Top teams at the MGBR Classic in the North
While many squads from Michigan were trying their hands at competition on a national level, either in Chicago or Louisville, Ky., there were still a number of in-state teams competing … well, in-state last weekend, many of them gathering at…
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Continue ReadingWhile many squads from Michigan were trying their hands at competition on a national level, either in Chicago or Louisville, Ky., there were still a number of in-state teams competing … well, in-state last weekend, many of them gathering at Morey Courts in Mount Pleasant to square off against one another in the Midwest Girls Basketball Report’s Classic in the North.
The most talented division, top-to-bottom, was probably the 2021s, with a 10 teams matching up in two pools.
Here’s a look at some of the top teams at the MGBR event:
Championship Sport Elite (Gold) — 9th grade bracket
A guard-oriented team full of shooters and teammates from the central and northern parts of Michigan, the Championship Sports squad went 4-0 in pool play, winning its first two games by a combined 54 points, so it was sort of hard to get a gauge on how good the team actually was, initially. But a four-point win over the West Michigan Drive and an eight-point win to start over the PR1DE squad Sunday morning proved its mettle, as did a bracket-play walloping of a previously unbeaten Greg Grant Elite squad, 53-21, to clinch the platinum championship. Led by three players from Central Montcalm (which rolled to an unbeaten regular season) — Bailey Vissman, Savannah Vissman and London Eldridge — and two each from Sault Ste. Marie — Haliegh Knowles and Lilli Kelgar — and Midland Dow — Jada Garner and Katelyn Murray — the Championship Sport Elite squad had plenty of shooting and scoring to go around. Gladwin’s Delaney Cote and McBain’s Olyvia Nederhood round out the backcourt options for coach Anthony Vissman. The one drawback for this squad is lack of size, especially when playing without 6-foot-1 Reagan McGregor of Mio. That left 5-9 Mackenzie Egger of Mt. Pleasant and the 5-7 Murray to play the roles as bigs, although they made up with it with hustle and athleticism.
FORCE 2020 — 10th grade bracket
It probably should’ve been a message when the Southwest Michigan squad opened the tournament with a 60-point win that it was going to be hard to stop. Force went 3-0 in pool play — winning 69-9, 61-13 and 56-8 — before beating Illinois Leading Lady Elite 2020 by a 62-22 margin in the first-place game of the bracket on Sunday. The roster was as complete as the routs on the scoreboard, with the best 2020 big in Centreville’s 6-foot Joanna Larsen, paired up with a pair of shooters from Portage Central in 6-footer Maizie Brown and point guard Abigail Long. Three Rivers’ Hadley Miller and Martin’s Jaclyn Hildebrand provide the ability to penetrate, as does Schoolcraft’s Gabi Saxman, when she’s with the team.
Greg Grant Elite — 9th grade bracket
Coach Tracy Fuerst’s squad may have had the best collection of bigs in the tournament, starting with Waterford Mott’s 6-footer, Mikaila Proctor, along with Rochester Adams’ 5-10 Kendal Farnum and Walled Lake Northern’s 5-9 Andie Wolfe. But the most impressive may have been 2023 Emily Grulke of St. John Lutheran, a 5-10 swing player who will eventually wind up at Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest. On top of the inside presence, the Greg Grant squad has plenty of outside options to handle the ball and shoot, from Sterling Heights Ford’s Olivia Kubik, to Adams’ Maddison Dolenga, Mott’s Makayla Fuerst, Macomb Dakota’s Jacqueline-Marie Monoso and Waterford Kettering’s Elena Rodriguez. The squad went 4-0 in pool play, outscoring its opponents by a 60-point margin in four games, before running into Championship Sports in the platinum bracket championship.
FSA Team-Black — 11th grade bracket
The Downriver squad went 1-2 in pool play on Saturday, but beat Michigan Basketball Academy 2019 by seven to earn a spot in the Gold Bracket title game, opposite Championship Sports’ 2019 squad, taking the title with a 55-42 victory. (The Platinum Bracket title was settled between two out-of-state teams, with the Illinois Leading Lady Elite beating the Canada Airhawks, 50-45.)
FSA has outside scoring from a pair of Carleton-Airport guards — 2019 Emily Swiercz and 2020 Hadley Gratz — as well as the penetrating ability of Austin Catholic 2019 Maria Schudt to balance out the inside presence of Gibraltar Carlson 6-footer Rebecca Zilka. The biggest drawback for the squad might just be a lack of depth.
West Michigan Drive — 9th grade bracket
The Drive came the closest to knocking off Championship Sports Gold all tournament, losing by just four, 43-39, Saturday evening. West Michigan Drive rolled through its two pool play games Sunday morning, then beat the Northern Pride (Gillow) squad 51-38 to finish third in the 9th Grade Platinum Division. Grand Rapids Northview’s Dezaraya Fields provided most of the scoring punch for the Drive, along with Central Montcalm forward Brielle Collins. Cedar Springs’ Avery Sparling and Kaelyn Colclasure provided outside shooting, along with Rockford 2022 Megan McCauley.