Frankfort Panthers' basketball coaching staff bolstered by past stars Banktson, Kreski giving back

Nov. 24—FRANKFORT — Veteran girls basketball coach Tim Reznich will have a couple of true superstars on his bench for the Frankfort Panthers this coming season.

They don't have MHSAA eligibility remaining, but they should really help the Panthers. They've used up their college eligibility as well.

They are Lindsey (Pettit) Banktson, a 2008 graduate of Portland High School and All-State forward, and Presley (Hudson) Kreski, a 2014 product of Wayland High School and All-State guard. And, they are now serving as assistant coaches for Frankfort.

Bankston has been on Reznich's bench for 10 years, and Kreski is headed for her first at Frankfort. Kreski has been on women's basketball coaching staffs at Western Michigan University and Central Michigan University since her playing days.

"I have always felt very fortunate in my situation at Frankfort," Reznich said. "I have felt like we have always been able to provide our players with the resources and opportunities to excel at basketball — if that is what they wanted to do.

"When Lindsey came those resources increased, and now adding Presley to the mix just brings everything over the top," he continued. "Our players are already starting to realize it."

Kreski, who will be teaching health and physical education at Frankfort, and Banktson, now a physician assistant with Crystal Lake Clinic, are excited to work together and with Reznich as he begins his 22nd season at the helm of the Panthers.

"I've loved coaching with Rez the past 10 seasons and am just as excited for season number 11," said Bankston, who went on to play basketball and softball at Ferris State University. "Every year, the night before our first day of practice is always like Christmas Eve for me.

"I can't sleep and I can't wait for my alarm to go off to head to the gym to start our 2-a-days," she continued. "I am so grateful to coach with Rez and learn from him."

Kreske is also eager to work with Rez after getting involved with the Panthers in summer ball.

After Wayland, Kreski went on to an illustrious playing career at Central Michigan where she won the NCAA 3-point contest in 2019. She also played with the Seattle Storm of the WNBA before playing professionally overseas in Poland.

"I am really excited to be at Frankfort and helping the team out," Kreski said. "The girls work really hard and want to get better. Tim is a great coach, and I am looking forward to working with him and sharing my knowledge of the game as well as learning from him."

Frankfort is coming off a district championship in 2022 and a district title game loss to eventual Division 4 champion Glen Lake in 2023.

Reznich says the Panthers have already noted keys to success just by being around Kreski and Bankston. Reznich, who guided Frankfort to back-to-back Class D championships in 2005 and 2006, admits he may have softened up a bit on his players over the years. Conditioning will be a top priority this year.

"They (Kreski and Bankston) have the firsthand experience of the benefits of pushing yourself hard and not cutting corners," Reznich said. "Our players will be in the best shape of their lives when those two are finished with them."

And Banktson is happy to pass on her high school experience to the Panthers. She graduated in 2008 as the Lansing State Journal's "Female Prep Athlete of the Year" after shining in three sports and leading Portland to the season's final weekend in two.

"As a player, high school athletics taught me a lot about hard work and dedication," she said. "High school sports taught me that you have to put in the extra work if you want to be great. You have to be in the gym getting extra shots outside of practice. You have to be at the field getting extra reps on the weekends. If you work hard and give everything you've got to develop your game, you will be successful."

Kreski recalls fondly her high school days working hard and having fun with her friends and teammates, along with making deep runs in the tournament.

"High school sports is the truest form of competition," Kreski said. "It starts with a community who supports everyone from a young age and involves all the friends and family you grew up with. High school sports help guide young people into leaders, teaching them how to work hard and be disciplined."

Kreski led CMU to the Sweet 16 in her junior year. She is the all-time leading scorer at CMU (2,309 points) and career assist leader (643). Central won the Mid-American Conference three times during her days with the Chippewas. She married Gage Kreski after that chapter of her career was done.

Banktson met her husband Max Banktson at Ferris State, where he played football. They moved to Frankfort, where Max was born and raised. They have a 3-year-old son named Briggs and a 10-month-old daughter named Landyn.

Both Reznich and Banktson express respect and appreciation for their coaching together. They've been on the same page with game plans and scouting reports, and they expect it will continue with Kreski aboard.

"Rez and I really work well together," Bankston said. "He has always respected me as a player and coach and has given me so much autonomy with our teams. He is always open to my input when it comes to running certain drills in practice, putting in new offenses, or adding defensive schemes. He trusts me to handle our subbing during games."

Reznich agrees.

"I have always appreciated Lindsey's perspective on what the girls are doing on the court," he said. "It is going to be a lot of fun and exciting to add Presley's ideas. We have always treated the regular season as practice for the tournament, making adjustments and tweaking things. I can't wait to see the end product this year."

It doesn't take much to get her back in game mode.

"I can still remember the feeling of adrenaline getting ready in the locker room with my teammates, running out to our warmup music, and battling on the court each game," she said. "I am thankful for my teammates who, when on the court, were so unselfish. We just wanted to win."

She hopes to continue to instill greatness in the Panthers.

"I always tell the girls, 'We were tough' — not just physically but mentally," she said. "We had a type of swagger. We played like we knew the bullseyes were on our back, and every game we had to fight to stay at the top. We took pride in wearing that Portland Raider jersey. I just want to instill that same mental toughness and swagger into my girls here at Frankfort."

Having a pair of women who played now coaching and serving as mentors is beneficial on a personal level as well.

"I feel like I can relate to players on a personal level," Bankston said. "I always try to be a good role model for them and someone they can come to with anything. I'm their biggest cheerleader but also not afraid to hold them accountable and help steer them down the right paths of life."

And Banktson has learned how she might have coached herself.

"I would push myself to continue to work on my right hand because everyone in the gym knows I'm a lefty," she said with a smile.

The Panthers open the season with three straight road games at Onekama (Dec. 7), Cedarville (Dec. 9) and Glen Glen Lake (Dec. 14) before their home opener against Manistee on Dec. 19.