Notebook: Ferris State’s Ethan Erickson second in nation in 3-pointers

Ferris State sophomore Ethan Erickson shoots a 3-pointer over Grand Valley State’s Jalen Charity and Luke Toliver on Dec. 1, 2022. Erickson is second in the nation in threes made. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

Notes for the week of Jan. 2, 2023. Check back daily as this will be updated as news occurs.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Ethan Erickson has always been one of the best shooters in West Michigan. 

Now the Ferris State University sophomore is one of the best in the country.

Erickson is second in NCAA Division II in most 3-pointers made this season with 51 in 14 games. He’s also has the second in highest 3-point percentage at 54.26 percent. That’s 51 of 94 makes. As of Jan. 2, Sioux Falls Matt Cartwright leads Division II with 53 3-pointers.

“I didn’t now that,” Erickson said of his Division II ranking. “It’s pretty cool. I just have to keep it up because teams scout me and face guard me.”

Erickson, who graduated from Forest Hills Northern High School, doesn’t start for the Bulldogs (10-4), but he averages 13.2 points per game off the bench. He was named GLIAC Player of the Week in December.

“With our rotation, we get a lot of guys in,” Erickson said. “That’s how Coach (Andy Bronkema) likes to run it. The player I’m behind (Solomon Oraegbu) is having a great season, too.”

Erickson has had five games with at least five 3-pointers made.

He said he had just one personal goal going into this season.

“One of my goals this year, I wanted to lead the GLIAC in 3-point percentage,” he said. “Because I didn’t know how many minutes I’d get. I thought If I make maybe 45 percent of my threes, that would be good.”

He’s accomplished that. He leads the GLIAC in threes made and percentage.

CATHOLIC CENTRAL: Senior Kaden Brown became the all-time leading scorer in school history on Tuesday night. He scored 18 points in a win over East Grand Rapids. “Wouldn’t be where I am without my support system,” Brown said on Twitter after the game. Brown, who has committed to play at Wright State, surpassed Javon Turley, who had 1,162 career points for the Cougars between 2003-08. Brown is averaging 25 points per game this season.

CATHOLIC CENTRAL: University of Southern Indiana senior Jacob Polokavich was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week. The 6-foot-9 forward is a graduate of Grand Rapids Catholic Central. Polokovich had 27 points and a stunning 26 rebounds in a win over Southeast Missouri State University. The 26 boards was one short of the school record.

FERRIS STATE: The Bulldogs will honor former coach Bill Sall and the teams he coached during a ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 7. Sall is the current men’s basketball coach at Calvin University. “"Coach Sall and his family invested so much time into our program and I personally will be forever grateful to him for giving me a chance to get into coaching," Ferris coach Andy Bronkema said in a press release. "He has truly changed all our lives, which is the main role of a coach. It has been my pleasure over the past 10 years as head coach to build a relationship with alumni and none of that would be possible without Coach Sall.

HOLLAND CHRISTIAN: Kyle Cannon had a career-high 32 points as Holland Christian beat Covenant Christian 57-52 on Tuesday. The senior shooting guard had missed the team’s previous two games due to an injury. "It was a good win for the Maroons," Holland Christian coach Brad Jansen told the Holland Sentinel. "Nice to have Kyle back from injury."

WEST CATHOLIC: Junior Jeremiah Jones scored 30 points in his first game of the season. Unity Christian beat the Falcons 57-53 on Friday. Jones transferred from Grand Rapids Christian, where he played on JV last year.

ZEELAND WEST: Junior Merritt Alderink had an unofficial visit to Loyola Chicago on Sunday, Jan. 1. He already has offers from Toledo, Oakland, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Grand Valley.

RECRUITING: Coaches from at least four colleges were on hand to see Byron Center play at South Christian on Tuesday. Hope College, Olivet College, Grand Valley State and Aquinas College.