Michigan boys bball: D4 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.

Division 4 could have some repeat teams return to the Breslin, as MP Sacred Heart and Tri-Unity still have terrific rosters. A group of other favorites await in the wings, making this a potentially exciting D4 season.

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:

Dollar Bay

The Blue Bolts have some semi-recent Breslin experience, but would always run into the Southfield Christian buzzsaw once there. With junior combo guard Liam Tourtillott (6-0) leading the way, this squad could get hot in March. Dollar Bay has a tough road - the U.P. always has a plethora of talented D4 teams - but this team will be hungry to make another trip down to East Lansing all the way from north of Houghton.

Concord

Down a division this year, Concord has a solid mix of height and quickness. Concord’s junior class has three intriguing players, led by forward Connor Stevens (6-5), who is lengthy and skilled around the basket. Jett Smith (5-8) runs the point and can also shoot from 3-point range. Gavin Riske (6-4) is a terrific shooter, who just needs to work on his foot speed. But he can also block shots on defense. Concord should be a tough out in the postseason.

Muskegon Catholic Central

After merging with Fruitport Calvary Christian, Muskegon CC picked up one of the best players in D4 and a rising guard. Bradley Richards (6-6) is a must-watch player who will likely put up some 30-point, 20-rebound games. Quinn Swanson (6-2) is another gifted player who took a big leap last year. If the players from two different schools can gel, this could be a dangerous postseason squad.

Detroit Douglass

It might be a stretch calling them a sleeper, as they easily have the most talented roster in D4. However, since winning the state championship in 2020, Douglass has been pretty quiet. This is also an extremely young team. Freshman Joshua Brooks (6-5) already has an offer from Butler. He’s the brother of former Mr. Basketball and current Butler star Pierre Brooks. Junior Dontay Burkes (6-7) is ready for a major breakout to showcase his D1 college upside. Sophomore guard trio Kamari Howard (6-2), Jacodi Nathan (5-6) and DeAnthony Murphy (5-10) all had great summers, with Howard in particular looking like a potential star. Freshman Brandon Warren (6-0) is another player who will vie for a starting spot.