished and even puzzled at how so many people watched the video.

“That was before anybody was on Twitter or any type of social media,” he said. “That was before any of that. We just put it on YouTube. If there was Twitter back then, it would have been way bigger than it was, I think.”

It was big enough to allow Redford to win the award. Coaches vote for three candidates and points are awarded on a 5-3-1 basis. Redford totaled 1,402 points and Green had 1,245 points.

Although voting totals for every year are not available, the closest vote is believed to have been in 1996 when Detroit Pershing’s Winfred Walton edged Flint Northern’s Mateen Cleaves, 579-566.

“It was obviously something I look back on with a lot of happiness,” Redford said. “It was a really cool moment for me.”

At the time, Redford’s numbers cast a shadow over Green and whatever anything another other player in the state was accomplishing.

“The numbers were just gaudy, they were big,” Redford said. “The records I had set — I think a bunch of them still stand. You don’t go out playing trying to win that award. It just kind of naturally happened. I stayed in the zone for pretty much the whole year.”

The day before the winner was announced, Redford received a congratulatory phone call from … Green.

“We just had a great amount of respect for each other,” Redford said. “We both had great years. I was able to win it, which was pretty cool. I’m sure at this time he could care less about the Mr. Basketball award.”

Truth be told, losing Mr. Basketball to Redford was not a big issue to Green even back then.

A former Detroit News columnist attended the state semifinals a few days after the Mr. Basketball ceremony and several times tried to get Green to say he should have been named Mr. Basketball or to criticize the coaches who did not vote for him, but Green wanted none of it.

Even today, it isn’t much of an issue to the NBA All-Star, although it did provide Green with added motivation.

At the NBA All-Star weekend, Green was asked about finishing second to Redford.

“Brad was incredible,” Green said. “The way he was shooting the ball, the numbers he was putting up, some of the stuff he was doing had never been done before. It was incredible, so it wasn’t like: ‘Oh, man, that shouldn’t have happened.’

“I thought I should have won Mr. Basketball, but he was just as deserving, maybe more deserving than me. But obviously a lot of that stuff fueled me. You take that fuel, and you get in the gym, and you work, work.”

Brad Redford

Though Redford’s career did not parallel Green’s career to All-America status, he certainly had his moments at Xavier.

As a freshman he set a school record in leading the Atlantic 10 in three-point percentage (46.5%). Injuries — a fractured hip and reconstructive knee surgery — hampered the rest of his career, although as a redshirt senior, Redford returned to form, again leading the A-10 in three-point percentage (44.6%)

While working on his MBA at Xavier, Redford developed “BeDfrent Player Development,” which is part of Brad Redford Basketball. He is based in Cincinnati, but has run camps and clinics in Michigan and Illinois.

He also provides color commentary on Northern Kentucky home games for ESPN 3 and does a pregame show for season ticket holders at Xavier for home games. He also hosts a local radio show Sunday nights.

“I’m still in the mix,” Redford said. “I guess the basketball side of me won’t ever completely go away so I find my way to stay in it at some level. It’s been fun for me working as a coach and instructor and working on the TV side has helped me stay in the game. The transition from a player to the other side takes some time. I’m in a better place now and more comfortable with where things are heading.”

One thing that has not changed is that Redford can still hit a three-point shot.

“I can still shoot it,” he said, laughing. “I think that’s the one thing I don’t think that will completely go away. If I stepped out and shot 100 threes, I’d probably make 95 or 98 still just about every time.”

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.

Mr. Basketball!

The 2016 Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award winner will be announced at 1 p.m. today at the Detroit Free Press. Click on freep.com/sportsto follow our livestream of the event as well as complete coverage of this year’s recipient.

U-D Jesuit’s Cassius Winston dribbles March 16, 2016, at Renaissance High School in Detroit.

The “aha moment” didn’t come for Cassius Winston until he saw the trophy and then turned and faced a battery of cameras.

“First off, I just want to say: Wow! I’m actually Mr. Basketball!” the usually stoic Winston said. “Like, this is one of the things I’ve been dreaming about for a long time and it’s actually a reality.”

Winston, the 6-foot guard from U-D Jesuit who signed with Michigan State, became the 36h recipient of the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball award Monday at a news conference at the Detroit Free Press.

The award is given annually to the state’s top senior by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan, in conjunction with the Free Press. The award is named for Hal Schram, who covered high school athletics for the Free Press for over 40 years.

Winston, who will be the 13th Mr. Basketball to play at MSU, was the runaway winner for the award, amassing 4,286 points. Onsted’s Austin Davis, who has signed with Michigan was second with 2,829 points.

Of the 1,264 votes cast, Winston captured 716 first-place votes while Davis had 304. Points are awarded on a 5-3-1 basis. Only BCAM members are permitted to vote.

In his acceptance speech, Winston singled out U-D coach Pat Donnelly and his parents, Wendi and Reg, as well as his teammates.

“If you know me, you would know that I can’t take all the credit for myself,” he said. “There have been a lot of people in my life that have been there to get me what I needed to succeed, be that guidance, leadership, love support — just overall willingness to put up with me I just want to say thank you to those people.”

As a freshman, Winston came off the bench for the first few games before an injury opened a spot for him in the starting lineup and he has been a starter ever since.

He averaged 16 points a game his first season and improved to 17 as a sophomore, 21.5 as a junior and 22.5 as a senior. This season he is also averaging 5.2 assists and 6.8 rebounds.

“The biggest thing I see out of him in terms of improvement is his ability to handle pressure,” Donnelly said. “Every opposing defense is focused on him. He got double-teamed and trapped off every ball screen. He got double-teamed every time he touched the ball, but his stats improved scoring-wise, his shooting percentages went up, his assists were about the same.

“For him to be producing the way he is with the way the defense is being played on him is just kind of remarkable.”

Winning the Mr. Basketball award has been a goal for Winston since his freshman year. It was an assignment in English class that required him to list his goals for high school.

They were all basketball-related goals:

• Become Mr. Basketball

• Win four Catholic League championships

• Win a state championship

• Play in the McDonald’s All-America game.

Earlier this season, Winston became the only player in Catholic League history to start on four consecutive championship teams in the largest division. He’s also just the second CHSL player to be named Mr. Basketball, following Southgate Aquinas’ Jon Garavaglia in 1993.

And while he wasn’t chosen for the McDonald’s game, Winston will participate April 15 in the Jordan Brand Classic, another high-profile game.

His goals, however, were not listed in order of importance.

“Mr. Basketball was definitely a goal, but my biggest goal is a state championship,” Winston said. “I feel like my high school career is not successful if I don’t win a state championship.”

That is why Winston worked hard to remold his role for his senior season.

“This year I became more of a leader,” he said. “Last year was more that I was going to play my game and try to win the game like that. This year I’m trying to bring everyone with me so everyone plays at my level and my competition.

“You kind of have to build the culture that everyone has to work, has to come hard to play hard every day. It’s hard to build that kind of culture in young kids like that.”

Winston mentioned that it didn’t hurt his chances for the Mr. Basketball award when Josh Jackson and Miles Bridges, two high school All-Americas, decided to leave the state to finish their high school careers at prep schools.

“Them two leaving probably helped my being Mr. Basketball,” he said.

“I’m not going to lie like that. I stayed here, represent the state, represented my city. That’s what I tried to do.”

It worked and it is his name that is inscribed in the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball award.

“Right now, at this moment, I’m the best basketball player in Michigan and it’s a great feeling and no one can take that away from me,” he said with a huge smile. “So I want to thank everyone here, thank Detroit, thank Michigan, I’m honored to be your Mr. Basketball.”

