- Michigan
Burney’s Top 25 Michigan boys basketball state champions of the STATE CHAMPS! era (2003-2019)
1 Lansing Sexton 2012 (Class B) — NBA guards Denzel Valentine (Michigan State) and Bryn Forbes (Michigan State-Cleveland State) made up one of the greatest backcourts in MHSAA history.
2 Detroit Renaissance 2004 (Class B) — Talk about firepower: Joe Crawford (Kentucky), Malik Hairston (Oregon), Marcus Stout (Fordham), Tajuan Porter (Oregon) … any questions?
3 U-D Jesuit 2016 (Class A) — Cassius Winston (Michigan State) solidified his legacy as maybe the greatest prepster the Catholic League ever produced.
4 Saginaw 2008 (Class A) — Draymond Green (Michigan State/NBA All-Star) with the repeat, the legend of Day-Day is cemented.
5 Lansing Sexton 2011 (Class B) — Denzel and Bryn Pt. 1.
6 Romulus 2013 (Class A) — Future Alabama head coach Nate Oats finally reached the mountain top. Could be the grittiest team of the SC Era.
7 Birmingham Detroit Country Day 2010 (Class B) — Ray McCallum Jr. (U-D Mercy/NBA) and Amir Williams (Ohio State), a pair of McDonald’s All-Americans, made up one of the most formidable inside-outside tandems in MHSAA history.
8 Saginaw 2007 (Class A)— The legend of Day-Day is born!
9 Clarkston 2018 (Class A) — Foster Loyer (Michigan State) penciled his name into the MHSAA point guard Mt. Rushmore.
10 Detroit Pershing 2009 (Class A) — Not one, but two Mr. Basketballs on this squad — Keith Appling (Michigan State) and Derrick Nix (Michigan State) — made the Doughboys quite dangerous.
11 Muskegon 2014 (Class A)— Not one, but two Mr. Basketballs on this squad — Deshuan Thrower (Stoney Brook-Ferris State) and Deyonta Davis (Michigan State/NBA) — made this Big Reds club SUPERBAD.
12 Clarkston 2017 (Class A)— Legendary coach Dan Fife finally did it and got hoops-crazy C-Town that elusive crown.
13 Ypsilanti Lincoln 2019 (Class A) — Two words: Emoni. Bates.
14 Grand Rapids Christian 2003 (Class A) — Kirk Walters (Arizona) delivered one of the all-time great efforts in state finals history, posting 30 points and 20 rebounds (10 of 11 from the field).
15 Detroit dePorres 2003 (Class C) — The last hurrah for the illustrious dePorres program, as Brandon Cotton (Michigan State-U-D Mercy) was just a beast out of the backcourt
16 Flint Beecher 2013 (Class C) — Two words: Monte. Morris. (Iowa State/NBA)
17 Detroit Consortium 2014 (Class C) — The swan song for future NBA Lottery pick Josh Jackson (Kansas), before leaving for prep school.
18 New Haven 2017 (Class B) — Romeo Weems (DePaul) and Eric Williams (Oregon-Duquesne) were a downright dynamic duo in so many ways.
19 Lansing Everett 2004 (Class A) — Derrick Nelson (Oakland) and Goran Suton (Michigan State) were pure Lansing lightning.
20 Birmingham Detroit Country Day 2013 (Class B) — The ’13 state tourney was the coming out party for Edmond Sumner (Xavier/NBA)
21 Kalamazoo Central 2010 (Class A) — The first of back-to-back championships for Team Thomas and the K-Zoo cage crazies
22 Southfield Christian 2018 (Class D) — Possibly the No. 1 small-school club the state has ever seen: Harlond Beverly (Miami FL), Bryce Washington (Penn), Caleb Hunter (Mississippi Valley State, Bubba Humphrey (Holy Cross)
23 Grand Rapids Christian 2005 (Class A) — Mr. Basketball David Kool (Western Michigan) capped one of the greatest individual tourney runs in MHSAA history and scooped a second ring
24 Benton Harbor 2018 (Class B) — One word: SCOOBY!!
25 (tie) Detroit Western 2015 (Class A) — Quietly penciled itself into the pantheon of priceless PSL hoop crews.
25 (tie) 2005 Detroit Rogers (Class D) — This small school powerhouse “three peated” with a club stocked to the brim with ballers. The Rangers might have been the N0. 1 overall team in the whole state that year regardless of school size. Four players off the ‘05 squad played at the DI level in college: Perryman (Ball St.), Darryl Clements (Bowling Green), Brandon Bryant (Weber St.) and Eric Evans (Duquesne). Evans nailed the game-winning 3-pointer in the state finals.
