1. Belleville (7-0 – Division 1)
Belleville football is known across the state for having one of the best programs in the state, but Belleville basketball, girls and boys, are gaining notice for being atop the best basketball programs in the state, too. Belleville ended their 2023-2024 season with a 23-3 overall record, Conference Champs, District Champs, Regional Champs and Belleville even made it to the Breslin Center to play in the Final Four before being knocked out of the playoffs.
Belleville girls’ basketball gained national attention last season after (then freshman) Guard/Forward Combo Sydney Savoury put on a Lady Tigers jersey. Savoury has had visits / offers by UCLA, BYU, Texas A&M and so much more. Savoury is a walking double-double and made it on ESPN’s 2027 HS Freshmen Watch List last season. Savoury already had a 31-point, 10 rebound game freshman year and is going to be one of the most exciting players to watch in HS hoops for years to come.
This season, Belleville is undefeated with a 7-0 record and Savoury opened up the season with a 31-point / 5 assist game, but Savoury isn’t the only Belleville player on opponents scout reports. Senior Rylan Buschell (CMU Commit), Sophomore Layla Stewart (Multiple D1 Offers), Junior Se’Crette Carter (Marquette Commit) & Freshman Paisley Stephens (Multiple D1 Offers) are all in Detroit Free Press Top 100 Michigan High School Girls Basketball Players. This squad is STACKED!
Belleville’s most significant wins so far are over #2 Ranked Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard 46-45, #9 ranked Parma Western 72-56, East Kentwood 53-38 and the reigning Division 1 State Champs West Bloomfield 84-49.
2. Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (8-1 – Division 2)
This is a team that didn’t get the respect they deserved from a lot of the state the last two seasons and most of the state learned their lesson after FGR became the 2023-24 Division 2 State Runner Up’s after a hard-fought loss against Detroit Edison in the State Championship game. FGR cruised through their regular season and playoffs completely unblemished 28-0 UNTIL the State Finals Championship game.
Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard won their second consecutive Catholic League Bishop Division Championship last season and was led by Vanessa Rodriguez with 29 points. She was LIGHTS OUT from beyond the arc going 5/5 from 3. She steps into her shot perfectly off the pass and gets the ball into her shot pocket perfectly off the dribble and step back, very smooth and fundamentally sound game for Vanessa.
Coming into 2025, FGR is 8-1 with their lone loss being by 1 point to #1 Ranked Belleville 46-45. FGR’s most significant wins this season are over #5 Ranked Rockford 55-43, #10 Ranked Goodrich 59-54, Farmington Hills Mercy 69-39, Lumen Christi Catholic 59-42. Head Coach Tim Cain is making sure FGR has one of the most battle-tested schedules in the state.
Father Gabriel Richard is led by Junior Guards (and twins) Vanessa and Ava Rodriguez and Senior Guard Charlotte Miller (Ferris State Commit and Michigan Miss Basketball Candidate). The three of them continue to show their emotional maturity and ability to handle pressure easily. The fundamentals and team basketball of this squad will take them far again this season, however, FGR isn’t expecting anything less than a state championship.
3. Detroit Renaissance (9-0 – Division 1)
Renaissance is underestimated a bit this year after graduating superstar Anaya Hardy (Louisville Freshman) and Christian Sanders (University of Chicago Freshman).
However, Senior standout Imani Johnson (Multiple D1 Offers) leads the way for a Renaissance team that has loads of youthful talent. Johnson is a double-double machine with great versatility as a guard/forward combo. A player who will bring incredible energy to Renaissance alongside Johnson is Freshman Guard Kassidy Cain. Cain plays with a ton of heart and discipline as a pass-first mentality point guard with the ability to score at will.