Cassius Winston makes Michigan State title contender
MSU commit Winston preparing to make impact as frosh
Michigan State Spartan commit Cassius Winston 2016 Junior highlights

Voting results

Here are the results of the 36th annual Hal Schram Mr. Basketball award, given by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan, in conjunction with the Detroit Free Press. Only BCAM members are permitted to vote. Points are awarded on a 5-3-1 basis:

1. Cassius Winston, U-D Jesuit, 4,286 points

2. Austin Davis, Onsted, 2,829 points

3. Spencer Littleson, Rochester Adams, 1,640 points

4. Corey Allen, Ypsilanti, 1,597 points

5. Karmari Newman, Detroit East English Village, 1,024 points

Past winners of the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award

2015 Deyonta Davis, Muskegon (Michigan State)

2014 Deshaun Thrower, Muskegon (Stony Brook)

2013 Monte Morris, Flint Beecher (Iowa State)

2012 Matt Costello, Bay City Western (Michigan State)

2011 Dwaun Anderson, Suttons Bay (Wagner)

2010 Keith Appling, Detroit Pershing (Michigan State)

2009 Derrick Nix, Detroit Pershing (Michigan State)

2008 Brad Redford, Frankenmuth (Xavier)

Mr. Basketball: Surprise 2008 winner a big fan, friend of Draymond Green

2007 Corperryale (Manny) Harris, Detroit Redford (Michigan)

2006 David Kool, Grand Rapids South Christian (Western Michigan)

2005 Wilson Chandler, Benton Harbor (De Paul)

2004 Drew Neitzel, Wyoming Park (Michigan State)

2003 Dion Harris, Detroit Redford (Michigan)

2002 Paul Davis, Rochester (Michigan State)

2001 Kelvin Torbert, Flint Northwestern (Michigan State)

2000 Marcus Taylor, Lansing Waverly (Michigan State)

1999 Jason Richardson, Saginaw Arthur Hill (Michigan State)

1998 Dane Fife, Clarkston (Indiana)

1997 Shane Battier, Birmingham Detroit Country Day (Duke)

1996 Winfred Walton, Detroit Pershing (Syracuse, Fresno State)

1995 Robert Traylor, Detroit Murray-Wright (Michigan)

1994 Willie Mitchell, Detroit Pershing (Michigan, UAB)

1993 Jon Garavaglia, Southgate Aquinas (Michigan State)

1992 Kenyon Murray, Battle Creek Central (Iowa)

1991 Chris Webber, Birmingham Detroit Country Day (Michigan)

1990 Anthony Miller, Benton Harbor (Michigan State)

1989 Michael Talley, Detroit Cooley (Michigan)

1988 Matt Steigenga, Grand Rapids South Christian (Michigan State)

1987 Mark Macon, Saginaw Buena Vista (Temple)

1986 Terry Mills, Romulus (Michigan)

1985 Glen Rice, Flint Northwestern (Michigan)

1984 Demetreus Gore, Detroit Chadsey (Pittsburgh)

1983 Antoine Joubert, Detroit Southwestern (Michigan)

1982 Robert Henderson, Lansing Eastern (Michigan)

1981 Sam Vincent, Lansing Eastern (Michigan State)

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1

North Farmington’s Alex Darden reacts after scoring against Sterling Heights Stevenson in their quarterfinal Tuesday.

Before Tuesday, North Farmington had never played on a stage as big as the state quarterfinals or in an arena as big as University of Detroit-Mercy’s Calihan Hall.

But observers might not have detected that. The Raiders came out calm, collected and ready to play, racing out to a 10-0 lead which set the pace for a 70-57 victory over Sterling Heights Stevenson in a Class A quarterfinal.

Both teams were similar — senior-dominated with a balanced offense and a strong perimeter game — yet the Raiders didn’t get caught up in the moment with a trip to the Breslin Center on the line.

While U-D Jesuit and Ypsilanti played in the first game of the doubleheader, the Raiders arrived early, settled into the corner section of the upper bowl and took in the atmosphere. And that paid big dividends for North Farmington (23-2).

“It was nice to watch the first game and kind of get the jitters out; see how everything was going to go,” center Alex Darden. “This is an amazing gym and playing here was really a blessing. It was awesome the whole night.”

“Playing the second game tonight really helped the kids get used to the environment, get used to the large crowd, and I thought the quick start for us really was key,” North Farmington coach Todd Negoshian said. “We knew we needed to come out of the gate with some energy and get some stops right away, and that was huge for us.”

Although Stevenson battled back to within 12-9 on consecutive baskets by Luke Lamoreaux, the Raiders kept calm and answered with a 12-2 run and never surrendered their lead all night, which was double-digits from much of the rest of the way.

“We try not to get too high, too low; we just want to be flat-line for 32 minutes,” Negoshian said. “At times this year we haven’t, but in a big game like this, a big environment, knowing what’s on the line, kids have a tendency to go up and down the line. Being able to sit and relax during that first game and take in the environment really helped us.”

Conversely, the quick start seemed to throw Stevenson off its game.

“We never got in the flow that we wanted, because we didn’t get the stops early,” Stevenson coach Mark LaCombe said. “But when we got the stops in the first half, they scored with second-chance points. They probably had 12 offensive rebounds in the first half. So when you get stops and give them second-chance points on the cheap ones, it’s tough to get in the rhythm.”

The Titans (20-5) had four players in double figures: Vince Ramaci (15 points), Bryce Miller (12) and Lamoreaux and Stacy Howard (11 apiece). But North Farmington matched that, getting 18 from Amauri Hardy, 15 from Billy Thomas, 13 from Jacob Joubert and 12 from Darden.

Friday’s semifinals at East Lansing may be an even bigger stage for the Raiders, but at least they’ll get another chance to watch an early game, as undefeated foes U-D Jesuit and Macomb Dakota clash at 1 p.m. before North Farmington meets upstart Lansing Everett at 2:50.

Boys basketball quarterfinals, semifinals and finals

University of Detroit Jesuit high schools Cassius Winston drives against Ypsilanti Community high schools during fourth period action on Tuesday, March 22,2016 at University of Detroit Mercy Calihan Hall. Kirthmon F. Dozier/Detroit Free Press

No. 1 U-D Jesuit led No. 4 Ypsilanti by only a single point midway through the second quarter when Cassius Winston drove to the basket and scored.

After teammate Scott Nelson hit a free throw, Winston scored on the next two U-DJ possessions before feeding Elijah Collins for a three-pointer, the first of his three-straight baskets.

“When it gets tight or we’re struggling offensively, I have to go make a play,” Winston said. “That’s just the role I stepped up to and I tried to live up to it.”

Not only did Winston live up to that role Tuesday night, he lived up to his recent billing as the state’s newly-crowned Mr. Basketball in leading the Cubs to a 62-47 quarterfinal victory over Ypsilanti at Calihan Hall.

The victory sends U-DJ into Friday’s 1 p.m. semifinal game against the Macomb Dakota/Midland winner at the Breslin Center.

Winston, who signed with Michigan State, was terrific again, scoring 25 points in leading the Cubs to their 26th straight victory.

Boys basketball quarterfinals, semifinals and finals

But Winston did much more than just score. He controlled the tempo and kept Ypsilanti (22-2) from playing at the faster pace it prefers.

“Here’s the key: You can’t speed him up,” Ypsi coach Steve Brooks said of Winston. “And when you can’t speed him up, he’s always under control. And then (Collins) hit a couple of ‘threes’ and those are back-breaking ‘threes.’ This guy can pretty much run the clock himself. If he can run a minute off the clock and still get a ‘three,’ that’s a helluva offense.”

The Cubs went from a 17-16 lead to a 33-16 advantage early in the third quarter when Ypsi failed to score for exactly eight minutes, covering 12 consecutive futile possessions.

