The distinctive characteristics of the most successful Mott Community College men’s basketball teams in program history aren’t difficult to spot: they’ve featured tough, physical, athletic players being tough, physical, and athletic. And two local players who are incoming recruits for the 2026-27 season showed why they fit that mold on their future home court during the annual Bruin Club Classic high school all-star game on April 16.
Carman-Ainsworth senior Kendreyas White led all scorers with 29 points, including several dunks and athletic plays around the rim and blocked shots on defense.
Flushing senior Ray Neither scored 11 points, but it’s the defensive end of the court where he really shined. Neither set a tone with his intensity, even drawing a charge – a rare sight during any all-star game – and dove all over the floor making hustle plays and keeping possessions alive.
In short, both looked like Mott Bears while playing in front of their future coach, Steve Schmidt.
“My teams I’ve had at Mott were the teams that could really defend and they were really athletic,” Schmidt said. “And Kendreyas and Ray really fit that mold of our championship teams.”
At Carman-Ainsworth this season, White, a 6-foot-6 guard-forward, averaged 15.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1 block per game while shooting nearly 60 percent overall. He was named to the All-Saginaw Valley League South First Team and helped lead the Cavaliers to the state semifinals at the Breslin Center during his junior season.
“Kendreyas has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the game of basketball and to the continuous improvement of himself and his team,” said coach Jay Witham, noting that White stepped into a leadership role on a young team this season after several key contributors last year graduated. “His work ethic, leadership, and competitive drive set the standard for our program each day. He is not only our most versatile scorer but also our best ball-handler, creating opportunities for himself and his teammates. He scored in double figures in 19 of 23 games, demonstrating both consistency and reliability under pressure in a grueling schedule.”
White is excited to continue his basketball career close to home, and enjoyed being able to show his full repertoire in Ballenger Fieldhouse and being in that environment at Mott regularly next season.
“It was a great experience (playing in the Bruin Classic),” White said, noting that he’s looking forward to, “playing at a high level, the crowd, and huge games.”
White’s scoring stands out, but it was his all-around game that drew Schmidt to him.
“Kendreyas had a ton of points (in the Bruin Club Classic), but he was well over 10 boards too,” Schmidt said. “And I like the way he handles the ball.”
White and Neither were on opposite teams in the Bruin Club Classic, and were at times matched up against each other.
“Kendreyas is a good basketball player,” Neither said. “He’s a dog. He’s strong. It was just fun going against him and guarding him.”
Neither was a talented and versatile player for Flushing this season, averaging 15.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while helping lead the Raiders to a Flint Metro League Stripes Division championship with a perfect 10-0 conference record. He was an All-Metro League First Team selection and honorable mention All-State selection by the Detroit Free Press and the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan (BCAM).
But beyond his basketball talent, his coach highlighted his personality and who he is as a teammate as key attributes.
“The first thing Mott fans need to understand is that they are getting a great person,” said Flushing coach Tyler Szczepanski. “Ray has an infectious smile and personality that I hope Mott fans will come to appreciate. As a player, Ray will give great effort on both ends of the floor. He has a great first step and a strong ability to finish at the rim. At Flushing, each game he was tasked with shutting down the opposing team’s best player. I’m sure he’ll continue his high level of play on offense and defense at the next level.”
Neither connected with Schmidt during his visit with Mott, and felt the program was a good fit for the style of basketball he likes to play.
“I’m just ready to work,” Neither said. “I bring physicality and like playing physical out there. I’m gonna make sure everybody’s working.”
White and Neither are just two commitments in the recruiting class Schmidt is putting together, but he sees both as players who can help Mott once again compete for a chance to go to the national tournament, something that gets more difficult each year as the community college basketball landscape in Michigan has become one of the most competitive in the country.
“I’m looking for a certain fit and for guys that play with passion and aren’t afraid to defend, and they both check those boxes,” Schmidt said. “They’re both the kind of players Mott had when we were really rolling, and I plan on getting back to rolling again. That’s why those guys kind of caught my eye. They have great family support, they’re local. And people have always been supportive of our program since I’ve been here, but now I think we’re gonna have even more support when they see what we’re putting together.”
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