2020-21 Schedule Released

The Grand Blanc Boys Basketball program released its 2020-21 schedule today. Last season, the Bobcats faced the toughest schedule in the state of Michigan, with an opponents’ winning percentage of .730! This year promises to be more of the same, as we not only have a challenging 12-game Saginaw Valley League schedule, but we also face eight non-conference foes who averaged a record of 18-4 last year, including two of the three teams that beat Grand Blanc. They are:

• Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, who was considered by many to be the top team in the state last year. Senior guard and Northwestern recruit Julian Roper will have lots of help from a pair of 6’8” seniors in Peter Nwoke and Harrison Oguchukwu, and two of the top juniors in the state in guards Kareem Rozier & Jason Drake.

• Detroit Douglass, led by Michigan State recruit Pierre Brooks and 6’10” senior forward Javontae Randle. Last year's season-opening battle between these two teams was a thriller, and this year's promises to be just as exciting.
  

• Beecher is always tough and no doubt will be tough again, led by one of the top uncommitted seniors in the state, guard Keyon Mennifield. Many people thought Beecher was the top team in the state last year coming into their season-ending battle with Grand Blanc at the Dort Event Center with an 18-1 record. The Bobcats came out on top, snapping an 18-game Bucs win streak. You can bet they'll be looking for revenge!

• Ypsilanti Lincoln of course lost Emoni Bates, but without one being crowned last year, they could lay claim to still being the reigning state champion. The Bobcats will open up against the Railsplitters at the Homer Williams Showcase.
  

• U of D-Jesuit came on strong in the second half of the season, winning 9 of their last 11, with their only losses coming in close games with top-ranked OLSM. Guard Sonny Wilson is one of the top sophomores in the state, and he will lead a talented roster.

• Muskegon went 20-2 last year (with one of those losses coming against the Bobcats) and will bring a talented, athletic squad to Grand Blanc for a late-season matchup on February 20^th.

• Birmingham Brother Rice has a trio of super sophomores in Xavier Thomas, Henry Garity, and Curtis Williams, who just might be the top sophomore in the state. Plus the Warriors will not be intimidated by the Bobcats, as they were one of just three teams to defeat Grand Blanc last year.

• Detroit Edison will visit Grand Blanc for the third annual Gottagetit Hoop Classic. Last year, Edison went 17-4 with impressive wins over UDJ, Detroit Douglass, Waterford Mott & Ferndale, and two of their losses came in close contests with Ypsilanti Lincoln and Clarkston, who were among the top teams in the state.

The Saginaw Valley League is going to a round-robin format without divisions, where all teams in the league will play each other once. This means that there will be a number of very intriguing matchups:

• A Mt. Pleasant team, whose only loss was to us in the SVL Championship Game.

• Coach Williams’ alma mater, the always tough Saginaw High, will be led by explosive 6’5” senior wing Lavell Brodnex, who turned a lot of heads this summer.

• Saginaw Arthur-Hill, who was led last year by a pair of very talented underclassmen Tim Jordan and Christian Smith.

• Saginaw Heritage, led by one of the top seniors in the state, Parker Day, who has already committed to Grand Valley State.

We will also of course renew annual rivalries with teams like:

• Carman-Ainsworth, who last year went 17-3 against teams other than Grand Blanc.

• Powers Catholic, who is led by senior Western Michigan recruit, Owen Lobsinger.

• Davison, led by Northwestern football recruit, senior Brendan Sullivan. 

See the full schedule here:

Josh Rechsteiner Commits to Adrian

Senior Josh Rechsteiner announced via Twitter Wednesday evening that next year he will be attending Adrian College, where the 6-foot tall Grand Blanc shooting guard will play basketball for the Bulldogs, who reached the NCAA Division III Tournament last year.

When asked how Rechsteiner will help Adrian, Grand Blanc High School's head coach Mike Thomas said, "Josh's biggest strength is how he leads by example. He has great shooting and defensive ability, and is a non-complainer." Thomas added, "I'm looking forward to having Josh step up as a vocal leader for us this year, as well as being a good defensive stopper coming off the bench."