Renaissance had their FIRST LOSS of the season on February 8th last season and lost to my (at the time) #5 Ranked Detroit Edison 46-38. But Renaissance got their revenge this season with their most significant win of the season coming over #7 Ranked Detroit Edison in a 50-48 win. Freshman Guard Kassidy Cain was trusted to bring up the ball with the game on the line, down by two and less than a minute to go and Cain got the ball to Renaissance’s go-to bucket getter- Imani Johnson who made a CLUTCH 3-pointer to go up by 1. Cain was fouled on the next possession and sunk 1 of 2 free throws to seal the win by 2.
4. Tecumseh (6-0 – Division 2)
Tecumseh had a strong team and season last year with a 23-5 overall record. Tecumseh was a team that showed streaks of greatness last year, but they were streaky and not the most consistent team. Their five losses were too much to break into my Top 10 by the end of the season, but Tecumseh has shown a lot more consistency this year, so Tecumseh has jumped up from a #22 Ranking to end last season all the way to a #4 Ranking to start this season!
Another reason Tecumseh jumped up so much because the team is led by Senior Guard/Forward Alli Zajac (Eastern Michigan Commit and Michigan Miss Basketball Candidate). Alli Zajac has stepped fully into the role of selfless leader, and she plays a great inside/outside game. Alli is one half of a dynamic duo with her sophomore sister, Center Addi Zajac. Alli has been used to leading and has been a confident ball player for years, however, sister Addi’s confidence is growing game after game, especially after Addi had a 27 point, 14 rebound, 3 block game in Tecumseh’s win over East Lansing.
Tecumseh’s starters have been phenomenal under pressure this season. Along with the Zajac sisters, Junior PG Makayla Schlorf (Saginaw Valley State Commit) and Junior Chloe Bullinger have led the team in big moments and games.
Tecumseh’s most significant win was over Reigning D2 State Champions and #7 Ranked Detroit Edison 66-65 in double overtime. Tecumseh was led by Schlorf with 24 points, followed by Alli Zajac with 14 points, Addi Zajac with 13 points / 12 rebounds and Bullinger with 12 points.
5. Rockford (7-1 – Division 1)
Rockford won their 1st state final in school history in 2023, upsetting West Bloomfield. Instead of meeting in the State Finals again last year, Rockford found the West Bloomfield match-up in the semi-finals last season and lost in overtime. Rockford had an incredible season with an overall record of 26-2 for the 2023-24 season.
This season, they are off to a 5-1 start with their lone loss coming from #2 Ranked Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard 43-55. The Rams are led by Senior Guard Anna Wypych (Butler Commit and Michigan Miss Basketball Candidate), but they also graduated standout Grace Lyons (Ferris State Freshman). Wypych has truly elevated her game from her junior season to her senior season, playing with elite confidence and imposing her will to score on even the best defenders. The Rams also get a ton of production from Guard Kate Higgins, as well. Both Higgins and Wypych scored 16 points to combine for over half of Rockford’s total scoring to get the win over #6 Ranked Grand Haven.
Rockford’s most significant win came over #6 Ranked Grand Haven 60-48 and #25 Ranked Wayne Memorial 62-45.
6. Grand Haven (7-1 – Division 1)
Grand Haven cruised to an 8-0 start to the season last year and were in my Top 10 for a large part of 2023-24 after finishing with an 18-6 overall record. Grand Haven graduated Guard Emerson Berndt, (Grand Valley Freshman), Grand Haven’s main scorer from last season.
Senior Guard Gillian Sorrelle and Sophomore Center Mallory Woiteshek lead the way for Grand Haven and were both named to the Michigan high school girls’ basketball Top 100 players by the Detroit Free Press. Sorrelle has stepped into the go-to scorer role and can be a 20+ point per game scorer, meanwhile, Woiteshek could average a double-double this season.
Grand Haven started off their season 6-0 until their most significant game of the season so far, the Rockford matchup, which resulted in a 60-48 loss against my #5 ranked team. Senior Gillian Sorrelle led all scorers in the loss to Rockford with 19 points.
