The 2024-25 boys basketball season has officially come and gone in Michigan.

We started the season with our preseason boys basketball rankings — of which seven teams are still in our rankings — and updated them throughout the season. It’s all led up to this.

With champions in tow and the season in a bow, we will rank the boy basketball teams from Macomb County one last time for 2024-25.

1. Lincoln Abes (23-4, Division 2 state champions, MAC Red champions)

The Abes were our top team in Macomb County from day one and never lost their grip.

Led by the senior starting lineup of Markus Blackwell, Moses Blackwell, Geon Hutchins, Da’Marion Bozeman and Chris Morgan, Lincoln won their last 15 games and conquered the best Division 2 had to offer on their way to winning a second-straight Division 2 state title.

Before that, they were battling through the MAC Red, where they went undefeated. They were tested — Chippewa Valley took them to overtime in a game which head coach Wydell Henry said was crucial in their growth — but they never faltered from being (and beating) the best Michigan has to offer.

2. Fitzgerald Spartans (20-3, MAC White champions)

Just because the Spartans’ season ended early doesn’t mean they didn’t have one heck of a campaign.

They bowed out in the first round of the most competitive district in Michigan, falling to Detroit PSL champion Renaissance, who then went on to lose to University of Detroit Jesuit in the next round.

Fitzgerald celebrates their 10-0 record in the MAC White, which included two wins over another top team in the county. Among their fantastic senior class is Cyrus Mpeba, who goes down as one of the best to do it in the blue and gold.

3. L’Anse Creuse North Crusaders (19-9, district and regional champions)

The Crusaders had a good if not somewhat underwhelming regular season. Then their postseason run showed us what their true potential was.

The squad led by head coach Kurt Wilson and starring his grandson, Julius, the Crusaders toppled their rival L’Anse Creuse Lancers followed by unbeaten MAC Gold champs Port Huron before beating the MAC Red runner-up Port Huron Northern Huskies in the district title game.

As if that wasn’t enough, they then beat perennial county powerhouses Chippewa Valley and De La Salle, both in thrilling games, to win their region.

It was a season to remember in Macomb.

4. Chippewa Valley Big Reds (18-7, district champions)

Despite finishing 5-5 in the MAC Red this season, the Big Reds never felt far from being the best team in the division. They proved that potential on Jan. 29 when they took Lincoln to overtime and lost by just three points.

Then they took down a resurgent Stevenson in districts before winning a thriller over Ford — another team on this list — in the title game. They just ran out of gas against L’Anse Creuse North.

The scary part is that the Big Reds will be returning a lot of talent from this year’s team next season.

5. Center Line Panthers (18-7, MAC Silver champions, district champions)

The legendary career of Terez Holmes is wrapped up in Center Line, and it came with plenty of accolades, both personal and team. After the Panthers went 26 years without even playing for a district title, the big man helped Derrick Walton Sr. and co. win in back-to-back years. That’s a legacy.

Not only that, but Center Line took care of business in the county this year, too, going 11-1 against Macomb County competition, losing only to Fitzgerald.

6. Henry Ford II Falcons (17-7, MAC Blue and district runner-up)

The Falcons were disappointed to fall in their district championship game to Chippewa Valley, but there’s certainly no reason for disappointment in Sterling Heights after the Falcons had one of the best seasons Ford has seen in a long time.

Their senior class, which includes Aaron Johnson, Eli Miller, Collin Caradang, Carston Sturm and Danny Eid, flipped the program from enduring a 17-game losing streak as freshmen to a 17-win season as seniors.

7. De La Salle Pilots (9-15, district champions)

Everyone involved with DLS will tell you that the regular season didn’t go how they wanted it to, but it certainly achieved one goal: it set them up for the postseason.

De La Salle defeated Roseville, Cousino and Troy Athens in the playoffs all by double-digits, which includes a 35-pointer against Athens. Their overtime loss to L’Anse Creuse North was a heartbreaker, ending the legendary career of Phoenix Glassnor, who leaves the historic program as the all-time leading scorer.

8. Parkway Christian Eagles (17-8, MIAC Red and district champions)

The Eagles lost a heartbreaker in the regional round to end their season, but it didn’t take away what they accomplished as a group.

A stellar senior class led by Nathaniel and Isaiah Harrison, Julian Montano and Tyler Powers helped get Parkway to 17 wins — their most in a season since 2016-17 — and their first league title in several years with a 10-2 record in the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Red.

Their district title win was icing on the cake for a strong season, even if it did end prematurely.

9. Dakota Cougars (14-10)

The Cougars never could quite recapture the juice that helped them get out to an 8-1 start, but the group led by Dekovan Thomas still looked like one of the better squads in Macomb County.

That strong start to the season included wins over Ford, Lake Orion and De La Salle along with taking down county rivals Stevenson, Anchor Bay, Eisenhower, Romeo and Michigan Collegiate for extra bragging rights. They ended up on the wrong side of a tough district that saw Port Huron Northern and L’Anse Creuse North battle for the title.

10. Cousino Patriots (15-8)

Cousino had an inverse-Dakota season and started a bit slowly, going 4-4 to begin the year but turned it on late, winning 8 of their last 11. Some of those early losses were to Fitzgerald, L’Anse Creuse North and Chippewa Valley, certainly setting them up well for later in the season. In fact, six of their eight losses were to teams on this list.

The future remains bright, too, with some of their top players — including first team all-county selection Nic Farr — coming back next season.