Writing for PrepHoops.com, Scott Hankamp noted this past summer that, "Rechsteiner has had an impressive summer and his 3 point shooting has been a big part of that. He’s shown an underappreciated quickness that helps free him up for a triple. College coaches will want to take a peak." 

Adrian's coaches did more than take a peak, last month offering him a chance to play there. After considering his options, Rechsteiner feels confident that he has found the right spot for him. "I really liked the coaches and the facilities." He also noted, "I felt really comfortable and felt like I could make the campus home."

Rechsteiner knows he can help the Bulldogs on both ends of the court. "I think I could contribute a great shooting threat and defense as well." That's in the future. as for now, he is focused on what this season holds for the Bobcats of Grand Blanc. "My goals for this season are to push my teammates while working on my own skills, and of course to win the state championship!"

 

 

Nick Pappadakis Commits to Delta

Bobcat guard Nick Pappadakis announced that next year he will be attending Delta College, where he will play basketball for the Pioneers."I chose Delta because I thought it would be a good fit for me both athletically and education-wise," said Pappadakis. "I already knew a few players on the team. I'm looking forward to continuing my athletic career in college and just having the opportunity to play."

The 6'0" guard was a key contributor off the bench for the highly rated Bobcats this year, providing them with a sharpshooter they could count on. He led all players on the Grand Blanc roster by shooting 40% from three point range, and also led the team in Effective Field Goal Percentage (a stat which accounts for the fact that three-point field goals are worth an additional point). He also supplied  energy whenever he was in the game, and plans on doing the same for the Pioneers. "I can contribute by scoring the ball and playing as hard as I can all the time."

Delta Head Basketball Coach Carlos McMath had high words of praise for Pappadakis and what he will bring to their program. "Nick is a great all-around player that has a high IQ, but more importantly provides a balance of shooting and ball-handling. He will be a consistent threat to score from deep but will also facilitate the offense, as he has a deceptive handle on the ball and can see the floor as well as anyone." McMath contninued,"We are excited to add him to the #DCBrotherhood!"

Grand Blanc Head Coach Mike Thomas concurred with McMath. "Nick is going to work very hard and be of great value to his team and teammates." Thomas added, "I want to wish Nick the best of luck as he will go on to do great things for Delta College. Keep moving forward and great things will happen for you!"

Pappadakis will join fellow Grand Blanc Hoops alumni with the Pioneers in Kevin-David Rice, who also graduated this spring, and Jackarus Smith who redshirted this past season at Delta.

Check out Nick's senior year highlights below!

Accomplishments & Awards: 2019-20

Though the 2019-20 season was cut short by the coronavirus, it was still a great season with much to celebrate!

 Team Accomplishments

18-3 Record

SVL Champions

Regular season-ending win over #1-ranked Beecher in front of 3000 fans at Dort Event Center

Season-opening win over Detroit Douglass at Horatio Williams Classic

Motor City Classic victory over Chicago-Lincoln Park

Wildcat Holiday Challenge victory in Chicago over Proviso East

Team Awards (Voting by Team)

Team Most Valuable Player: Ty Rodgers 

Most Valuable Offensive Player: Kevin-David Rice 

Most Valuable Defensive Player: Amonte' Allen-Johnson 

Most Improved Player: Jacob Carlson 

Most Coachable Player: Connor Williams

Hustle Player of the Year: Mark Miller

Practice Player of the Year: Danny Smith 

Academy Award for Best Coach Thomas Impersonation: Nate Brown


Academic Awards

Highest GPA: Matai Swain, Mark Miller & RJ Taylor

Most Improved GPA: Ty Rodgers


SVL South All League Awards

SVL South MVP: Ty Rodgers

First Team All League: Ty Rodgers & Kevin Rice

Second Team All League: Nate Brown, Mark Miller & RJ Taylor

Honorable Mention All League: Connor Williams

SVL South Coach of the Year: Mike Thomas


BCAM Awards

Team First Award: Danny Smith

BCAM’s Best-Division 1: Ty Rodgers

BCAM’s Outstanding Senior Student Athlete: Mark Miller & Matai Swain

BCAM’s Academic All State: Kevin-David Rice

Kevin-David Rice Commits to Delta

Senior guard Kevin-David Rice ("KDR") announced Sunday that he had committed to play college basketball next season at Delta College. “I love the brotherhood and family atmosphere in the Delta program," said Rice. "They have a great coach who truly cares about his players.”

