SBLive's Michigan high school boys basketball Power 25 for the final week of the regular season (Feb. 27)

Warren Michigan Collegiate jumps into the top 10 while Grand Rapids Catholic Central falls

Matthew Scheidel | Feb 27, 2023

Brother Rice boys basketball defeats U of D to take Catholic League title

South Christian boys basketball dominates Catholic Central to snap its conference winning streak

Catholic Central boys hockey: undefeated and looking to repeat

1. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (20-1)

Last week’s ranking: 1

Next game: March 3 vs. Detroit Cass Tech

Ranking rationale: Brother Rice got the job done and won the Catholic League title. It has one massive test against Cass Tech before postseason play begins.

2. Detroit Cass Tech (21-0)

Last week’s ranking: 2

Next game: March 3 vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice

Ranking rationale: Cass Tech has been No. 2 behind Brother Rice for a while, but if it beats it this Friday, I’ll have no choice but to move it into the No. 1 spot.

3. North Farmington (17-1)

Last week’s ranking: 3

Next game: March 2 at Rochester Adams

Ranking rationale: North Farmington had its game against Ferndale canceled because of the ice storm that hit the state last week. That game would have decided the OAA Red title.

4. Grand Blanc (19-2)

Last week’s ranking: 4

Next game: March 2 at Flint Beecher

Ranking rationale: Now winners of 16 straight games, Grand Blanc looks to end the regular season with an exclamation point by defeating Flint Beecher.

5. Muskegon (19-2)

Last week’s ranking: 5

Next game: Feb. 28 vs. Kalamazoo Central

Ranking rationale: Muskegon wrapped up the OK Green conference title last week, and it is looking better by the day.

6. Detroit Loyola (20-1)

Last week’s ranking: 6

Next game: Feb. 28 at Pontiac

Ranking rationale: Loyola is also a conference champion, winning the Cardinal division of the Catholic League. It takes on a Pontiac team having a down year to close out the regular season.

7. Ann Arbor Huron (19-1)

Last week’s ranking: 8

Next game: Feb. 27 vs. Westland John Glenn

Ranking rationale: Huron moves up a spot ahead of its season finale against John Glenn.

8. Detroit U of D Jesuit (17-4)

Last week’s ranking: 7

Next game: March 2 vs. TBD

Ranking rationale: U of D Jesuit falls one spot after losing in the Catholic League title game to Brother Rice. It put up a valiant effort. Point guard Sonny Wilson had 31 points, but it just wasn’t enough.

9. Flint Beecher (16-3)

Last week’s ranking: 9

Next game: Feb. 28 at Goodrich

Ranking rationale: Beecher remains in the top 10 ahead of a big final week for it. It’ll look to finish the regular season strong.

10. Warren Michigan Collegiate (18-2)

Last week’s ranking: 11

Next game: Feb. 28 at Port Huron

Ranking rationale: Michigan Collegiate won the Charter School Conference tournament and moves into the top 10 as a result.

11. Onsted (16-4)

Last week’s ranking: 12

Next game: Feb. 28 vs. Flat Rock

Ranking rationale: Onsted moves up a spot ahead of the final week of the regular season.

12. Port Huron Northern (18-3)

Last week’s ranking: 13

Next game: March 2 vs. Marysville

Ranking rationale: Port Huron Northern way not have won the MAC, but it still had a great regular season. It should still be a force to be reckoned with in postseason play.

13. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (15-6)

Last week’s ranking: 10

Next game: March 2 at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep

Ranking rationale: Catholic Central lost a conference game for the first time since 2017 last Tuesday to South Christian. However, it still clinched a share of the OK Gold title.

14. Okemos (16-3)

Last week’s ranking: 14

Next game: Feb. 27 at East Lansing

Ranking rationale: Okemos stays put this week.

15. Grand Rapids Northview (17-4)

Last week’s ranking: 17

Next game: March 2 at Greenville

Ranking rationale: Northview appears to have figured things out. It has now five in a row and won the OK White after defeating Grand Rapids Christian.

16. Warren De La Salle Collegiate (13-8)

Last week’s ranking: 18

Next game: March 2 vs. TBD

Ranking rationale: De La Salle put up a good fight against U of D Jesuit in the Catholic League semifinals but couldn’t get it done. It has been getting the job done out of conference, however, so it’ll move up a couple of spots this week.

17. Taylor Trillium Academy (16-1)

Last week’s ranking: 15

Next game: Feb. 28 at Madison Heights Bishop Foley

Ranking rationale: Trillium lost its first game of the season to Adrian Lenawee Christian last week. It is current in the middle of a four-game road trip, where it will continue to be tested.

18. Romulus Summit Academy North (18-2)

Last week’s ranking: 19

Next game: Feb. 28 at Ypsilanti Lincoln

Ranking rationale: Summit Academy suffered its second loss of the season to Michigan Collegiate in the Charter School Conference championship game. It still moves up a spot in the Power 25, though.

19. Kalamazoo Central (18-2)

Last week’s ranking: 21

Next game: Feb. 28 at Muskegon

Ranking rationale: Central looks to finish the regular season with a massive win over a top five team in Muskegon.

20. Warren Lincoln (18-4)

Last week’s ranking: 24

Next game: March 8 vs. TBD

Ranking rationale: Warren Lincoln was crowned champions of the MAC last week, earning a four-spot bump in the Power 25.

21. Benton Harbor (14-7)

Last week’s ranking: 16

Next game: Feb. 28 at Coloma

Ranking rationale: Benton Harbor is collapsing at the worst possible time. It has lost five of six and is falling fast. It doesn’t have a lot of time to right the ship before districts.

22. Grandville Calvin Christian (19-1)

Last week’s ranking: 22

Next game: Feb. 28 vs. Kalamazoo Christian

Ranking rationale: Calvin Christian is simply riding the wave until districts at this point. It wrapped up the OK Silver title a couple of weeks ago, so it just needs to keep winning.

23. Grand Rapids Christian (15-5)

Last week’s ranking: 20

Next game: Feb. 28 vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central

Ranking rationale: Grand Rapids Christian lost to Northview in what ended up being the OK White championship game. It may have fallen three spots this week, but it’s still a good team that should find success in postseason play.

24. Grand Rapids South Christian (18-3)

Last week’s ranking: unranked

Next game: Feb. 28 vs. East Kentwood

Ranking rationale: South Christian enters the rankings after blowing out Catholic Central and later clinching a share of the OK Gold title. It is a team that thrives on defense and rebounding, and that should take it far in March.

25. Ferndale (12-7)

Last week’s ranking: 25

Next game: Feb. 28 at Detroit Edison

Ranking rationale: Ferndale claims the last spot in the Power 25 for another week.

Published Feb 27, 2023

MATTHEW SCHEIDEL

Matthew is a graduate of Oakland University. While there, he served as the Sports Editor for their student newspaper, The Oakland Post. Previously, he served as the Editor-in-Chief for The Collegiate, the student newspaper for Grand Rapids Community College. Matthew also has bylines in The Detroit News as a freelance sports reporter. He is also an editor at Motor City Bengals, a Detroit Tigers blog for FanSided.