One of the keys to U-DJ’s lead was the defense of Matt Schearer in holding Mr. Basketball finalist Corey Allen to only six first-half points.

“I think in the first half our team defense showed we can shut down whoever we want,” Schearer said. “We really played great help defense and doing that we showed even great players we can hold them accountable. I tried to make it difficult every single time for him to catch the ball.”

The 6-foot-3 Allen, who has signed with Detroit Mercy, broke loose for 21 second-half points and got Ypsi within nine with 2:30 left in the game. But on the following possession, Winston drove to the basket and just looked at 6-9 Greg Eboigbodin – and the Ypsilanti defense scrambled toward the big man, leaving Winston with an uncontested lay-up.

Two possessions later, Winston drove again and this time threw an alley-oop pass to Eboigbodin, who slammed it home for a 15-point lead.

Winston’s ability to hit difficult inside shots, coupled with his unselfishness, puts the defense in a perplexing dilemma.

“He’s so good at not tipping his hand at what he’s going to do those defenders, when they’re standing there watching him come at them, it’s a 50/50 thing,” said U-DJ coach Pat Donnelly. “Either way he can score or he puts the ball where it needs to be.”

Nobody knows that better than Collins, who scored 18 points and hit four three-point shots.

“He knows how to get other people open and distribute the ball and get people in places where they can score,” Collins said of Winston. “When he has the ball he usually drives to the paint and I’m rotating up for an easy open shot.”

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.

Detroit Henry Ford races past New Haven, 62-40
Cassius Winston named Michigan’s Mr. Basketball

Detroit Western Josh McFolley holds the championship trophy as they celebrate after their 62-59 win overSaginaw Arthur Hill in the MHSAA Boys Class A final basketball game on Saturday, March 28, 2015 in East Lansing.

ALL SEMIFINALS AND FINALS AT THE BRESLIN CENTER, EAST LANSING

Class A

Tuesday’s quarterfinals

Lansing Everett 63, Hudsonville 54

U-D Jesuit 62, Ypsilanti 47

North Farmington 70, Sterling Heights Stevenson 57

Macomb Dakota 66, Midland 47

Friday’s semifinals

U-D Jesuit (26-0) vs. Macomb Dakota (26-0), 1 p.m.

North Farmington (23-2) vs. Lansing Everett (16-10), 2:50 p.m.

Saturday’s final

Semifinal winners, noon

Class B

Tuesday’s quarterfinals

Stevensville Lakeshore 51, Hudsonville Unity Chr. 45

Williamston 53, River Rouge 46

Detroit Henry Ford 62, New Haven 40

Big Rapids 42, Essexville Garber 23

Friday’s semifinals

Detroit Henry Ford (18-6) vs. Williamston (21-3), 6 p.m.

Big Rapids (23-2) vs. Stevensville Lakeshore (19-7), 7:50 p.m.

Saturday’s final

Semifinal winners, 6:30 p.m.

Class C

Tuesday’s quarterfinals

Grandville Calvin Christian 64, Kalamazoo Hackett 42

Detroit Loyola 58, Hanover-Horton 47

Flint Beecher 72, Ithaca 45

McBain 49, Ishpeming Westwood 40

Thursday’s semifinals

Grandville Calvin Christian (20-4) vs. McBain (26-0), 1 p.m.

Flint Beecher (23-2) vs. Detroit Loyola (21-5), 2:50 p.m.

Saturday’s final

Semifinal winners, 4:30 p.m.

Class D

Tuesday’s quarterfinals

Wyoming Tri-unity 54, Adrian Lenawee Christian 43

Waterford Our Lady 52, Marine City Cardinal Mooney 46

Fulton 51, Bellaire 41

Powers North Central 75, Onaway 52

Thursday’s semifinals

Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (20-5) vs. Waterford Our Lady (21-4), 6 p.m.

Fulton (19-6) vs. Powers North Central (26-0), 7:50 p.m.

Saturday’s final

Semifinal winners, 10 a.m.

Cassius Winston named Michigan’s Mr. Basketball

Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes coach Paul Robak disputes a call during the second quarter of the Lakers’ 64-53 Class D semifinal win over Wyoming Tri-unity Thursday at the Breslin Center.

Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes’ Devin Senerius celebrates Lakes’ 64-53 win in the Class D state semifinal Thursday at Breslin Center.

EAST LANSING – After a heartbreaking 53-52 semifinal loss to Morenci last season in the Class D semifinals, Thursday was all business for the three seniors who led Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes to a 64-53 victory over Wyoming Tri-unity Christian at the Breslin Center.

“Absolutely,” said Devin Senerius, who along with Clay Senerius posted a double-double for the Lakers. “We weren’t expected to be here. Last year, we were expected to win. We weren’t expected to go this far. The young guys just followed our lead. We knew it would have to be defense to get us to the final.”

Down, 50-47, the Lakers went on a 17-3 run, starting with three straight turnovers to start the spurt.

The Senerius brothers combined for 28 points, 22 rebounds and shot 13-for-22 from the floor.

The youngster who has gained the most is freshman Noah Robak, Lakes coach Paul Robak’s nephew. He hit a couple of threes during the spurt and finished with 12 points.

The Senerius brothers along with Issac Oliver were on the Division 8 football team that lost, 7-0, to Muskegon Catholic Central at Ford Field in November.

A basketball championship would do just fine.

ENJOYING THE RIDE: Jason Whitens is enjoying a ride to a possible second state title.

The Powers North Central junior scored as many points as Fulton in a 64-23 semifinal win Thursday.

“We’re more experienced, so we’re looking at it more as a business trip,” said Whitens, who was a star in last year’s championship run. “We’re having fun, but we’re here to get the job done.

“We keep everything within ourselves. We focus on what we need to do. We focus in on how we can get better and how we can win games.”

One of the games was a 113-25 victory over Wilson Nah Tah Wahsh, a small Indian reservation school that plays in a different league. The team has the option to play in the regular district or not. This time they chose to take on the defending Class D champions, whose starters only played about 11/2 quarters.

“They’re a young team and I give those guys a lot of credit,” said Whitens. “They decided they wanted to play and they work hard.”

Contact Perry A. Farrell: 313-222-2555 or pafarrell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry.

Preps!

EAST LANSING – Jason Whitens was going to make sure the defending Class D champions wouldn’t be caught on upset alert.

The Powers North Central junior scored seven of his team’s first nine points and the Jets took off early in routing Fulton, 64-23, Thursday night at the Breslin Center.

The Jets (27-0) will face Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes Saturday morning at 10 a.m., with hopes for a repeat.

“We don’t try and do anything different,” North Central coach Adam Mercier said. “They have expectations of themselves. We don’t follow anyone else’s expectations. There is no pressure on these kids. The game of basketball is meant to be played with a lot of passion, fun and energy.

“This is 17-, 18-year-old kids playing the game of basketball. When they play it, they play well. We’ve tried to keep that family-type atmosphere. We don’t let anything interfere with what we do as a team.”

Whitens scored 11 points in the first quarter as the Jets took an 18-4 lead. Powers shot 70% from the field while the Pirates were held to 10%.

Whitens played just three quarters and finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals in 23 minutes.

“We try to get everyone involved and let everyone get a piece of the glory,” Whitens said. “We share the glory, and it’s really special to be out there with these group of guys.”

By the 6:44 mark of the second quarter, a Whitens jump shot made it 22-4, and the outcome appeared certain.

He then fed Morgan Cox for a dunk to make it a 20-point lead and a fast-break lay-up by Bobby Kleiman blew the game open at 28-6. Cox made all six of his field goal attempts and finished with 12 points.

“I’m feeling great,” Cox said. “I know it’s my senior year, and I’m going to give everything I have Saturday. I’m going to bring it all.”

