As another boys basketball season comes to a close for Leelanau County teams we celebrate the many accomplishments of Lake Leelanau St. Mary, Glen Lake, Leland and Suttons Bay.
The 2023-24 season had plenty of highlights, blowouts and closely contested games that made for a memorable season.
More than 10 local players received nominations with seven being selected for an Enterprise Dream Team that would compete with the best-ofbest of Leelanau boys basketball teams in county history.
The Leelanau Enterprise Dream Team was voted on by sports reporter Brian Freiberger and Leelanau coaches: Jason Bradford (Glen Lake), Matt Barnowski (St. Mary), Ryan DeFour (Leland) and Noah Phillips (Suttons Bay).
MVP:
Jacob Plamondon (Glen Lake)
Glen Lake sophomore Jacob Plamondon took huge strides in his sophomore season to be named Dream Team MVP thanks to his dominance on the basketball court.
He led Glen Lake in the middle all season long and provided an inside-out attack.
The biggest thing he is going to take with him from the 202324 season is to give it your all every practice and game.
“We lost by one game. We were one game away from going to Breslin, and we don’t want that to happen next year,” Plamondon said.
As a sophomore, the successes of future Laker basketball teams do sit on his shoulders, and moving into a leadership role is necessary. In the summer, Plamondon sharpens his skills by playing AAU travel basketball.
Some of his favorite moments of the season happened during the high school basketball showcase where he led Glen Lake in a dominant win over St. Francis when he had 31 points, two dunks, and two 3-pointers to go along with 17 rebounds.
“It’s probably the best game I’ve played,” Plamondon said.
His next favorite moment was beating his rival Frankfort twice in the regular season, and of course when it mattered most, in the district championship. His last favorite moment was winning regionals and making it to the quarterfinal.
Plamondon led all scores in the regional final with 23 points. In the district championship he had 18 points and 10 rebounds. He had another 31 point, 10 rebound game against Suttons Bay in late January. Plamondon averaged a double-double throughout the season with 19.8 points per game, 10.3 rebounds on a 58% field goal percentage. He shot 75% from the free throw line. He was a protector of the rim as Plamondon blocked 58 shots.
“He’s coachable and wants to improve in all aspects of the game,” Glen Lake boys basketball coach Jason Bradford said.
Benji Allen (Glen Lake)
The second Glen Laker to make the Dream Team is junior Benji Allen.
Allen is a guard in charge of getting the Lakers into its offense. Allen was also charged with guarding the opposing team’s best player.
“His athleticism is hard to match,” Bradford said.
Allen was the team’s second leading scorer, behind Plamondon.
In the regional final, Allen had the dunk of the year during a fast break that completely shattered Bellaire en route to the first regional championship since 2018. Allen averaged 11 points on the season along with 5.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He had a total of 89 assists on the season. In the district final game, Allen had 17 points to propel the Lakers to a district championship.
Cooper Bufalini (Glen Lake)
Another Glen Lake senior to make the Dream Team is senior Cooper Bufalini. Bufalini made his spot on the Dream Team while growing into his role down the stretch of the season. Bufalini finished with 16 points in a quarterfinal loss to private school Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart.
“(Bufalini) stepped up and we put him on guard,” coach Jason Bradford said.
Bufalini was third on the team averaging seven points per game while snagging 2.4 assists per game. He was a sharp shooter, and was second to Michael Houtteman on the team shooting 33% on the season. Bufalini had 11 points against Lake Leelanau St. Mary in the district semifinal.
Jerry Schaub (St. Mary)
Lake Leelanau St. Mary senior Jerry Schaub made his way onto the Dream Team for leading the Eagles all season long.
“(Schaub) was consistent this season with points on offense and tough defense was always solid,” Lake Leelanau St. Mary coach Barnowski said. “He’s always guarding the best player on the team ... (Schaub) had a great attitude and stuck with everything. He was a positive kid.”
Schaub left it all on the court during his last game in an Eagle basketball uniform with 19 points including back-to-backto- back 3-pointers in the waning moment to keep the game competitive.
Schaub was the leading scorer of the Eagles with a seasonhigh of 24 points against Suttons Bay in an overtime thriller.
The senior stepped up and knew he had to be the production for the Eagles as they a majority of its star power in 2022-23.
Finn Mankowski (Suttons Bay)
Suttons Bay senior Finn Mankowski earned his second straight Dream Team nomination for his play for the Norsemen all season long. Mankowski’s soccer skills translated well to the basketball court. In an overtime thriller win, Mankowski had 11 points. Mankowski led the Suttons Bay offense as a facilitator. In a game against Glen Lake, Mankowski had 19 points, five rebounds, and four blocks. He was named soccer MVP in the fall.
SIXTH-MAN OF THE YEAR Luke Bramer (St. Mary)
Lake Leelanau St. Mary junior Luke Bramer earned this year’s Enterprise Dream Team sixth player of the year for his unbelievably consistent performance for the Eagles all season long.
While playing against Leland in January, Bramer had a gamehigh of 17 points along with Schaub dropping 15 points.
“We played some real tough teams this year and its motivation for next year and the upcoming season to challenge ourselves and push ourselves,” Bramer said. “It’s going to be different without (the seniors). They play a big role this year.”
SPORTSMANSHIP PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sawyer Couturier and Jimmy Alpi (Leland) Leland seniors Sawyer Couturier and Jimmy Alpi earned the sportsmanship awards as nominated by the coaches. Both also had exceptional seasons on the court. Alpi was a senior captain and acknowledged by refs and coaches for helping opponents off the court. He was also instrumental in helping a special needs student have a great season.
HONORABLE MENTION
Grayson Opie (Suttons Bay)
Suttons Bay junior Grayson Opie received votes to be on the Dream Team for his athletic ability that was on display every. In an overtime win against St. Mary, Opie had 20 points. Night-in and night-out, Opie was counted on for doubledigit points and rebounds. In one game against Buckley, Opie had a monster stat line of 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 blocks.
Brady Keen (Leland)
Leland junior guard Brady Keen is known as a sharpshooter on the court earning him an honorable mention spot on the Dream Team.
Michael Houtteman (Glen Lake)
Glen Lake junior Michael Houtteman earned his spot on the Dream Team as another sharp shooter. Houtteman led the Lakers in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting at a 40% clip.
