Fresh Start

Michael Sulaka strikes a defensive pose while playing in a game for Western Michigan University.

Michael Suluka leaves Western Michigan University and lands at Saginaw Valley State University

By Steve Stein

It was a big deal when Warren De La Salle High School basketball star Michael Sulaka decided a few years ago to continue his court career at Western Michigan University.

He became one of the few Chaldeans playing Division I basketball in college.

After red-shirting in the 2023-24 season and getting limited playing time the next two years while earning Academic All-Mid-American Conference honors twice, Sulaka has transferred to Saginaw Valley State University, a Division II program in Saginaw County.

New Western Michigan coach Kahil Fennell, who was hired in March to replace Dwayne Stephens, who was fired after compiling a 42-84 record in four seasons, and Sulaka met after Fennell arrived on campus.

That meeting changed the course of Sulaka’s life.

“Coach Fennell told me in a nice way that it was best for me to look for a new place to play,” Sulaka said.

So he did, and the 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward from Macomb is happy he’s a new Saginaw Valley Cardinal.

First of all, he knows the Saginaw Valley coach. Chris Fowler was an assistant coach at Western Michigan for three years before coming to Saginaw Valley prior to last season.

“I worked with Coach Fowler for two seasons. He’s a good coach, a very passionate coach, who is great with details,” Sulaka said.

Sulaka said Fowler helped him get an internship in the finance department at Garber Chevrolet in Saginaw. “My first ‘real’ job,” he said. “So much of my time has been taken up with basketball the last few years.”

Another plus for Sulaka at Saginaw Valley is former De La Salle teammate Triston Nichols is on the Cardinals’ roster.

Saginaw Valley went 13-15 overall and 7-13 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this past season in Fowler’s first year in charge. The Cardinals could use some help in improving those numbers, and Sulaka is ready to do that.

Sulaka is confident he’ll get a lot of time on the court at Saginaw Valley in his final three years of collegiate eligibility.

As for academics, Sulaka plans to remain a superstar in the classroom at Saginaw Valley. He had a 3.68 grade-point-average at Western Michigan and he intends to graduate from Saginaw Valley in May 2027 with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

Despite his early departure from Western Michigan, Sulaka said he has no regrets about his decision to go there.

“I’m not sad, although I’ll miss the people there,” he said. “I would have been satisfied to stay there as a backup on a good team, but that opportunity wasn’t offered by Coach Fennell.”

Sulaka played 47 games over two seasons for Western Michigan, with one start. That came against Kent State in the final game of the Broncos’ 2025-26 season. His average playing time was 9.5 minutes per game.

He averaged 2.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, shot 53% from the field and was 18-for-25 at the free throw line. He had 17 assists, 16 blocks, 10 steals and 14 turnovers.

Sulaka excelled on the court and academically at De La Salle.

He was a key member of Pilots teams that made it to the Division 1 Final Four when he was a sophomore and won the Division 1 state championship when he was a junior. He averaged 12 points and 12 rebounds a game in the state championship season.

Here’s another impressive De La Salle number: Sulaka, the son of Larry and Ann Sulaka, graduated from the academically excellent school with a 4.004 grade-point average.