Whitens and North Central then turned the scoring over to junior Dawson Bilski (11 points). He scored eight straight points to increase the lead to 41-9 with a minute left in the first half.

The Pirates (19-7) managed to score just five points in the second quarter.

Whitens scored 15 in the first half and Bilski chipped in 11. The unselfish Jets had three players with three assists and another with two for a total of 12.

North Central shot a blistering 68% in the first half and held a 21-9 rebounding edge. The Pirates made just three of 23 field goal attempts for 13% and were two of 11 from three-point land for 18.2%.

In the third quarter, the Jets were the beneficiaries of a running clock as the Pirates couldn’t score until Zach Walden hit a triple with 4:15 left in the third to make it 52-12.

Listen live: Michigan boys basketball semifinals

Tony DeWitte, Grandville Calvin Christian

EAST LANSING – If it seemed like everything Grandville Calvin Christian’s Tony DeWitte threw at the net Thursday afternoon was going in, there’s a simple reason — because it was.

The Squires’ 6-foot-2 senior guard showed the crowd at the Breslin Center what it looked like to be “in the zone,” scoring 31 points in Calvin’s 65-42 Class C semifinal victory over previously-undefeated McBain.

DeWitte scored Calvin’s first 10 points, finishing the first quarter with 15. He surpassed his per-game average three minutes into the second, and had 26 by the end of the first half. At that point in the contest, he was 10-of-11 from the floor, draining all three trey attempts, and had added three-of-four from the free throw line.

“I came out shooting with confidence. I was just going in and my teammates found me, and it was a great team win,” DeWitte said. “The rim feels like it’s two times bigger when it’s like that — the ball just keeps going in, and it feels great.”

“When you get hot like that, his teammates know that,” said Grandville Calvin coach Ryan Stevens. “We’ve got a lot of kids who can do that, and we find each other when we are hot, but the thing about Tony is he can score in so many different ways. You’ll see him score outside, you’ll see him score inside, you’ll see him score off the dribble, you’ll see him score off a pass, a screen, a back cut. He’s just a very, very good scorer all around, and very hard to defend.”

Spurred by DeWitte’s hot hand, the Squires (21-4) shot 70% as a team in the first half to McBain’s 36%, and finished the game with a 68%-30% edge.

“I think I’ve coached Tony since he was in fourth grade, maybe third, and we’ve seen him go off in a lot of different opportunities in a lot of different venues, so it’s not rare,” Stevens said. “That’s a senior stepping out and other kids finding him on the team.”

Calvin led, 22-14, at the end of the first, and increased its lead to 36-22 by halftime. McBain wasn’t able to get any closer the rest of the way.

“We started off and we were right there with them at the beginning, but when you’ve got the kind of depth they have and the kind of shooters they have, I mean, it’s hard to compete with them,” Ramblers forward Ethan Eisenga said. “We gave it our best but we came up a little short.”

Logan Eling led McBain (26-1) with 18 points.

“This wasn’t our A game by far, but we got beat by a team that was playing exceptionally well and we give them all the credit in the world,” McBain coach Bruce Koopman said. “We’re a better team than this and these guys are a great group of young men, and I can tell you going 26-1 is not an easy task.”

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Lansing Everett’s head coach Desmond Ferguson talks with Victor Edwards, during the MHSAA boys basketball Class A semifinals against North Farmington at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich. on Friday, March 25, 2016.

EAST LANSING – Although North Farmington was making its first trip to the final four, one of its players had been here before.

Billy Thomas scored 22 points in a 2014 semifinal when he suited up for the team the Raiders will face in today’s championship — U-D Jesuit. But Thomas left the Cubs after his sophomore year, attended Genesis Academy in Virginia for a semester, and soon came home to North Farmington, where he lives, getting immediate eligibility.

Also, Thomas’ father Ron had guardianship of UD-J’s Ike Eke and Gregory Eboigbodin when they first came to this country from Nigeria as ninth graders. But in August 2014, Oakland County Family Court Judge Linda Hallmark stripped Thomas’ father of legal guardianship, issued a restraining order against him and fined him $15,000. Eke and Eboigbodin returned to U-D Jesuit soon after.

What are Billy Thomas’ thoughts on today’s impending championship matchup? “I expected it,” he said simply.

CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARDS: One big reason — make that two big reasons — that U-D Jesuit was a notch above Macomb Dakota was the play of Eboigbodin and Eke. The Cubs had a 39-24 edge in rebounds, paced by Eboigbodin’s 18 and Eke’s 8. And with the duo’s height (6-feet-9 each), great length and leaping ability, they altered many shots throughout the game.

“Obviously their length makes a difference, but we missed shots we normally make, so I credit their defense and their length,” Macomb Dakota coach Paul Tocco said.

Dakota’s 6-8 sophomore center, Thomas Kithier, found himself in over his head trying to match up against both.

“Playing against two big guys like that, if I get past one, I know there’s going to be another one waiting there,” he said. “Plus, their whole team is defensively sound.”

A GOOD FRIDAY FOR CUBS: For the third year in a row, U-D Jesuit played in the final four, but this is the first time the Cubs have been able to advance into the championship game, perhaps because the novelty has worn off.

“Two years ago, there was some awe when we walked on to the court,” Jesuit coach Pat Donnelly said. “Last year there was more disappointment after losing that semifinal game because we felt like we weren’t in awe anymore. Coming in the third time we shouldn’t be in awe. We thought our opponents would be a little in awe of the environment and we could play to that a little bit.”

Tocco felt otherwise.

“We treated it like a business-type trip; we weren’t just happy to be here,” he said. “We just got outplayed tonight and those things happen. I’m very proud of their efforts and how they treated this weekend. They’re great kids and they deserve this type of spotlight.”

LATIN LESSON: The jerseys of both U-D Jesuit and Class C semifinalist Detroit Loyola were adorned with a cross and “AMDG” on the back below the neckline. Those letters stand for “ad majorem Dei gloriam,” translated to “For the greater Glory of God.”

That’s the motto of the Jesuits, an order of the Catholic Church, founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th Century. Loyola’s uniforms, by the way, also sported a Detroit’s “Old English D” and the Bulldog logo — but nary a mention of the school name.

GLASS SLIPPERS: Lansing Everett has flown under the radar lately but reached the Class A semifinals the past two seasons. And that wasn’t a surprise to Desmond Ferguson, who noticed talent early in his two senior captains, LeAndre Wright and Jamyrin Jackson.

“Everett basketball was 10-72 in the previous four years before I got the job,” Ferguson said. “When I became head coach these guys were freshmen, and I knew ahead of time that they would be good when they became seniors. To get to the Breslin two years in a row, that don’t happen often, but these guys definitely left their mark on the program.”

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Detroit Henry Ford coach Ken Flowers tells his players to think during their 70-48 semifinal win over Williamston.

EAST LANSING – Ken Flowers and his point guard are making history.

Detroit Henry Ford, a Class B finalist a year ago, wasn’t expected to make a return appearance to the Breslin this year, let alone be playing for the championship tonight after blitzing Williamston, 70-48, on Friday.

“This is the first time Henry Ford has made back-to-back semifinals,” said Flowers. “We made our first championship game a year ago, so we are making history. This is great for the school and the community. This is a blessing for us”

Superb point guard James Towns was back this year, but gone was outstanding scorer Joshua Davis, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds in the 85-68 championship game loss to Wyoming Godwin Heights last season.

Towns, the only Trojan with any experience from last year’s squad, had 15 points and six assists in the title game. That season followed two .500 years under Flowers.

“Nobody expected us to be here,” said Towns, who finished with 17 points, three assists and three steals in Friday’s victory. “We have good chemistry. We aren’t big, but we play together.”

