The Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan recognized the players and teams, all coming from the greater Ishpeming area.

Ishpeming and Westwood made it as teams, while the Hematites’ John Wheeler and Patriots’ Caden Balzarini and Ethan Marta earned individual recognition.

That Boys Academic All-State Individuals list was particularly hard to get on, as not did players have to be juniors or seniors, have to have a grade-point average reaching at least 3.50, but also must have been named an all-state player based on pure basketball accomplishments from either the BCAM Best, Michigan Sports Writers Organization, the Detroit Free Press or the Detroit News.

The Michigan Sports Writers is the follow-up to The Associated Press that for many years conducted its all-state recognition.

Ishpeming’s John Wheeler, center, leaps to shoot a layup between Manistique defenders Alex Bonneau, left, and Kavin Jackson during their high school boys basketball game played at the Hematites’ gym in Ishpeming on Feb. 23. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)

The Boys All-State Academic Teams were a bit more straightforward, just needing any team with an overall GPA of at 3.30, or earning Honorable Mention if it fell between 3.00 and 3.29 GPA.

A three area players are all seniors, the top GPA posted by Balzarini at 3.911. Wheeler was at 3.766 and Marta at 3.530.

Another nine Upper Peninsula players made the lists that showed just 117 boys statewide made the cut out of the thousands and thousands of players on varsity teams each year.

All but one of the nine was a senior, that being junior Baron Colbert of Dollar Bay turning in a 3.800 GPA.

Ontonagon’s Jack Nelson turned in a perfect 4.000 GPA, while Kingsford’s Jack Kriegl went even beyond that with a 4.063 GPA, likely with rigorous academic classes adding bonus points to grades.

Westwood’s Ethan Marta, center, looks for a lane to drive in against Ishpeming defender John Wheeler, right, during their high school boys basketball game played at the Patriots’ gym in Ishpeming on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Pickford had the next two best GPAs, Mac Collins at 3.900 and Gunner Bennin at 3.820.

Dollar Bay’s other two honorees were next, Caleb Kentala at 3.670 and Liam Tourtillott at 3.620, then Menominee’s Tanner Theuerkauf at 3.530 and teammate Darrent Butler at 3.510.

Both Ishpeming and Westwood played in Division 3 for boys basketball this past season, the Hematites compiling a team GPA of 3.5981 to rank a lofty 10th in the state in their division.

The Patriots were a not too shaky 3.4872 to earn the 20th spot in the D-3 rankings.

Nine other Upper Peninsula teams also earned Boys All-State Academic Team honors. Kingsford was the lone Division 2 school at 3.5350 to rank 23rd in their division.

In D-3, Menominee had the highest state ranking of any U.P. team, fourth, with a 3.6670 GPA, while Calumet was at 3.5153 to get the 17th spot.

Another half-dozen U.P. squads cracked the Division 4 list, led by Dollar Bay with a 3.5774 GPA to make it in 12th, with Pickford nipping at the Blue Bolts’ heels in 13th at 3.5509.

Mid Peninsula was 19th at 3.4934.

Three more made Honorable Mention — Rudyard at 3.2236 GPA, Engadine at 3.0812 and Bessemer at 3.0164.

Division 1 Mattawan had the highest GPA of any team in the state, 3.8902, with Petoskey second in D-1 at 3.8675.

D-2 was paced by Remus Chippewa HIlls at 3.8699, D-3 led by Pewamo-Westphalia at 3.8308 and D-4 with the standard set by Bloomfield Hills Roeper at 3.8810.

Story contents based on an examination of the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan website, bcam.org. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.