The Valentine name has been synonymous with success when it comes to Lansing area basketball, starting with former Michigan State star and longtime Lansing Sexton coach Carlton Valentine.
He was inducted into the Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame in 2025. Now a year later, Valentine’s sons, Drew and Denzel, will both be inducted as part of the 2026 class.
“When my dad got announced last year, they said there was going to be maybe some people in the building that would be a part of next year’s class,” Drew Valentine said. “I kind of thought it would be my brother, as it should be. When I was invited too, I was pretty taken aback, so that was pretty cool. I’m very fortunate and grateful for the people closest to me that set me up for success.”
The Valentine brothers played for their father at Sexton, where each developed into first team all-state players, with Denzel leading Sexton to three consecutive Class B state final appearances and back-to-back state championships in 2011 and 2012.
Drew went on to play four seasons for Greg Kampe at Oakland University and was the winningest player in program history at the time of his graduation. He helped lead the Golden Grizzlies to two Summit League titles and two NCAA tournament appearances before entering the coaching ranks.
“Once you earn trust as an offensive player, (Kampe) knew he could rely on you, whether it was to make plays, know the sets, execute and play with toughness,” Drew said. “He lets you play with a lot of freedom, and I think I try to do that with our players now, instilling that confidence and belief in yourself that you can make the next play.”
After his two state titles at Sexton, Denzel went on to play at Michigan State for Tom Izzo, who is also a member of this year’s Hall of Fame class. Denzel flourished as a Spartan, helping lead MSU to a Final Four appearance in 2015 and was named the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2016, when he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game.
“We’ve known Izzo all our life, and he’s been great to us and has helped myself and my family out a lot, and we’re forever grateful to him,” Denzel said. “His resume speaks for itself. And as far as my brother, he helped me become who I am. He always held me accountable and has been a great big brother, and I’m super honored to be nominated with two great men. It’ll be a special moment together.”
Denzel advanced to the pro ranks after his MSU career ended and was drafted 14th overall in the first round by the Chicago Bulls in the 2016 NBA draft. He played four seasons with the Bulls, putting together his best campaign in the 2017-2018 season, when he started 37 games and averaged 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.
Denzel spent the 2021-22 season between Cleveland, Utah and the Maine Celtics in the NBA G-League. He played the next year professionally in Australia and before moving on to Italy’s top professional league, where he will play this coming winter for the fourth straight season.
Yet with all the success Denzel has accumulated at the college and pro level, he still looks back and feels most accomplished in bringing two state titles to the Lansing area under his father’s tutelage.
“They hadn’t won in like 50, 60 years or something, so it was huge for the community and really cool that we were able to bring them together,” Denzel said. “Being the light in Lansing, with everything that goes on in Lansing and the public schools and everything, bringing some positivity was the best thing in my eyes.
“All the support we got and just the impact we made was truly an amazing feeling. Being able to do it with my dad and my best friends, Bryn Forbes and Anthony Clemmons, those are moments I’ll never forget.”
Meanwhile, Drew has made his mark in coaching. After his playing career ended at Oakland, he started out as a graduate assistant for two seasons for Izzo at MSU while Denzel was a player there. Drew then moved on to a two-year stint back at his alma mater as an assistant at Oakland and then to Loyola University Chicago.
During his four seasons as an assistant at Loyola, he helped lead the Ramblers to Sweet 16 and Final Four appearances. And when head coach Porter Moser left the Ramblers to take the coaching job at Oklahoma, Loyola decided to hire within and promoted Drew to head coach. He made his debut in the 2021-22 season as the youngest coach in Division 1 at 30 years old.
He is now entering his sixth season at the helm of the Ramblers and has a 92-75 record, including an Atlantic 10 regular-season title, an NCAA tournament appearance and multiple NIT showings.
Between his father, Kampe, and Izzo, Drew has taken advantage of the plethora of basketball coaching knowledge he’s been around.
“My dad was a shing example of coaching everybody the same way and demanding a high standard, and not only that, but playing with a lot of passion and encouraging his players to be expressive,” Drew said. “I think one of the best things that Coach Izzo and Coach Kampe do is being open, honest and transparent. I try to take from everybody the things that I really enjoyed, and I’ve been really lucky and fortunate to be around so many high-level coaches.”
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on X @Nathaniel_Bott
50th Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame celebration
When: 4:30 p.m., Aug. 20
Where: Lansing Center
Tickets: Call (517) 484-0677 or email everyb21@gmail.com for information.
2026 inductees: Dave Allen, John Holms, Tom Izzo, Debbie Kent, Cortney Scott, Denzel Valentine, Drew Valentine, 1999 Okemos softball
Sponsors: Dean Transportation, Shaheen Chevrolet/Cadillac, Dan Henry Distributing, One North Kitchen & Bar, ASAP Printing, Applegate Home Comfort, Magic Johnson Enterprises, Edward Jones Investments, Gregory Eaton Associates, Roland Carter Enterprise, The Bleacher Denizen
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Valentine brothers set to enter Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame together
Reporting by Nathaniel Bott, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Nathaniel Bott, Lansing State Journal | USA TODAY Network