Towns averages 23 points, 5.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. The only other Trojan starter to average double figures is senior Jeremy Crawley at 10.7 per game with a high of 30, one less than Towns’ season high.

Two players that have emerged this season are sophomore guard Deonta Ulmer and senior forward Kavon Bey.

“Ulmer has the green light,” said Flowers. “He’s a young guy, but I think he’s one of the best shooters in the state in my opinion. Because he’s so young he’s going to get better and better every year. Bey has been playing well the last half of the season and right now all the guys are playing well.

Bey, who watched the state championship game from the bench last year, scored 21 and pulled down eight rebounds against Williamston.

Flowers runs a three-guard offense and Bey is the teams’ best inside player.

“A lot of people don’t know about him, but he’s a good player and he grabs every rebound,” said Towns.

“We put in the work in the summer time and came back strong,” said Towns. “We just had to come out here and prove it. Everybody underestimated us.”

On Ulmer and Bey, Towns said: “People don’t know their names but they are the heart of the team. Ulmer can hit threes and Bey is tough under the basket. Colleges aren’t looking at him, but he comes out and plays hard every night.”

HOT HANDS: Williamston and Henry Ford combined for seven triples in the first quarter. Riley Lewis had three for the Hornets and Towns and Crawley had two each for the Trojans.

Lewis scored all 11 points for the Hornets in the first quarter and took all their shots. Williamston had 23 points at halftime with Lewis scoring 21 of them. He finished with 32.

FOOTBALL RECRUIT: Big Rapids sophomore Braeden Childress is on the basketball team, but the 6-foot-3 sophomore is already being recruited as a tight end/defensive end by Mid-American Conference schools. He comes off the bench for the Cardinals.

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Preps!

EAST LANSING – Stevensville Lakeshore’s semifinal against Big Rapids was a study in contrasts Friday night at the Breslin Center.

Lakeshore was tough inside with Max Gaishin, a 6-foot-7 post player, along with 6-6 Colin Brushwyler and 6-11 center Braden Burke.

Conversely, the Cardinals relied on the three point shooting of Kenny Davis (15 points), Demetri Martin and Braeden Childress.

In the end Stevensville Lakeshore (20-7) eked out a 61-60 victory. The Lancers will face Detroit Henry Ford for the Class B title tonight.

“I thought it was a crazy game because in all the film we watched on them we never saw them make that many threes,” said Lakeshore coach Sean Schroeder. “They shot the heck out of it. They made a ton of shots. It’s a testimony to my team. We seem to find a way to win.”

Burke made two free throws with 51.1 seconds left to give the Lancers a 57-56 lead.

Big Rapids point guard Jeffrey Davenport then let a ball roll out of bounds with 37 seconds left. Gibson Archer turned the miscue into a basket with 32.4 left, putting Lakeshore up three.

Martin (22 points) made two free throws to trim the deficit to one. Gaishin made two free throws to make it 61-58, and a Davenport’s lay-up ended it with the Cardinals down one.

“Missed free throws and we turned the ball over twice,” said Big Rapids coach Kent Ingles. “We kind of lost our composure and they made plays. … This group of kids come to play. At one point it could’ve gone either way.”

Burke led a balanced Lakeshore scoring attack with 16 points. Archer and Gaishin (10 rebounds) each scored 15.

“I get inside and I get buckets,” said Burke.

Big Rapids made nine field goals in the first half in building a 30-29 halftime lead. Six of the field goals were triples, and the Cardinals hit 11 in the game. Meanwhile, the Lancers big three of Gaishin, Burke and Brushwyler combined for 19 points in the first half.

The trend continued in the second half as a Davis triple gave the Cardinals a 35-33 lead. Burke and Gaishin continued their inside assault before a triple from teammate Logan Steffes gave the Lancers a 41-39 lead.

Big Rapids countered with a three from Christian Hector and the see-saw battle went in favor of the Cardinals, 42-41.

Davis, listed at 6-1, then goaded Burke into his third foul, but the center stayed in the game.

Undeterred, the Lancers got the deficit down to 56-53 on a three by Archer.

Steffes turned a turnover into a fast-break basket with 1:35 left to make it 56-55.

“It’s a point in the game where you have to be looking for any opportunity,” said Steffes, who scored 11 points. “We knew we needed every bucket we could get. I was just scoping out everything trying to make a play.”

Contact Perry A. Farrell: 313-222-2555 or pafarrell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry.

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Detroit U-D Jesuit’s Gregory Eboigbodin dunks the ball against Macomb Dakota during the MHSAA boys basketball Class A semifinals at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich. on Friday, March 25, 2016. Eboigbodin scored 13 points in the 72-51 win.

EAST LANSING – It is not often that Cassius Winston is upstaged by anyone on a basketball court, much less by someone from his own team.

But that is precisely what happened when U-D Jesuit made its third straight Class A semifinal appearance Friday, and the happiest guy in the Breslin Center was … Winston.

“I wouldn’t say I was nervous,” said Winston, the state’s newly-crowned Mr. Basketball. “I definitely wasn’t playing well out there. This year we just have a talented team. It’s a talented group of kids that we can get it done from the inside, we can get it done from the outside; we have kids who can knock down shots.”

And the Cubs have 6-foot-9 Gregory Eboigbodin, who can rebound like no one else.

Eboigbodin hit all six of the shots he took for 13 points and yanked down a career-high 18 rebounds to lead U-D Jesuit to a surprisingly easy 72-51 victory over Macomb Dakota in a battle of unbeatens.

The win means the Cubs can claim the school’s first Class A state championship today when they meet North Farmington at noon.

No. 1 ranked U-D Jesuit (27-0) had a 39-24 edge on the boards — and it was Eboigbodin, who grew up in Nigeria, who looked nothing like the player who was held to three points and eight rebounds in last year’s semifinal loss to Detroit Western.

“Last year I was really scared because I never played such a crowd like that before,” he said. “This year I tried to get up my confidence and my teammates they advised me every year to kick it up.”

Winston, who still managed to score a game-high 27 points with 12 assists, was elated with Eboigbodin’s performance.

“That’s what we tell him every day — 15 and 15,” Winston said. “If he gets 15 points and 15 rebounds, we win every game.”

The Cubs won this one in several areas, most notably with a terrific defensive effort led by Matt Schearer, who had the difficult assignment of guarding 5-10 junior Jermaine Jackson, Dakota’s best player.

Jackson hit his first two shots — both three-point bombs — but then missed 12 consecutive shots and finished 4 of 21 for 12 points.

“I just tried to use my length and my athleticism to make life difficult for him,” said Schearer, 6-3. “I tried to make it difficult for him to catch it every time, keep a hand up because he’s a great shooter, and overall just effort to try to limit his touches and play the defense I can.”

Dakota (26-1) trailed, 17-9, after one quarter and 30-15 at halftime — and all of the Dakota players had difficulty making shots.

This was the deepest Dakota has ever advanced in the state tournament and the Cougars played a lot like U-D Jesuit did in its first trip to the semifinals two seasons ago.

“It’s probably the hypest game I ever played in,” said Jackson. “Cassius is a great player. Mr. Basketball coming in, that’s a tough task. He led his team tonight and he just came out with the win.”

U-D Jesuit never came close to losing control of the game in the second half, proving once again that this is a much different team than the ones which lost in the last two semifinals.

“This year it’s not just me doing everything,” Winston said. “As you can see today, it was a bad outing, but I had strong supporting cast that helped me out and got us to the victory.”

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1

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North Farmington’s Billy Thomas has a fast break against Lansing Everett’s Victor Edwards and Diego Robinson, during the MHSAA boys basketball Class A semifinals at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich. on Friday, March 25, 2016.

EAST LANSING – The magic ran out for Lansing Everett.

