Michigan boys bball: D2 Sleeper teams with legitimate Breslin Center potential:

Fall leaves twirling to the ground means football season is winding down and Michigan high school basketball is ready to begin.

Defending D2 state champs Warren Lincoln returns four key members from last season's team, plus they added Northern Iowa commit Geon Hutchins from Oak Park.

MHSAA announced district assignments in June, and recently followed up with full brackets for each division. That means we know the road every team faces as they prepare for a Breslin Center trip in March.

Every section of the bracket has its favorites to advance, but what about the teams sliding under the radar?

Here is one team from each quadrant capable of surprising some people in the postseason:

Boyne City

The Ramblers are almost always competitive, and this year’s squad has a lot of size and talent. Drew Neer (5-10) and Jaden Alger (6-6) will be tasked with leading the way. Neer is a poised lead guard with a nice outside shot, who could be ready for a major breakout. Alger is a strong defender and rebounder, who seemed to have improved as a scorer this summer. Sophomore Ben Stanek (6-3) is a high-flier who looks like a future menace on offense. Brady Snyder (6-6) and Lukas VanZee (6-7) add height and strength in the paint. Boyne City won’t be outrebounded very often.

Paw Paw

The Red Wolves have one of the best junior classes in the state. Truman Brennan (5-10), Eli Sonnenberg (6-1), Aydn Roth (6-3) and Caden Bowen (6-2) are all potential next-level players who make up an elite backcourt group. They can shoot, drive and defend. Kaelin Tate (5-11) is a top-50 sophomore in the state as a clinical lead guard with great ball-handling and scoring abilities. Kentucky football commit Darrin Strey (6-7) adds a tall, physical presence in the paint. They will have a very tough road, but this well-coached and talented group could make some real noise over the next two years.

Lansing Sexton

For a team stacked with next-level backcourt talent, including D1 recruit Keyshawn Summerville (5-11), this team doesn’t get the hype one would expect. They are hardly in any showcases and rarely get talked about among the best D2 teams in the state. But any team led by Summerville, Mario Murray (5-10) and Markese Murray (5-10) should be considered a major threat in the postseason. Height and physicality are real concerns, but this elite backcourt could get hot at any time. Sophomore Xavier Parks (6-3) could be a major x-factor.

University Prep

University Prep might not enter the season with as much hype as the past couple years, but this is a talented, versatile roster. Point guard Dimaunye Smith-Powe (6-0) is a tremendous playmaker and ball-handler who can get to the basket and hit outside shots. He has D2 college offers, but that list should grow and they could become D1 offers with a good season. Maurice Jackson (6-4), Chris Byrd (6-4) and Ryan Neal (6-3) are all fast-rising wings who have put together high-scoring games and can guard multiple positions. UPrep will play another tough schedule, and their depth should help them gain confidence throughout the season. Just in time for the postseason.