Traverse City Record-Eagle

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    HILLMAN VS LELAND
March 23, 2010

Ellsworth's Danbert makes all-state

WMC's Bruinsma is top player in D

MUSKEGON (AP) -- Muskegon Western Michigan Christian has produced talented guards and big men in its tradition-rich basketball history.

Warriors coach Jim Goorman thinks 6-7 senior Evan Bruinsma etched his place among the best at WMC.

"He's probably the most versatile player Western Michigan Christian has ever had," Goorman said. "And he might be the best player Western Michigan Christian has ever had."

There's no doubt Bruinsma raised his inside/outside game to a high level this season. His reward: Being named unanimously the Class D Player of the Year by an 11-member Associated Press All-State panel.

Bruinsma averaged 20.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3 assists. More importantly, he shot a sizzling 65 percent from all over the court. Bruinsma, who grew five inches between his sophomore and senior seasons, can hurt opponents inside. And he also can shoot the midrange jumper and 3-pointer.

"He's worked so hard to perfect his outside shot the last three years," said Goorman, whose 23-2 team meets Buckley Tuesday in the state quarterfinals. "He's probably the hardest working player in the state in Class D. He's so smart on the floor."

In addition, Bruinsma has scored more than 1,000 career points and played on WMC's last two state championship teams.

Bruinsma is joined on the honor squad by WMC teammate London Burris, an all-state repeater and the lone junior on this year's team. Burris averaged 17 points, 3.5 steals and 2.8 assists per game.

The other seniors selected are Ellsworth's Jared Danbert, Bark River-Harris' Brad Ives, Pickford's McKinley Portice, Bloomfield Hills Roeper's Ryan Zinser, Climax-Scotts' Beau Langs, Covert's Amere May Jr., Fulton-Middleton's Kyle Trefil and Lansing Christian's Mickey DeVries.

Danbert, an athletic 5-9 guard who can dunk, averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals. He also was an all-state football player.

Ives was MVP of two conferences and the top player on the U.P.'s best team. He averaged 19 points, 8 rebounds and shot 59 percent from the floor.

Portice is a four-year starter who finished as Pickford's all-time leading scorer with 1,616 points. He averaged 24.4 points, 15.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists.

Zinser proved to be a big-game player as he won four games at the buzzer for Roeper. The 5-7 point guard started four years and averaged 19.1 points and 7 assists this season.

Langs, an all-state repeater, helped the Panthers to an 82-11 record and a school-best 1,477 points during his four years as a starter. The 5-9 point guard averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 5.2 steals while making 79 3-pointers this season.

May Jr. was instant offense for the Bulldogs as he averaged 33.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.8 steals and 2.9 assists. He erupted for 51 points in one game.

Trefil was the best player on a 19-1 team. The steady 5-10 guard was good for 13.8 points, 3.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game.

DeVries averaged 19 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks while leading the Pilgrims to the regional championship game.

Fulton-Middleton's Todd Walden is the Class D Coach of the Year. He's in his second stint as the Pirates' coach and led them to a 19-1 record, including the school's first outright league title since 1978. Walden worked his magic despite not having a player taller than 6-2.

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