Breslin Bound: Players to watch in Divisions III and IV Semis

The end of the long road is finally in sight for eight teams this Thursday. At the beginning of the month I gave you a list of players who would decide each of the four divisions. Going back to check my work. I didn't too bad. Especially in the lower levels. That makes this preview a bit of a challenge. As I have already covered the headlining players such as [player_tooltip player_id='1277369' first='Malik' last='Olafioye'], [player_tooltip player_id='987622' first='Robert' last='Lee'] and [player_tooltip player_id='985667' first='Wyatt' last='Nausadis'] extensively.   Consequently let's go a little deeper and look into some under the radar players that could make a name for themselves on the big stage.   Division III   [player_tooltip player_id='1223484' first='Keyonta' last='Menifield'] 5-8 2024 Flint Beecher Not a new “name” to anyone who follows basketball in Michigan. Nor the state of Washington for that matter. Older brother won a state championship with Beecher before finding a home in the PAC 12 with Washington. There are two things you can bank on in Thursday's opening contest. The forward duo of [player_tooltip player_id='987622' first='Robert' last='Lee'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1825082' first='Kevin' last='Tiggs'] Jr are going to bring it offensively for Beecher. On the side Ecorse will feature one of the better 1-2 backcourt punches on the weekend. [player_tooltip player_id='1277369' first='Malik' last='Olafioye'] and Kenneth Morrast Jr are really good. That's why Menifield will be important to watch. The diminutive point guard is lightning quick and has championship DNA. If he can help slow down the Ecorse backcourt. That could go a long way in helping Beecher raise is seventh state championship banner of the 21st century.   Drew Breimayer 6-5 2023 Traverse City St Francis The Gladiators will roll into the Breslin Center without really being tested in the tournament. While [player_tooltip player_id='985667' first='Wyatt' last='Nausadis'] deserves plenty of accolades. A two week run of dominance like this only comes from a true team effort. Breimayer is the Division III version of a “3 and D” player. Has always been a good shooter from beyond the arc. Has added the defensive component in his senior campaign. Was readily apparent against St Ignace. St Ignace featured shooting up and down their entire lineup. Breimayer used his length to both bother shooters and get into passing lanes. Offensively has size and ability to shoot over defenders. Has improved as a ball handler and penetrator this season. Good athlete who also notched two dunks against St Ignace. Including a late tip that showed good timing and elevation. Has an offer from the new program at Kuyper College in Grand Rapids. If he has a big weekend under the bright lights of the Breslin Center. Other small colleges could get involved. Long 6-5 shooting wings aren't falling out of the woodwork. Will need to improve burst and explosion if were to pursue the next level. But there is a nice skill set to work with already.   Nylan Goins 5-9 2026 Niles Brandywine And “a child shall lead them”. The famous biblical passage rings true with this Bradywine group. They are young across the board. However this point guard is one the emerging names in the class of 2026. Has shown he will not shrink from the moment in the Bobcats March run. Led his squad with 19 points in the quarterfinal win over an always good Pewamo Westphalia squad. As you can see from the profile directly above. He is going to have a lot of perimeter size thrown at him by St Francis. Perhaps more than he has ever seen in his young career. How he handles that will be a key factor in the outcome of Thursday's contest. From a small school on the Indiana border. Exposure will be important for this small guard. There is no greater stage for exposure than Breslin Center. He could really put a charge into his early recruiting reputation with a big game against the Gladiators.   Division IV   [player_tooltip player_id='1076044' first='Quentin' last='Hillaker'] 6-1 2023 Marine City Cardinal Mooney (pictured) You don't often see a team with 11 losses make it the semifinals. While those 11 losses came against a difficult schedule. This appearance is nonetheless a surprise. The Cardinals are a balanced unit that has also persevered through injuries. Hillaker first caught my eye during a fall exposure camp. There he showed good shooting and competitiveness. To go along with a sturdy frame. That shooting touch will be important on Thursday night. The Cardinals will take on defending state champion Tri Unity Christian. Tri Unity will feature their usual size along the front line. Hillaker strength and versatility might come in handy if he is needed down low as well.   Carter Kerby 5-11 2025 Frankfort Joining Cardinal Mooney in the Cinderella category is a Frankfort program that has been no stranger to deep March runs. To get back to this round they have notched two big upsets. First by downing defending semifinalist Lake Leelanau St Mary. Then following that up with a dramatic come from behind victory against a good Hillman squad. St Mary's featured one of the better backcourts in the entire division. Hillman featured an aggressive assortment of high pressure defensive looks. While it might not have been reflected in the scorebook. Those victories were keyed by the steady play of this young point guard. Already seems to have a good balance between scoring and distribution as a sophomore. Has a unusual release on his perimeter shot but it falls. Steady ball handler with good quickness. As the Hillman game showed. Doesn't appear to get rattled by pressure. That will be key for the Panthers to advance to another appearance in the final game.

The end of the long road is finally in sight for eight teams this Thursday. At the beginning of the month I gave you a list of players who would decide each of the four divisions. Going back to check my work. I didn't too bad. Especially in the lower levels. That makes this preview a bit of a challenge. As I have already covered the headlining players such as Malik Olafioye Malik Olafioye 6'2" | PG Ecorse | 2023 MI , Robert Lee Robert Lee 6'2" | SG Flint Beecher | 2023 State MI and Wyatt Nausadis Wyatt Nausadis 6'4" | PG Traverse City St. Francis | 2023 State MI extensively.