The high school which produced Earvin Johnson put together an amazing postseason run after finishing the regular season 10-10, yet its Cinderella story ended at the hands of North Farmington Friday afternoon.

The Raiders reached their first state final with a 60-48 victory in a Class A semifinal at the Breslin Center. They never trailed, and distanced themselves from the Vikings with a 14-0 run to start the second half.

Billy Thomas put the hurt on the Vikings by scoring 26 points, including a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line.

“I think we started off slow in the first half; it was a low-scoring game, 20-17, and we just had to pick it up offensively, because that’s our main thing, really,” he said.

Thomas was 4-of-8 beyond the arc, and his long bombs came at crucial times. He hit one early as the Raiders charged out to a 6-0 lead, and he added two more to start the third-quarter run.

“That hurt,” said Everett coach Desmond Ferguson. “We always talk about the first four minutes coming out of halftime, trying to get an advantage, and they hit two threes and a got a lay-up for a quick eight points, and it was tough to battle back from that.”

Fortunately for the Vikings, Jamyrin Jackson thawed out after a cold first half, scoring all but three of his game-high 27 after the break.

“When I started hitting my shots, I knew that we could battle back,” he said, “but coming into the game, I knew if we got down, it was going to be a tough ride, because it’s the Breslin and everybody there wants to win the state championship.”

The run enabled North Farmington (24-2) to stretch its lead to 34-17 lead three minutes into the second half. Everett (16-11) eventually climbed to within eight, 45-37, on a Jackson triple with five minutes left in the game, but that was as close as they could get.

While Jackson was lighting it up, North Farmington prevented any other Everett player from scoring in the second half, until LeAndre Wright scooped the ball in with 5:29 to play in the fourth. The Vikings didn’t get a single offensive rebound during that stretch.

“Third quarter I thought we really guarded well,” North Farmington coach Todd Negoshian said. “That was a key for us; at halftime that’s what we kept talking about. We had to keep getting stops defensively; one-and-done, and things would be better for us.”

Things were better for North Farmington at both ends of the court. The Raiders (24-2) shot just 27.8% from the floor in the first half, but 65% after halftime. Amauri Hardy added 15 for the Raiders, as Friday’s starting unit of Thomas, Hardy, Jacob Joubert, Deon Jenkins and Alex Darden combined for all 60 points.

“I thought we really shared the ball in the third quarter,” Negoshian said. “We kept it as simple as we could; the first open man threw it ahead, we passed up a good shot and kicked it one more time for a great shot for a teammate. It showed how unselfish we are as a group, and just how much we want to win.”

It’s the biggest victory ever for North Farmington, which has 11 seniors on its 12-man roster.

“I think it’s a great win for our program and our school,” Negoshian said. “To have seniors that have put in the time and the effort that they have, really speaks volumes to where we’re at. We’re just privileged to be here, and we’re happy to live to see the final day of the season.”

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Williamston’s Riley Lewis looks to make a shot against Detroit Henry Ford’s Kavon Bey during the MHSAA boys basketball Class B semifinals at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich. on Friday, March 25, 2016.

EAST LANSING – Detroit Henry Ford’s hopes and dreams for the basketball season were nearly lost a couple of weeks before the season began when big man Antwan Johnson and his family moved out of state.

It took the Trojans months to recover, but now they are a single victory away from winning the school’s first state championship.

Henry Ford countered the one-man assault of Williamston’s scoring machine Riley Lewis Friday and used a balanced attack to record a one-sided 70-48 victory in a Class B semifinal.

The win moves Henry Ford into Saturday night’s 6:30 state championship game at the Breslin Center.

Playoff run has been rosy for Flowers, Henry Ford

Lewis, who finished the tournament with an astounding 190 points in six games, lit up Henry Ford (19-6) with 32 points.

“We watched a lot of film on these guys the last couple of days,” said Henry Ford coach Ken Flowers. “And it still didn’t matter because Riley Lewis kicked our butts all day himself. We tried to take him away and he had a real great game.”

But the Trojans were able to counter with a balanced attack led by 6-foot-4 senior Kavon Bey, who scored a career-high 21 points and pulled eight rebounds.

If you don’t remember Bey from last year’s Henry Ford team lost in the finals, well, there is a reason.

“I really didn’t play that much last year,” he said. “I sat and watched.”

He sat, watched and learned.

Bey was relentless on the boards, grabbing five offensive rebounds, one more than Williamston (21-4).

“I wrote ‘(Bey) attacks the glass’ 10 times a day and we knew he was a problem,” said Williamston assistant coach Tom Lewis. “We needed him to not be so aggressive and maybe get a foul or two early and take his teeth away a little bit. But he played great. He had a lot of energy tonight.”

Bey hit 10 of 12 shots, including a three-pointer, and Williamston couldn’t stop him.

“I just came out and tried to play for my team and play my role today — come out and rebound,” he said. “Yeah, I’m kind of surprised. A little bit. We just wanted to come out and play hard and get back to the states. We’ve been thinking about since the season started. We want to get back and play in the Bres.”

A player you might remember is guard James Towns. The senior guard hit his first two shots, both three-pointers, and Henry Ford was off and running to an 18-11 lead after a quarter.

For the game Towns hit 6 of 8 shots for 17 points and helped the Trojans build a 43-23 halftime lead.

“James is the backbone of the team,” Flowers said. “He came out passionate, trying to will his team on his back and let everyone know that he was here. He’s consistent all year with what he’s been doing.”

The loss ends Williamston’s Cinderella-like run to the semifinals after head coach Jason Bauer was diagnosed with two brain tumors and underwent successful surgery.

Bauer was on the bench Friday, but couldn’t actually coach. Still, his presence was a welcome sign to his players.

“It’s definitely been magical for everyone involved,” Riley Lewis said. “We showed that we could play together and we played for something. To put it in perspective, yeah, we lost but our coach still has to fight his battles and those don’t stop here so at the end of the day it’s just a game of basketball.”

Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.

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Son of Swami

The boys basketball season has one more day left and it should be a doozy.

The Son of Swami isn’t sure which storyline to follow:

North Farmington’s Billy Thomas facing his former teammates at U-D Jesuit in the Class A final, Flint Beecher going its fourth title in five seasons, North Farmington’s Jacob Joubert — son of Detroit Southwestern Mr. Basketball Antoine Joubert — attempting to win a state title that eluded his father, Powers North Central trying to look like the most powerful team in the universe, or U-D Jesuit and current Hal Schram Mr. Basketball winner Cassius Winston shooting for the school’s first state title.

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Class A

U-D Jesuit (27-0) vs. North Farmington (24-2), noon. After the way U-D Jesuit celebrated brilliant senior Matt Burr’s 18th birthday Friday, can the Cubs possibly play any better against North Farmington? Frankly, yes! North Farmington has to play a perfect game to deny the Cubbies the title. DUD-Jesuit 71, North of Harrison 64.

Class B

Detroit Henry Ford (19-6) vs. Stevensville Lakeshore (20-7), 6:30. Henry Ford is going to have to deal with the overwhelming size advantage Lakeshore will have, and that will be a problem. But will Lakeshore be able to deal with the relentless pressure James Towns and his buddies can apply? Henry Ford Hospital 66, Steven’s Villa by the Lake Shore 64.

Class C

Grandville Calvin Christian (21-4) vs. Flint Beecher (24-2), 4:30. SOS was impressed with Calvin Christian’s Tony DeWitte, who had a 31-point Steph Curry-like performance in the semifinals. Beecher had an unBeecher-like performance in its semifinal, needing an off-balance three-point shot at the buzzer to pull out the victory. Beechnut 66, Calvin & Hobbs 61.

