Introducing Tory Jackson

As the 2022-23 high school basketball season gets underway, Grand Blanc High School will have a new head coach in Troy Jackson. Jackson, who is the fifth leading scorer in Michigan high school history, was a four-time AP All-State selection, two-time Class C Player of the Year, and a two-time state champion at Buena Vista High School. He went on to play college ball at the University of Notre Dame, where he set a school record for games played, and is second all-time in both steals and assists.

We talked to some of his players about what kind of coach he is, and then got some audio of him coaching in a recent scrimmage.

RJ Taylor signs with Northern Iowa

RJ signs as his parents look on

Senior point guard RJ Taylor signed his National Letter of Intent (NLI) Wednesday to attend and play basketball at the University of Northern Iowa. The two-time first-team all-stater verbally committed to the Panthers at the conclusion of his junior season, and now heads into his senior season officially bound for Cedar Falls, where he will play for five-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year Ben Jacobson.

“R.J. is a hoops junkie, a winner and has a big time motor," said Coach Jacobson. "He plays with pace, has great timing and a unique ability to get the guys around him to play at a high level. We want to play with great pace, and RJ will help us do that. He brings instant positive energy to all situations on and off the court. We are very fortunate to add RJ to the family!"

RJ has been the starting point guard at Grand Blanc since the first game of his freshman season, and the Bobcats have gone 54-11 during that stretch winning the 2021 Division 1 state championship and following that up last season with a second-place finish. 

In addition to numerous all-state honors, last season RJ was named Michigan Player of the Year by D Zone and the Michigan Class of 2023 Player of the Year by PrepHoops. His season highlights included:

• Scoring 28 in the state championship game, including an MHSAA State Championship Game record 7/10 from three-point range)
• An MVP-type performance against conference rival Carman-Ainsworth, hitting two go-ahead jumpers in the final thirty seconds of the game, then blocking a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer 
• Twice scoring 30+ points in a game (36 vs. Flint Powers Catholic and 33 vs. Muskegon)

Entering his senior season, RJ needs just 48 points to reach 1,000 scored in his career, a span in which he has averaged nearly 15 points and five assists per game. 

RJ also played the last two summers on the EYBL circuit with Nike Meanstreets out of Chicago, coached by University of Michigan alum, Tai Streets. RJ was the only rising junior on the team the first year, and made major contributions to a squad that reached the Final Four at Peach Jam.

“RJ is an outstanding young man that is simply a winner,” said Streets. “He puts aside personal goals for the betterment of the team.  I would go to war with RJ any day of the week. The ultimate winner.”

Meanstreets teammate Wes Rubin and Missouri native Kyle Pock will join RJ in Cedar Falls next season. When they arrive there, they will be playing for the only five-time MVC Coach of the Year, and the only coach in MVC history to have two wins over #1 ranked teams (Kansas in 2010 and North Carolina in 2015). Jacobson, who has held the post since 2006, ranks third in MVC history in both overall coaching victories (321) and league wins (174).

Under Jacobson, Northern Iowa has won the MVC regular season championship four times, including last season, and two of the last three years. They have also experienced March success in St. Louis, Missouri, winning four MVC Tournament (“Arch Madness”) championships under Jacobson, and five overall. The Panthers have played in the NCAA Tournament on eight occasions, including picking up victories in each of their last three visits:

·  2016 – Defeated Texas before falling to Texas A&M in double-overtime

·  2015 – Defeated Wyoming, and finished the season ranked #11 in the nation

·  2010 – Defeated UNLV and #1-ranked Kansas to advance to the Sweet Sixteen

RJ spoke about the relationship that he has developed with Coach Jacobson and lead recruiter, Assistant Coach Seth Tuttle:

Tuttle had this to say about what made RJ such an appealing recruit: "What made RJ stand out right away was his love for the game. He was all over the floor having fun competing. Something I look for is how well a kid can see the floor and how quickly they can process information, this is hard to teach, and there aren’t many that do that as well as RJ. As I got to know him and his family better, I knew how perfect of a fit they would be with our Panther Family. We are so excited that today he officially became a Panther. He’s a winner!"

For a look at what exactly Tuttle means by seeing the floor and quickly processing information, take a look at the following highlight reels from RJ's sophomore and junior seasons.