That coach is Carlos McMath. He commented, "I've been watching Kevin-David play since he was in 8th grade playing for The Family. Evaluating him from then to now, the thing that has always stuck out about him is his maturity and IQ for the game, and his intangibles that are needed to be successful on and off the court." McMath continued, "On the court he is a versatile guard that can score from all three levels with efficiency. Here at Delta, we play positionless basketball, but if we are looking at him in a traditional sense, he would play both guard spots with more time at point guard as of now."

Grand Blanc Head Coach Mike Thomas thinks added, “Kevin has been an amazing leader for us both on and off the court, and his talent is undeniable.” 

Rice used that talent to lead the Bobcats in scoring each of the last two seasons, averaging over 14 points per game. Some of KDR’s best performances though were when the Bobcats played under the brightest lights on the biggest stages.

Grand Blanc’s final game of the regular season this year was also its most anticipated. Played in front of 3,500 people and facing Beecher (rated by some as the top team in Michigan), KDR scored 26 points and led Grand Blanc to a signature victory. Even though Oregon-bound Jalen Terry of Beecher was one of the top high school guards in the nation this season, those on hand agreed that, at least for this night, KDR was the best player on the floor.

It was not unlike the performance Rice had earlier this season, when the Bobcats faced Kentucky recruit Isaiah Jackson’s Waterford Mott team at Oakland University. That day once again, KDR clearly was the best player on the court, scoring 20 and picking up 10 rebounds. “Kevin is a big game player,” commented Thomas. “And this is definitely just the beginning for him. I believe Kevin has a long career ahead of him. We’ve only seen a glimpse of the amazing talent that Kevin is and will continue to be.”

Rice will become the third Bobcat in recent years to play for Delta. Goliath Mitchell played the last two seasons for the Pioneers and is committed to join Northwood University next year. Jackarus Smith redshirted this year but is slated to return next season to play alongside Rice. 

Coach McMath is excited to add another Bobcat. "I think he comes in like a lot of our Grand Blanc guys with a high basketball IQ and knowing how to practice. Coach Thomas and staff get their guys ready for the next level to contribute early and often."  

Ty's Top Dunks

Check out a fun video of the top Ty Rodgers dunks of the year!

Mark Miller to West Point

We are VERY proud to be represented by three-year varsity starter, Mark Miller, who will be attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Here is the video of his appointment ceremony, and below there is a TV story fromJonathan Deutsch demonstrating how Mark is on "The Path to Greatness."

What Might Have Been...

ABC12's Brandon Green talks to a trio of GB seniors in Kevin-David Rice, Mark Miller & Connor Williams about what might have been...

Beecher Game

The Bobcats' regular season finale was one of the most anticipated games in Genesee County in recent memory. Grand Blanc faced the top-ranked Beecher Buccaneers in a game that was played in front of over 3000 people at the Dort Federal Event Center, in the first high school basketball game played there since 2004.

You  can find the game story here, or you can watch the TV highlights below. If you have the time though, it was a fantastic game and we recommend watching the entire game, which is also available in full and posted below.

And whenever we win in March...WE DANCE!

SVL Champions!!!

After winning the SVL South with a conference record of 8-0, Grand Blanc (15-3 overall) advanced to the SVL Championship Game against Mount Pleasant, the last remaining undefeated Division 1 team in the state of Michigan.

After a first quarter in which they were outscored 15-12, the Bobcats exploded for 30 points in the second quarter to take a 42-29 lead into the break. Midland trimmed the lead to five and had a chance to get even closer, but GB came up with a stop at the end of the quarter and, thanks to a long outlet pass from Ty Rodgers to RJ Taylor, they quickly converted at the buzzer to make it 54-47 heading to the fourth. They cruised from there to a 74-60 win, led by 18 points from senior Mark Miller and 15 apiece from Rodgers and Taylor, and 13 from Nate Brown.

Jonathan Carmody put together the fantastic video below with play-by-play audio from ESPN 100.9, or if you have time, scroll down to the bottom for the full game.