Class D

Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (22-4) vs. Powers North Central (27-0), 10 a.m. Lakes is a fun team to watch with Andre Kline and the Senerius brothers — Devin and Clay — running-and-gunning up and down the court. But who is more fun to watch than Jason Whitens and Powers North Central? It looks like a repeat for the Jets. Powerhouse North Central 72, Waterford Our Gal 66.

Class A: U-D Jesuit too much for Dakota, 72-51
Class B: Henry Ford’s balance bests Williamston

North Farmington’s Jacob Joubert looks to pass the ball Saturday. His father, Antoine Joubert, also played in the state finals.

North Farmington guard Jacob Joubert now shares another bond with his father, Antoine, as both played in state championship games.

“I told him just go out and have fun — this is something you’re going to remember forever. Go out and enjoy yourself and compete the best you can. There’s no other experience like that and I’m so proud of my son,” said Antoine, who now coaches at Oakland Community College.

The elder Joubert definitely left his mark in the finals. In 1983, he scored 47 points, which was the single-game record for 26 years before Detroit Pershing’s Keith Appling topped that by two.

“He really wanted me to win the game,” Jacob said. “He scored a lot and he wasn’t telling me to score as much as he did; he said it’s more important that I get the win.”

However, neither Joubert was able to accomplish that.

Antoine’s Detroit Southwestern squad lost back-to-back games against Flint Central, a team that was regarded as highly as U-D Jesuit was this year.

Jacob had eight points, six assists and five rebounds in the 69-49 loss Saturday to the Cubs.

MR. BASKETBALL IS GOING TO PROM: Cassius Winston, who had already won the Mr. Basketball award on Monday, got two more prizes on Saturday.

Behind Winston’s 31 points, U-D Jesuit won its first state basketball championship, which the MSU signee described as the culmination of four years of hard work.

Between the third and fourth quarters, when Winston formally accepted the Mr. Basketball trophy at center court, he slipped on a white T-shirt that read “Prom Arin” over his jersey. His prom-posal was directed toward Arin Bell, a student at Farmington Hills Mercy, and it worked, even though she was back at home watching on TV.

“I knew before that I wasn’t going to get a no,” Winston said.

SENIOR CITIZENS: One ingredient in North Farmington’s success this year was its chemistry. Of 12 players on the Raiders’ roster, 11 were seniors, and most had been playing together since grade school.

“We’ve known each other for so long. We really were a family, and it’s sad to end this way because we’d all do anything for each other. That’s what helped get us here,” center Alex Darden said.

Coach Todd Negoshian added, “We have seniors that are die-hards toward the game of basketball and love to compete, and when you have kids that are like that, they don’t want something to end, they don’t want to lose. Whether it was losing, the season ending or whatever, they didn’t want to stop being with each other.”

THIS IS OUR HOUSE: Throughout the weekend, many teams explained that it took time to get used to the big-stage atmosphere inside the Breslin Center.

Not so much for U-D Jesuit, which played several home games this winter in the 8,295-seat Calihan Hall on the University of Detroit-Mercy campus.

Senior Matt Schearer explained the Cubs moved down the block since construction of a new science wing eliminated much of the parking around the high school gym.

“We have a great, great fan base and a lot of people come to our games,” he said. “I thought (playing at Calihan) gave us a real edge. We were used to the bigger-sized court, the bigger fan base, the greater crowds, everything. Sure, we love playing at home, but going to Calihan seven or eight times, that really gave us a boost and confidence in our game.”

ALL THEY DO IS WIN: What’s the best won-lost record in a single season? That’s 28-0, based on 20 regular-season games, three district games (not everyone is scheduled for three) followed by a run to the state championship. Previously, 13 teams went 28-0, and that list grew Saturday with Powers North Central and U-D Jesuit both winning.

North Central, which hasn’t lost since the 2013-14 quarterfinals, now has a 55-game win streak, which puts it in a three-way tie for most wins in two seasons, along with Flint Northwestern (1984-85) and Flint Beecher (2012-13).

The most wins in a row is 65, set by Chassell in 1956-58.

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Flint Beecher’s Jordan Roland lies on the floor after being fouled hard by Grandville Calvin Christian during the Class C state title game.

EAST LANSING – Tony DeWitte was so impressive with 31 points in Grandville Calvin Christian’s semifinal victory that he drew special attention in the Class C championship game against Flint Beecher.

That attention took the form of junior Jordan Roland.

Other than in the Grandville huddle, Roland followed DeWitte everywhere he went on the floor Saturday at the Breslin Center.

Roland took a hard foul with 6:43 left in the game and spent 30 seconds on the floor regrouping. He eventually went to the locker room.

He re-entered the game with 3:39 to play and hit a huge triple with 2:09 left to give Beecher a 58-55 lead.

DeWitte was “held” to 15 points while Roland finished with 12.

“We pride ourselves on defense,’’ said Roland after the 63-61 victory.

Said Beecher coach Mike Williams: “I think he had 25 points or so at halftime the other day. I got tape on him from three other games so I knew not just Roland but the whole team had to make sure we knew where he was.’’

Class C: Beecher wins fourth title in five years

REF TAKES HIMSELF OUT: Ollie Sandifer Jr. pulled up lame and couldn’t finish the game.

Sandifer, from Muskegon, was officiating the Class C title game when he started laboring in the second quarter.

Suffering from a knee injury, Sandifer was replaced at halftime by alternate Chandler Terry, officiating his first championship game.

FLINT WATER CRISIS: Beecher coach Mike Williams still feels betrayed. He was born and raised in Flint and has family members who live inside the city, although he doesn’t anymore.

The city’s water crisis has hit 40 to 50% of his Flint Beecher team.

“I work at a different high school and I’m the phys ed teacher,” he said. “I have to be careful because we don’t know the kids’ personal situation at home and how they are affected. I have to keep a lot of drinking water around for the kids. You don’t want to pry into people’s personal lives, but you know it’s affecting them. About half of my team lives in the affected area; not the immediate area.”

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COPING ON THE RUN: Just before the start of the season Detroit Henry Ford coach Ken Flowers received devastating news. Antwan Johnson, who had worked with the team all summer and fall, was leaving.

“His family moved to Cincinnati,” said Flowers. “We didn’t know what to do. He was going to be a key part of our team and all of a sudden he was gone.”

The Trojans, coming off a championship game appearance, lost their first two games: a 67-49 blowout at the hands of Class A finalist North Farmington and 70-61 to Detroit Edison.

Another spot in the Class B final seemed more like a dream than a chance of becoming a reality in December.

But led by James Towns, the Trojans regrouped, leading to their first state title in a 61-47 victory over Stevensville Lakeshore.

“We picked it up and started rolling,” said Flowers. “We did some different things in practice to help guys get acclimated to his loss. Now they’ve been playing well.”

Flint Beecher’s Levane Blake battles for a rebound during the Class C state championship game Saturday with Grandville Calvin Christian’s Blake Verbeek. Blake hit a free throw and made a key block in the final minute, while Verbeek scored a game-high 22 points.

EAST LANSING – Flint Beecher junior Levane Blake was in the middle of a tough situation.

Beecher led by two points in the waning seconds Saturday at the Breslin Center when Grandville Calvin Christian missed a short jump shot, but Nate Knee grabbed the offensive rebound and went up for an even shorter second shot.

Blake, 6-feet-7, knew he had no alternative.

“I just knew I had to get the block for us to win,” Blake said. “But I was scared when I went up and blocked it. I thought the ref was going to call a foul, but I just knew I had to go for it.”

Blake wasn’t afraid of committing a foul. He was concerned about the appearance of committing a foul when he swatted the ball away.

“No, I didn’t foul him,” Blake insisted. “They were calling fouls all game. I just went for it — all ball.”

And all championship.

Beecher captured its fourth Class C state championship in five years, defeating a stubborn Calvin Christian team, 63-61.

