What if: 269 All Star Game
- Chris Carpenter
- Feb 15
- 5 min read
A few weeks ago, I had a “what if” idea about putting together a Portage vs. Kalamazoo basketball game. That thought quickly turned into, “What would a 269 All-Star Game look like?” The more I thought about it, the more it felt like something cool to put on paper or in this case, “internet paper.” First, let’s break down the teams. With some help from other members of the TBM crew, I picked a handful of players from the 269 area code. There are a lot of great hoopers in 269! I’m sure we left out some talented players, but these are the guys who stood out most during the 2025–26 season so far. After selecting the players, I split them into two teams that I felt were balanced and would also be fun to watch.
Here’s how the teams look:
Team One Starters PG – Mitch Beyer The engine for the Vicksburg Bulldogs. Mitch is a smart basketball player with a super clean shot, especially from beyond the arc.
SG – Leland Berg A Hillsdale commit who can absolutely shoot the lights out. He also has a great feel for finding and attacking open lanes.
SF – Amari Lewis A skilled scorer with great length. He can beat you off the dribble or rise up and shoot over defenders.
PF – Davier White Skill and hustle all in one. A monster on the offensive glass — and he might have the best reactions when his teammates make big plays.
C – Jimmy Miller The future Wayne State Warrior stands every bit of 6'9", and he dominates under the basket. He’s also comfortable stepping out to the top of the key and knocking down shots.
Bench (AKA Starter 2.0)
Kardi Corbert A natural-born hooper with great ball-handling and a quick first step. He’s got a solid shot and keeps defenders guessing.
Demetrius Bennett He plays with a calm, smooth style, yet can switch gears and become quick and explosive. He is always looking to score so defenders have to stay disciplined and choose their approach carefully.
Truman Brennan Fearless when attacking the rim and excellent at finishing through contact. You can almost pencil in 20 points every night.
Quincy Blair This small town forward is a big time player. He is a double double threat every time he steps on the court.
Brayden Favors A 6'5" scoring machine who plays hard on defense. A strong, physical guard who should definitely be on college scouts’ radar.
Team Two Starters
PG – Ben Johnson The all-time leading scorer at Portage Central. A walking bucket from anywhere on the floor and super savvy on the defensive end.
SG – Zameir Clayton A sophomore with one of the nastiest jab-step-to-step-back combos you’ll see. He attacks the rim with speed and power.
SF – Quinton Swanson A 1,000-point scorer for the Huskies. A go-to player who makes the right plays on both ends of the floor.
PF – Sammy Prius If I had a vote, he’d be Defensive Player of the Year. He makes impact plays defensively and can score with the best of them.
C – Isaiah Theodile A flat-out beast. Oakland University is getting an outstanding rim runner. He can score, protect the paint, and he’s a great passer.
Bench (AKA Starter 2.0)
Donjae Gilmore-Slater One of the most fearless players I’ve watched. Not afraid of the big shot and welcomes the challenge of guarding the opposing team’s best player.
Ryder Gorham Helping put Mendon basketball back on the map. Now Mendon’s all-time leading scorer. An artist attacking the basket and getting to the free-throw line.
Hudson Merriman A high caliber athlete that makes the right play during fast breaks. You better know where he is whenever a shot goes up because he is always looking for put back scores.
Elijah Brooks One of the most well-rounded players on the list. Scores at all three levels and can guard all five positions.
Chib Amaezechi Is a good size player that is fun to watch. He loves disrupting the passing lane and isn’t afraid to attack the rim.
After organizing the teams, I started wondering who would actually win? So Here are my Thoughts
First Quarter – Feeling It Out (Team Two 32, Team One 28)
From the opening tip, Isaiah Theodile sets the tone, hammering home a lob from Ben Johnson just 20 seconds in. Johnson follows it up with back-to-back deep threes.
Team One answers quickly. Mitch Beyer drills a smooth transition three, and Amari Lewis shows off his length with a pull-up jumper over traffic. The highlight? Zameir Clayton hits a nasty jab-step, step-back triple over Leland Berg. The crowd erupts.
Second Quarter – Bench Mob Madness (Team One 67, Team Two 65)
Demetrius Bennett blows by two defenders for a vicious left-handed finish.
Moments later, Truman Brennan barrels through contact for an and-one.
Team Two responds with toughness:
Donjae Gilmore-Slater hits a clutch corner three.
Ryder Gorham slices through the lane for back-to-back free throws.
Elijah Brooks shows off versatility with a post fade, a transition dunk, and a chase down block.
At halftime, it’s a shootout.
Third Quarter – Stars Take Over (Team Two 101, Team One 98)
This is where it gets serious. Ben Johnson starts cooking. Step-back. Floater. Deep three. He’s up to 28 points. But Team One has answers. Jimmy Miller steps out to the top of the key and drains a three then follows it with a put-back slam.Davier White grabs three offensive boards in one possession, kicking it out to Leland Berg, who buries the triple. Defensively, Sammy Prius locks in stripping Amari Lewis and taking it coast-to-coast. Heading into the fourth quarter, Team Two leads by three.
Fourth Quarter – Down to the Wire
The pace stays high, but the defense tightens. Quincy Blair records a quick putback and a mid-range jumper double-double secured. Isaiah Theodile throws down a thunderous alley-oop. Brayden Favors muscles his way to the rim for an and-one.Zameir Clayton attacks the rim with speed and power for a huge bucket. With 1:12 left, the score is tied at 124.
Mitch Beyer comes off a high screen from Jimmy Miller. Defense collapses. Kick out to Leland Berg. Splash. 127–124 Team One. On the next possession, Ben Johnson tries to answer with a deep three it rims out. Davier White skies for the rebound and kicks ahead to Amari Lewis on the break. Lewis rises up over traffic… TWO-HAND SLAM. That seals it.
FINAL: Team One 129 – Team Two 124
Three-Point Contest
Winner: Leland Berg Berg isn’t afraid of clutch moments, and this contest would be no different. I’d bet he sweeps the money balls and doesn’t miss on the final rack.
Skills Challenge
Winner: Kardi Corbert He keeps the ball on a string during games, so navigating obstacles would be light work.
Dunk Contest
I honestly couldn’t pick a winner between Jimmy Miller and Isaiah Theodile. Both have had in-game moments that made you jump out of your seat. This would be must-see TV.
If this 269 All-Star Game ever became reality, it would be a show. High-level talent. Big-time matchups. And a whole lot of buckets.
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