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Last season, the Marian University Ancilla Men's Basketball team posted a strong 23-9 record and finished the year just one game away from qualifying for the 20-team NJCAA Division II National Championships. Despite that success, the Chargers must now rebuild with several new faces joining the program, including their leadership at the top. Gone are former Head Coach Aaron Butcher, who took a high school position closer to his home, while impact players such as Jordan Woods (18.6p, 7.4r, 7.2a, 3.0s) and Jayden Sanders (12.9p, 7.9r, 42 3-pointers made) moved on to 4-year schools such as Davenport University (NCAA Division II) and Holy Cross College (NAIA), respectively. Starting guard Matt King (13.3p, 4.6r, 3.0a), another double-digit scorer from last year, transferred to South Suburban College (NJCAA Division I), and electric wing Dante Porch (11.9p, 5.2r) exhausted his 2-year eligibility. But that hasn't fazed new Head Coach Brian Foster, as he has been all-in attempting to maintain his program's status within the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) during preseason workouts and scrimmages. As outlined in his introductory article a few weeks ago [CLICK HERE], Foster brings a variety of experience, including having set records in a Charger uniform at one time.
Returning experience is limited to one player, but there are a handful of familiar faces who returned to campus this Fall. 6-1 Sophomore guard Kenneth Grant (9.2p, 2.3r) saw action in all but one game a season ago, and he knocked down a team-leading 81 3-pointers throughout the season. Grant earned Player of the Week honors after burying 11 3-pointers in 17 minutes played at Montcalm Community College on November 16th, on his way to a 33-point night. He also had games of 27 points, 21 points, and 20 points (2x), providing flashes of his scoring potential when he gets hot from outside. Look for him to possibly play an even bigger role in the offense this Winter. Other than Grant, three other returnees all logged major minutes on the 2024-2025 Charger Developmental team. They include 6-2 Sophomore guard Landon Swift, 6-5 Sophomore forward Sean Blue, and 6-0 Sophomore guard Jason Sanders Jr. Look for Swift and Sanders to potentially play key roles, especially early in the season.
With just four players in their second year at Marian Ancilla, that means the 15-player roster is comprised of 11 newcomers. Most notable of the bunch is 6-3 wing Avery Douglas, a Sophomore transfer from Harper College. During the 2023-2024 season, Douglas averaged 6.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in 16 games for the Hawks, and he looks to bring an all-around offensive game to the Chargers. 6-6 forward A'Marien Page, a Freshman from Liberty Christian High School, brings necessary size and athleticism to the frontcourt. Freshman point guard Cristian Webster will be a primary ball-handler for the Chargers, utilizing his speed and court awareness to give the team advantages in transition. The 5-11 playmaker comes to Plymouth from Southport High School in Indianapolis. 5-11 Freshman guard Shawn Donaldson should be a nice scoring option off the ball, as he can fill it up from outside or attack the basket. He is a 2025 graduate of George Westinghouse College Prep in Illinois, but as a Junior he attended Indiana's Whiting High School, where he averaged 20.5 points for the Oilers. Omari Evans is another Freshman who can knock down shots or handle the ball some for Marian Ancilla. The 6-1 guard is a graduate of Portage High School. 6-5 wing Kayden English is an athletic and versatile Freshman who flashes a great deal of potential to affect games. The Crispus Attucks graduate helped the Tigers to a Class 3A State Finals appearance last season. 6-3 Sophomore forward Michael Johnson Jr. comes to the Chargers from Bethel University, where he participated on the Reserve Team last season. He'll contribute strength, rebounding, and defense to the rotation. 6-0 guard Tristian Jackson and 6-4 forward Malachi Rosenthal will work for opportunities to contribute as well. Jackson is from Ponchatoula High School in Louisiana, while Rosenthal comes from Indianapolis' Lawrence Central High School. 5-9 Freshman Isiah Patterson and 6-2 Freshman Wilkinson Elma will sit out the 2025-2026 season as medical redshirts. Patterson graduated from Evansville's Central High School; Elma is a graduate of Mooresville High School near Indianapolis.
Coach Foster is anxious to get the season rolling, and he shared a few thoughts heading into their first week of the season. "With several newcomers, we have a lot of inexperience when it comes to college basketball. Helping them come together and understand the speed & size of the game at this level will be our priority early in the season as they naturally adapt." He continues, "I do think we can surprise some people, showing our ability to play hard and work together as a cohesive unit." Coach Foster finishes by adding, "lastly, our expectations are to grow throughout the year, while still fighting to compete for a spot in the NJCAA Region 12 postseason tournament."
The Chargers begin the season tomorrow at 2:00p, when they host Mid Michigan College at Charger Arena at the LifePlex in Plymouth, Indiana. The Lakers will come in ranked #17 in the country in the preseason NJCAA Division II poll, while the Chargers are among several teams receiving votes. Please come out and support these young men this season, when you are able!!