It was a dramatically different kind of game than No. 1 Beecher (25-2) had played in other championship games.

“We prepared all year long for a game like this,” said Beecher coach Mike Williams. “I always preach to our kids that championship basketball is played in the half court. Last year when we got down here we were able to press and speed the tempo up and win with a different style.”

This was a half-court battle, although the teams did run when the opportunity presented itself.

Beecher led, 54-47, midway through the fourth quarter when Calvin Christian (21-5) got back in the game on a triple by Ben Miedema and two free throws by Tony DeWitte.

Jake Arnoys’ three-point shot gave Christian the lead with 1:14 left, but Malik Ellison (21 points) penetrated and fed Blake for a basket with 55 seconds left.

In the final minute, the Squires missed the front end of a one-and one and Blake, who had taken a tough fall earlier in the quarter, added a one of two free throws with 15 seconds remaining for the two-point margin.

“I wasn’t nervous,” he said. “My wrist was messed up and it hurt when I was shooting.”

Calvin Christian had two good looks at the basket on its final possession, but neither fell.

“We had some chances down the stretch to tie it up,” said Christian coach Ryan Stevens. “There were a couple of shots there at the end. We got a shot off and we told our guys we had to go get the rebound if we miss. Nate Knee actually got a shot off, too. So they played awesome and I’m proud of them.”

DeWitte was held to 15 points after scoring 31 points in the semifinals.

The job of defending to DeWitte went to junior Jordan Roland, who hounded DeWitte everywhere on the court.

“At practice drilled it into our heads about (DeWitte) and how he could shoot, so we were going to have to close and it wasn’t going to be a walk through,” Roland said. “We had to come out and fight and get the job done.”

Calvin Christian sophomore Blake Verbeek, 6-9, hit 5 of 6 three-point shots and had a game-high 22 points. The Squires also did a solid job defending Beecher’s Aquavius Burks, limiting him to 15 points.

“Every possession we had to battle,” said Stevens. “I thought we did a great job not giving up second shots. We played great ‘D” all game. We made their shots tough shots.”

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Stevensville Lakeshore’s Max Gaishin and Calvin Bushwyler double team Detroit Henry Ford’s Jeremy Crawley who secures this rebound during the MHSAA boys basketball Class B championship at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich. on Saturday, March 26, 2016.

EAST LANSING – Henry Ford had been here a year ago, but was facing a tall order in the Class B championship Saturday at the Breslin Center.

The Stevensville Lakeshore front line of 6-foot-11 Braden Burke and 6-7 Max Gishin, plus 6-6 Colin Brushwyler off the bench, had Henry Ford coach Ken Flowers up late Friday night plotting a strategy.

His guards had to control the game.

Flowers’ plan took a beating in the second half due to foul troubles and the Lancers’ size, but the Trojans regrouped to win the school’s first state title with a gritty 61-47 victory.

“I’m kind of emotional right now and I hope I don’t tear up,” said Flowers. “I really don’t know what to say right now. I was joking with the kids yesterday saying I didn’t want to be like the Buffalo Bills; get here four times and don’t win one. My guys made sure we brought it back to Seven Mile and Evergreen. I’m happy for the guys, the program and the community.”

Jeremy Crawley led Henry Ford with 18 points, senior point guard James Towns chipped in 15 and Alston Hunter had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

“We were at the bottom of Class B,” said Towns. “Nobody had us winning.”

Burke led Lakeshore with 19.

The game plan got tight in the third quarter when Devontaye Webb picked up his fourth foul with 3:17 left and had to sit with Lakeshore charging back, 34-24.

The fouls started piling up when Kavon Bey (eight points, five rebounds) picked up two fouls in eight seconds and had to leave with the lead down to 34-28.

Henry Ford struggled to score as the Lancers outscored the Trojans, 15-7, in the third quarter.

But just when the waters appeared murky, the Trojans got a triple from sophomore Deonta Ulmer and another from Crawley to extend the lead to 42-30 with 5:45 left.

“Lakeshore came out and had a great run in the third quarter,” said Flowers. “Those two threes were huge.”

Henry Ford pushed the lead to 48-33 on two free throws by Towns.

“That was a huge part of the game,” said Lakeshore coach Sean Schroeder. “I think that was a loose ball situation. We didn’t come up with it and they hit a three. We didn’t respond and they came down and hit another three. If we cut it to four it gets more interesting.”

Despite the size disparity, the Trojans out-rebounded Lakeshore, 30-19, and outscored the Lancers, 23-6, at the free throw line.

“They knew how to be tough and relentless,” said Flowers. “We’ve been undersized all year.”

Facing a significant height disadvantage, the Trojans guards needed to control the tempo and spread the floor to eliminate weak-side help.

It worked great in the first half as Henry Ford built a 27-13 halftime lead.

“It was another game,” said Hunter. “We had to play defense. We knew we had to get stops.”

Contact Perry A. Farrell at pafarrell@freepress.com Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry

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Detroit U-D Jesuit manager Alford Harris is embraced by Matt Schearer after defeating North Farmington 69-49, during the MHSAA boys basketball Class A finals at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Saturday, March 26, 2016.

EAST LANSING – Cassius Winston’s bucket list is now complete.

Four-time Catholic League champion.

Michigan’s Mr. Basketball.

Class A state championship.

After two years of final four frustration, the U-D Jesuit senior guard brought his young crew along sure-handedly in a 69-49 win over North Farmington Saturday at the Breslin Center.

He finished his prep career with 31 points on 14 of 16 shooting from the field. He also recorded nine assists, nine turnovers, four rebounds and two steals in leading the Cubs to a 28-0 record and the first state title for a Class A Detroit Catholic League team since 1976 when Detroit Catholic Central beat Saginaw.

“Eight years ago I said in my interview that this program had the potential to win a state championship,” said U-D coach Pat Donnelly. “We put in a lot of hard work in the gym and in the weight room. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work by these guys and the guys in the locker room.”

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Winston went in the stands and celebrated with his fans before the awards ceremony.

“Everything you want in a team we had,” said Winston said. “I don’t think Matt Schearer took a shot today and he didn’t care. Scott Nelson came off the bench and had 13 points. Last year we didn’t have the shooters we have now and teams were able to focus on me. This year Greg (Eboigbodin) and (Ikechukwu) Eke averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds a game. This is what Coach D and I have been working towards for four years.

“I knew I had to be ready from the start. I kept making shots and my teammates kept setting screens and looking for me.”

Between the third and the fourth quarters with his team ahead, 55-40, Winston was honored as the state’s Mr. Basketball, posing with his dad, Reginald, and the trophy.

North Farmington’s Billy Thomas, Winston’s former backcourt teammate at U-D, did his part to keep the Raiders in the game, scoring a team-high 23 points.

“Billy is a very talented scorer,” said Donnelly. “The key was to make him work to catch the ball and score. I thought Elijah (Collins) and the rest of the guys did a great job.”

Winston said all year that he couldn’t do it on his own — and he didn’t have to. Eke and Eboigbodin, who helped make the Cubs one of the best defensive teams in the state, combined for 18 points and 21 rebounds while Nelson scored 13 off the bench.

“The development of Eke the last couple of years has been remarkable,” said Donnelly. “His footwork and strength and post-up game.”

Eke’s big moment was a volley spike-type blocked shot on Jacob Joubert in the fourth quarter.

Thomas and Winston had their moment when Thomas was knocked to the ground by Eke in the fourth quarter and they chatted after the Cub helped him up.

Said Thomas: “I didn’t take it as a challenge. It was another game. I’ve been here before. I just wanted to win the game.”

Contact Perry A. Farrell: 313-222-2555 or pafarrell@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @farrellperry.