The Pontiac Pharaohs made The Basketball League’s Midwest Conference playoffs with the first game on Tuesday, May 28.

The team has a 14-7 record with two regular season games left and ranks third in the conference after the 18-4 Medora Timberjacks and 16-2 St. Louis Griffins.

The Pharaohs’ roster includes Coach Scott Newman, two Pontiac players, Khalil Gracey and CJ Wilson; six Detroiters: Dwight Burton, James Towns II, Kavon Bey, Trent Temple, Marcus Currington and Christian Littlejohn; Andre Johnson of New Baltimore; Tae’Veon Ruffin of Bellville; Jalen Sykes of Redford; and one Ohio player, Rozelle Nix of Cincinnati.

Among the league’s Top 10 performers are Towns, with 8.5 average assists per game and a free throw percentage and Nix, with a league-wide 2-point percentage of 68.8.

The team’s owner, Pontiac entrepreneur Chris Jackson, said he’s glad he could bring a pro team to his hometown. He founded the team in Lansing in 2022, took a year off in 2023 before transitioning to Pontiac this year.

“The bigger vision is for the Pontiac Pharaohs to become part of the fabric of the community,” he said. “Every business owner wants to make some money but I feel like what I’m doing with this team is adding to Pontiac’s economic development and workforce — hopefully providing a better quality of life for folks who want quality entertainment but don’t necessarily want to go all the way to Detroit to get it.”

The players have volunteered to read at area schools and with Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency for events, Jackson said.

The Pharaohs’ two final regular-season games were Friday, May 24, against the Medora Timberjacks and at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 25, against the Glass City Wranglers. Playoff games start Tuesday, May 28. For details, visit https://pontiacpharaohs.com.