VanderJagt gets to play at home as CMU plays rare game at Aquinas
Central Michigan guard Kyler VanderJagt had 18 points in a game against Aquinas College on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Kyler VanderJagt didn’t think he’d get to play in his home town again after he graduated from high school.
But the Northview grad got to play with his Central Michigan University basketball team at Aquinas College on Thursday night. VanderJagt had 18 points as the Chippewas won 93-69.
“It’s a blessing,” VanderJagt said. “It’s nice to be back home. I have a lot of family here. I can’t thank the coaches enough for bringing me back to Grand Rapids.”
It’s not unusual for Division I basketball programs to play Division II teams. But they rarely play D3 or NAIA programs. And they certainly don’t play those teams on the road.
Aquinas College coach Ryan Bertoia chats with senior Tommy Gregwer during a game against Central Michigan on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
Ryan Bertoia, the coach at Aquinas College, an NAIA team in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference, was just happy it worked out.
“One of their coaches, Coach Niz, we’re pretty good friends,” Bertoia said of Hassan Nizam. “We reached out to them to see if they’d want to play us. It’s normal for them to play some non-Division I teams. But something got messed up with their gym. They reached back out and said ‘we can’t play at our place, can we come to you?’”
VanderJagt, who was all-state at Northview High School, played his first two seasons at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. But transferred to CMU this summer.
“I love the coaching staff and I love the guys here,” he said. “It’s a family. We get along on and off the court.”
VanderJagt, who has started every game for the Chippewas (5-3), is averaging 12 points per game.
He said it was fun playing against Aquinas, since half the roster is from West Michigan.
“I’ve played against pretty much most of the roster,” VanderJagt said. “Menalito (McGee), Devon Boyd … I grew up with those guys. I played a lot of those guys in high school.”
Anthony Prichard also scored 18 for CMU. McGee, who graduated from Wyoming High, led Aquinas with 12 points, David Day had 11 and Jacob Howard 10.
Central Michigan guard Kyler VanderJagt had 18 points in a game against Aquinas College on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