    

A Classic New Name for a Classic Event

With a nod to the past and looking to the future, it is with great pride and excitement that the Grand Blanc boys basketball program is renaming our annual showcase event "The Charlie Carmody Best of the Best Classic" (or for short, “The Carmody Classic”). The event, formerly known as the Gottagetit Hoop Classic, began in 2019 and has been held annually at Grand Blanc High School the first Saturday in January, bringing together some of the best high school basketball talent in Michigan. In past years, the Classic has seen as many as 15-20 future division one college players participate, and it has been recognized as the best showcase event in Michigan.

The Voice of the Bobcats, Charlie Carmody

Charlie Carmody was a 1980 graduate of Grand Blanc High School, and subsequently a math teacher at the school for nearly a quarter-century until his death in 2017 at the age of 54. He was also the founder & President of the Grand Blanc High School Alumni Association, and a beloved fixture in the Grand Blanc community. What he was perhaps best known for though was his role as “The Voice of the Bobcats,” serving as the public address announcer for Grand Blanc sporting events for 33 seasons. It was a perfect fit for him because, dating back to his student days as a red-clad, megaphone-toting superfan, nobody loved Grand Blanc sports more than he did. His passion for the Bobcats exuded through his voice, whether he was calling a basketball game, a football game, track & field, or some other event. 

Charlie’s wife Chris and his children, Jon and Olivia, are still fixtures at Grand Blanc sporting events, with Jon often now manning the microphone that made his father The Voice of the Bobcats. 

"Charlie was more than just 'The Voice of the Bobcats' though," noted Grand Blanc Athletic Director, Jerrod Dohm. "In many ways, he was the personification of the Bobcats. His name being added to this event is just one more way that his legacy will live on as a part of Grand Blanc Athletics."

New boys basketball Head Coach Tory Jackson was the one who first suggested naming the event after Charlie. "One of my goals in becoming the coach at Grand Blanc," Jackson stated, "is to make sure we honor those who have come before us and made a positive impact on the kids and community. Charlie Carmody was a staple in the Grand Blanc community, so I thought renaming our winter classic after him would be a great way to honor such an amazing person."

Follow @CarmodyClassic on Twitter to stay up to date on more information about the event, and visit CarmodyClassic.com.

Grand Blanc Hires New Head Coach

Grand Blanc High School has hired Tory Jackson to be the head coach of the boys basketball program. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, the Saginaw native will take the helm of a 100-year old program that has experienced its greatest success in the last two seasons, winning the Division 1 state championship in 2021 and finishing as state runner-up in 2022. As the program heads into its second century, it will do so under very accomplished leadership: 

High School Playing Career 

• Finished his high school career with 2,518 career points, which was the most in Saginaw County history and the fourth-most in Michigan boys basketball history at the time (now fifth all-time, trailing Jay Smith, Mark Brown, Dylan Jergens and Christopher Hass) 

• Led Buena Vista to Class C state championships in both 2004 & 2006 

• A four-time AP All-State honoree, he was named Class C Player of the Year in both 2004 & 2006 

• Scored 30.5 points per game his senior year at Buena Vista, while also averaging seven assists and seven rebounds 

• Member of school’s National Honor Society 

College Playing Career 

• Never missed a game at Notre Dame, playing in 136 games, a school record at the time 

• Second all-time at Notre Dame in career steals (211) and assists (694) 

• Named to 2010 Big East All-Tournament Team 

• Earned 2010 Big East Sportsmanship Award 

• Named to 2007 Big East All-Rookie Team 

• Played in three NCAA Tournaments 

• Elected team captain 

Professional Playing Career 

• Played in the NBA Developmental League, averaging 7 points and 3 assists for the Ft. Wayne Mad Ants 

• Also played professionally in Mongolia 

Miscellaneous 

• Son of James and Sarah Jackson, and the second youngest of 14 children 

• Engaged to Larissa Gallardo 

• Father of three children who are 13, 9 & 8 

• Member of the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame 

Quotes 

• University of Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey: “Tory is like a son to me. The positive energy that flows off of him is contagious. He is truly an educator and a fierce competitor. I would want my son to play for Tory Jackson.” 