7. Detroit Edison (8-2 – Division 2)
Detroit Edison are the Division 2 Reigning State Champions after beating Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard in the State Championship game last season. DEPSA did graduate Guard Devin Hagemann (East Carolina Freshman) along with Guard Na’Kiya Bonner (Indiana Tech Freshman). As PG, Hagemann controlled a lot of DEPSA’s games, however, this season, Senior Guard Isis Johnson-Musah (University of California Berkeley Commit and Michigan Miss Basketball Candidate) has big shoes to fill and she’s been taking on the challenge while exceeding expectations.
DEPSA had one of the most battle-tested schedules in the state last season, if not the most battle-tested and they have continued that culture this season with another tough non-conference schedule. Edison has two losses on the season already, however, their two losses are to #3 Ranked Detroit Renaissance 50-48 and #4 Ranked Tecumseh 70-65.
Detroit Edison’s most significant wins are over 2023-24 D1 State Runner Up’s Grand Blanc 58-46, Muskegon 42-41 and #25 Ranked Wayne Memorial 48-46.
8. Detroit Country Day (8-0 – Division 2)
Detroit Country Day finished their 2023-2024 season with a 19-6 overall record and almost made it into my Top 10 multiple times last season. Country Day ended up being knocked out by D2 Reigning State Champs Detroit Edison in the playoffs, but this year, Country Day is looking to make a run to the Breslin Center.
DCDS is led by Sophomore Guard Cecelia Arico (Multiple D1 Offers including South Carolina), Junior Guard Jayla Jay Jackson (Multiple D1 Offers), Senior Ari’Yana Wiggins (Multiple D1 Offers) and Junior Naiya Krispin (Multiple D1 Offers). If DCDS can find a way to let all of their talent shine through team basketball, they will be one of the hardest teams in the state to beat.
Detroit Country Day’s most significant wins are over Dexter 69-52 and Clarkston 76-51.
9. Parma Western (6-1 – Division 2)
Parma Western didn’t have the season they were hoping for in 2023-2024, ending with an overall record of 15-10. This year, though, Parma Western is trying to prove a point and put themselves on the map and I’ve absolutely taken notice.
Parma Western is off to a 6-1 start this season with their lone loss being to #1 Ranked Belleville 72-56. The Panthers have been led by Junior Guard Raya Hitt and Senior Guard Bayli Stewart who both found themselves on the 2024 BCAM All-State Honorable Mention List. Hitt has already had multiple 20+ point performances this season and she even dropped 23 points and pulled down 8 rebounds in the loss to Belleville.
10. Goodrich (5-2 – Division 2)
Goodrich is looking to make it back to the Breslin for revenge this year after falling in the state semifinals two seasons ago and in the Elite 8 last season. The Martians graduated key starting Guard Alexis Kosmowski.
However, Goodrich also returns multiple key players from last season’s squad, led by Senior Guard Ella Place, Junior Guard Kayla Hairston (Northwood Commit) and Sophomore Guard Baylor Lauinger. Goodrich has started their season off with a tough schedule with losses by #2 Ranked FGR 59-54 and a loss to #25 Ranked Wayne Memorial 60-57. Goodrich will learn from the losses, and they also carry the experience they gained from their long-history of playoff runs, which can benefit them greatly this season.
The Martians most significant win is over D1 State Runner Up’s Grand Blanc 55-39.
11. Chelsea (6-0 – Division 2)
12. Kalamazoo Christian (6-0 – Division 3)
13. Grand Rapids West Catholic (6-1- Division 2)
14. Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (5-1 – Division 1)
15. Utica Ford (6-0 – Division 1)
16. Saline (6-0 – Division 1)
17. Saginaw Heritage (6-1 – Division 1)
18. Hartland (7-0 – Division 1)
19. Midland (6-1 – Division 1)
20. Negaunee (9-0 – Division 2)
21. Niles Brandywine (6-0 – Division 3)
22. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (6-0 – Division 3)
23. Grand Rapids Northview (7-1 – Division 1)
24. Pewamo-Westphalia (7-0 – Division 3)
25. Wayne Memorial (3-4 – Division 1)