Delta College men’s basketball coach Kyle Blackbourn, standing, welcomes Millington High basketball player Austin LeVan after LeVan signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Delta College. From left are: Ashten LeVan, Austin’s sister; Shane LeVan, Austin’s father and Millington varsity basketball coach; Austin LeVan; Maylynn LeVan, Austin’s mother; and Millington assistant basketball coach Chris Dipzinski.
By Mike Gallagher
Sports Writer
MILLINGTON — Shane LeVan had a pretty obvious philosophy during his time as head coach of the Millington Cardinals — score points.
“The kids want to have fun, and over the years I’ve realized the way to make the game the funnest is to get up the court and score points,” said LeVan, who retired this spring from his position as head coach for the boys varsity basketball team.
That philosophy had worked out for LeVan over the last six seasons as head coach for the Cardinals, as he compiled an 86-51 career record with one Tri-Valley Conference East Division title, two district championships, and the program’s first-ever regional title this season.
Austin LeVan takes a jump shot over a Frankenmuth defender.
One player who benefited from LeVan’s coaching style was his son, Austin.
After finishing his high-school playing career with Millington school records for most points (1,714), steals (249), and assists (329), Austin will take his talents to Delta College in the fall.
Austin LeVan is one of the area’s top players and has played varsity basketball for four years, earning first-team all-conference honors every season. During his senior season, LeVan earned Class C first-team all-state honors while averaging 23.8 points, 9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.6 steals per game.
For Austin, the road to Delta was a long and interesting one.
“It was a very fun and unique process,” Austin said. “My freshman year I was starting to get a lot of Division 2 looks, and then I started to get some looks from smaller Division 1 schools. My senior year I ended up with three Division 2 offers, but my dream is to play Division 1 basketball and I think that Delta will give me the best chance to do that.”
The elder LeVan says he had little to do with his son’s decision.
“I left it up to him,” Shane LeVan said. “In high school it’s up to me as the parent to guide him, but once he gets to college, it’s his choice. If I tell him to go somewhere and he doesn’t have succcess then I’m the bad guy.”
Austin is one of the best shooters in the area, connecting on 89% of his free throws, and displaying college range from the three-point line.
But what set him apart from most of the teams he faced this year was his jumping ability.
“Coming into my freshman year, I just wanted to dunk,” Austin LeVan said. “When I dunk it, it’s just the best feeling in the world. My freshman year I worked with track coach Mike Griesing, and I told him, I wanted to be able to dunk. Not many college basketball players can’t dunk.”
LeVan threw down his first dunk during his freshman year.
Austin had to deal with a bit of criticism like most kids playing for their dads, but he handled it.
“A lot of people were saying I shouldn’t be playing varsity (as a freshman), and even during my sophomore year people were still saying that kind of stuff,” Austin LeVan said. “I would just give them the ball and challenge them to one-on-one, and I would tell them if you can beat me you can have my spot. I just had to demand respect.”
Shane LeVan figured his son would encounter critics as a freshman.
“It was difficult his freshman year, which I knew it was going to be, dealing with the criticism, but I told him that I knew he could play, and that he would have to prove to everyone that he could play,” Shane LeVan said. “By far over the past four years I’ve been the hardest on him, because I didn’t want to give people the opportunity to say that he was only on the team because I was his dad.”
Austin averaged 16.3 points per game his freshman season, earning first-team all-conference honors.
Coach Shane LeVan hoists the District Championship trophy.
At Delta, Austin will play for second-year head coach Kyle Blackbourn.
“I love him, he’s a great guy,” Austin said. “He has done nothing but supported me, and shown me and my family love.”
Shane LeVan calls the Delta coaching staff “phenomenal.”
“When (Austin) was injured they still called him, and it seems like they will give him the best opportunity to play Division 1,” Shane LeVan said.
Blackbourn is excited about LeVan joining the program.
“Austin’s ability to shoot the ball, paired with his athleticism and vision to make any pass on the court, makes him a nightmare to guard,” said Blackbourn. “We will use him as a shooting guard in our program with the ability to come off screens and take the ball off the dribble to create for himself and his teammates. After getting to know Austin and his family, it was a no-brainer to make him a top priority. We are very pleased with his choice to attend Delta College and look forward to watching him grow through the program.”
For coach LeVan, the decision to retire was not an easy one.
“I’ve always said that I’d coach until Austin is done, and I couldn’t have asked for a better situation to leave on,” Shane LeVan said. “It didn’t hit me as much until I actually had to turn in the letter saying that I was stepping down. When I did that it really hit me. I’m going to miss the games, miss the kids, but I don’t want to miss Austin playing. I’m going to be at every game he plays in.”
One of the biggest moments for the LeVans was winning the first regional title in program history.
Austin hugs and shakes hands with Shane after winning the Regional title against Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary
“That was for sure my favorite moment as a coach,” Shane LeVan said. “When we lost the conference this year, I told the team the only way to make up for that is to win regionals.”
Millington knocked off Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary in the title game before falling to eventual state champion
Flint Beecher in the quarterfinal game. “The (quarterfinal) game was my favorite game of the season,” Austin said. “We had the crowd on our back the whole time, and even when we were down when we scored the crowd went crazy. They just showed us so much support.”
As the LeVans move on from the Millington program, they look back on what they’ve accomplished, and what they’ve done for the school.
“To be able to do what we did together is just amazing,” Shane LeVan said.