• Grand Blanc Athletic Director Jerrod Dohm: “Tory’s passion and enthusiasm for coaching young men was evident throughout the interview process. He has a reputation for getting the most out of his players, and we are confident that he will do a great job in helping our student-athletes mature and achieve their goals.”

Season 100...A New Season

Be A Part of Season 100!

Jonathan Carmody has been at work again...

 

"History Made" State Championship Gear

 

Click here by June 2nd to purchase "History Made" state championship gear.

Associated Press Statewide Honors

The Associated Press announced their postseason awards today for boys Division 1 basketball, and a trio of their awards are coming to Grand Blanc.

 

Headlining the list of honorees was junior Ty Rodgers, who was named Division 1 Player of the Year in the state of Michigan. The 6'7" wing averaged 17.3 points and 9.4 rebounds, leading the state champion Bobcats in both categories this season. Rodgers shot an phenomenal 62.0% from the field, due in part to the fact that so many of his baskets come on highligh-reel slams. He threw down 46 dunks in the Bobcats’ 17 contests, and had a streak dating back to last season of 21 consecutive games with at least one slam dunk. Rodgers currently holds offers from 14 Division 1 schools: Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Maryland, Houston, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Florida State, Louisville, Syracuse, Marquette, Temple and Rhode Island, with more to come, no doubt! Here are his season highlights.

Also garnering First Team All-Sate honors was RJ Taylor. The sophomore point guard averaged 16.7 points per game, leading the Bobcats in scoring in eight of their ten regular season contests. He tallied 25+ points on three occasions, including a career-high of 31. Where he really shines though is as a playmaker. Averaging 6.8 assists per game this year, he just may be the best passer in the state. While being the engine that set the pace for Grand Blanc's high-octane offense, Taylor only turned the ball over 34 times all season long, despite leading the Bobcats in minutes played for the second straight campaign. 

 

Head Coach Mike Thomas also received honors as the Division 1 Coach of the Year after leading Grand Blanc to the first basketball state championship in school history. COVID-19 caused a delayed start to the season, a two-week mid-season quarantine, and a number of cancelled games. With Coach Thomas at the helm though, the Bobcats navigated these and other difficulties to put together a very successful (though shortened) regular season, topped off by an extraordinary post-season run, in which they beat the two top-ranked teams in the state, each of which were riding 27-game winning streaks. It was the third state championship of in Coach Thomas's career, the first two coming during his tenure at Kalamazoo Central. In 2010, both the Detroit Free Press and the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan named him their Michigan High School Coach of the Year.

State Championship Game Highlights

State Championship Game - Full Game Broadcast

 

ALL-SVL

 

2021 Hype Video

"Dread it, run from it...destiny arrives all the same." 

The time has finally come. After months of waiting, basketball season is upon us. After having their season cut short last year, Grand Blanc is coming back with a vengeance. The Bobcats are on the Road to Redemption, as they look to claim what is rightfully theirs. 

Jon Carmody gets us ready with this AMAZING hype video!

 

Video Credit:

ABC12 

WJRT 

Athlazon 

Ballislife 

BReal Studios 

Detroit Post Production 

Eric Gets Buckets 

Grand Blanc TV - GBTV 

Mid-Michigan now on FOX66 & NBC25 

5 Star Certified 

 

Josh Rechsteiner Signs with Adrian

Wednesday afternoon, senior guard Josh Rechsteiner signed his letter of intent to attend Adrian College and play basketball at the MIAA school.

 

In Rechsteiner, the Bulldogs add a hard-working, sharp-shooting guard. Adrian's Acting Head Coach Tim Kaiser said, "Josh brings a competitiveness that will add a lot to our program the day he steps on campus. Playing for a great high school program like he has will prepare him to contribute in many different ways. His shooting and defensive abilities are things we are excited to see and we are excited to see the impact he leaves during his four years at Adrian!"

Grand Blanc High School's head coach Mike Thomas agrees, “Josh's biggest strength is how he leads by example. He has great shooting and defensive ability, and is a non-complainer.” Coach Thomas added, “Josh is a hard-working, dedicated basketball player who has all the tools to become a good college basketball player.  He will bring a Gottagetit mentality to Adrian College.”

Thomas and the Bobcats expect Rechsteiner to play a prominent role this season, as they defend their SVL title and aim for a trip to Breslin. Below, find a video of highlights from Rechsteiner's junior year.

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: