GVSU's National Championship Lends Credence To A Longstanding Belief

I guess in the journalism world, you should file this article under the 'opinion' category. I've been covering and evaluating girls basketball in Michigan, and well beyond, for many years now. I've seen thousands of games, players and events at all levels. I have opinions that even I know are out in left field and I have other ones that I'll stand by through time.

There is one particular opinion that I've had for a while now. And I've stood by it and never backed off of it. That opinion is this: The state of Michigan is nothing short of a hot bed for girls basketball talent. Not a just better than usual or pretty good for the midwest type of thing. I believe that the state of Michigan is and has been 1 of the top states IN THE COUNTRY in regards to the quality and depth of the state's high school basketball players. 

What does Grand Valley State capturing the Division 2 National Championship have to do with that opinion? Quite a bit. GVSU repeatedly went on a national stage and proved that they're the best in the country. And they did it with a roster that has a heavy in state feel. Let's look at some numbers. The Lakers had 11 players that played in 38 or more of their 40 total games with 9 of those 111 coming from high schools in Michigan. Their top 5 players in terms of total minutes, average minutes per game, field goal percentage, points per game, steals and blocks were all players from Michigan. Were there key players from other states? For sure! But that is a heavy Michigan lean. And don't forget, with that heavy Michigan lean, they won a NATIONAL championship. 

Let's look at some of the highly influential players on the championship team that came straight from Michigan. Rylie Bisballe is a star senior forward from Lake City. She led the Lakers in minutes, points per game and rebounds per game. Mackenzie Bisballe is a freshman guard from Lake City that made an instant impact. She was second on the team averaging 10.3 ppg. Nichole Kamin is a redshirt junior that went from starring at Escanaba to being a state champion in Allendale. She was second on the team averaging 4.8 rebounds per game. Ellie Droste, the pride of Pewamo-Westphalia, was 3rd in total minutes played and shot 39% from behind the arc. Molly Anderson was a star at Cadillac and she was so steady for GVSU. Abrie Cabana, a senior straight from Grass Lake, showed she could score and distribute at a high level. She was 2nd on the team in assists and averaged 8.8 ppg. Avery Zeinstra came from Byron Center and the guard was 3rd on the team in steals. And there are more, but I think you see my point.

So where does all of this take us? Here's what I think. I think that the Grand Valley State University basketball team just sent a message to the rest of the country about basketball in Michigan. These young lady's don't fool around and are not to be messed with. GVSU showed that there are talented and gritty players in this state that can band together and compete against anyone in the country.

And the best part is, the talent in the state of Michigan isn't letting up any time soon. Let's look at the class of 2025. Isis-Musah Johnson will be heading to California. She's in my opinion, a top 100 prospect in the country. Anna Wypych, this season's Miss Basketball, will be off to Butler. Alli Zajac will be taking her state title to Ypsilanti and Eastern Michigan. How about this for GVSU - they're adding the likes of Anayya Davis, Avery Lay, Ava Mallar, Alice Max and Madi Uyl.

Want more evidence that the state is elite in talent and isn't going anywhere soon? Ok, the class of 2026. Lilly Williams is already committed to Michigan State. Kendyl Smith has committed to Central Michigan. Vanessa Rodriguez, Mariah Sain, Sadie Dykstra, Ava Rodriguez, Mariah Cross, Se'Crette Carter (a Marquette commit), are all top notch guard prospects. Let's roll back to the defending national champion Lakers again - They have commitments from Abby Sietsema and Rayah Hitt. 

And it doesn't stop there. The freshman and sophomores from this past season are on the same path. Sydney Savoury (2027) is giving off best ever conversation vibes. Cece Arico is nothing short of a national star. Paisley Stephens and Kenna Hunt were ELECTRIC freshman while fellow freshmam Lucy Young has looked like one of the top young post players in the midwest.

So on the simple side, GVSU are national champions. An amazing accomplishment in itself. But broken down, I feel like it has more positive ramifications. I feel like it goes a long way in verifying the belief that Michigan has been, is, and will be, home to an elite group of high school basketball players.