Around the OAA.

This is a blog that is devoted to the OAA. We cover 23 schools from Oakland County to Wayne County. From Oxford to Harper Woods. This blog will give insight and projections around the OAA.

Sunday, December 4, 2022

Girls Basketball Thoughts.

Written Sunday December 4th at 10:20 AM

Here are my thoughts of each team coming into the week. I will do this weekly with both girls and boys basketball so without further a do here they are.

Oak Park: The Knights are coming off a blowout loss to Detroit University Prep on Tuesday. Oak Park still has some concerns regarding scoring and defense. They really struggled last season and it looks like they have not addressed those issues. There are some concerns with this team.

Ferndale: I can’t really judge the Eagles since they haven’t played a game yet.

Pontiac: The Phoenix scoring nine points against Pontiac Notre Dame Prep is a cause of serious concern and with a really tough non conference schedule looming which includes Lake Orion and Troy Athens that could be pretty challenging for Coach Rawelle Marshall. Pontiac has going through a really tough stretch right now.

Ferndale University: The Eagles did not look very good on Tuesday against Hazel Park only scoring 14 points. That is a serious concern for Coach Brianna Rowe. They have two games looming this week that they need to bounce back. If Ferndale University plays like they did against Hazel Park then they could be in some trouble. The Eagles need to get back on track and quick.

Avondale: The Yellow Jackets are in a ton of trouble right now. I watched the film and they had six girls in their opening game loss to Warren Mott then they ran into Riley Abney and Ortonville Brandon and fell by 18 points. Avondale really needs to address some issues defensively if they want to get things back on track.

Farmington: The Falcons have been very competitive lately and that’s a good sign. They held Waterford Mott to five points in the second half on Friday which is a great sign. Yasmine Thorpe is off to a very strong start for Farmington. Thorpe has averaged 17.5 points per game in their two games thus far. The Falcons need more from Carissa Hankins, she has averaged eight points per game in the last two games. There are a ton of positives for Farmington and Coach Laura Guzman and that’s a good sign going forward.

Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks didn’t look great for three quarters in their game on Friday but the 19 point fourth quarter and fight Bloomfield Hills showed in their one point loss to Seaholm proves that this is a much different Blackhawks squad. Ashley Forner and Ruby Smith are much better than last season. There is a reason why Bloomfield Hills is favored in the Blue and the Blackhawks showed it. Coach Kristen Massey’s team is fine, no reason to panic.

Adams: The Highlanders might be better than I thought. They had a really good win over Lapeer and was a steal away from winning over Lakeland. Morgan McPherson has really taking on a leadership role. She has been playing really well for Coach Joe Malburg. Samantha Blaine has also played very well as well. Adams will rely on their defense which has been really good. The schedule will get tough for the Highlanders with two city rivals looming this week.

Troy Athens: The Red Hawks are a much improved team from last season where they won six games. Skylar Emerson is a completely different player and is more comfortable at point guard. She was very impressive in their win over Walled Lake Western and was huge against Farmington and Royal Oak Shrine. Emerson had 21 points in their win over Farmington. Rebech Delia and Abby Malone have also shown significant improvement as well. Ellie Musko has had moments of greatness, she had 14 points against Royal Oak Shrine. Alex Link has also been solid for Coach Stacie Klumpp. Troy Athens has played very well in their three games. The schedule will get tough for the Red Hawks when they have arch rival Troy looming this week. Troy Athens is in a very good spot right now.

Harper Woods: I can’t really judge the Pioneers since they haven’t played a game yet.

Seaholm: The Maples are really lucky they are not 0-2 right now. Seaholm almost blew a 15 point lead against Bloomfield Hills and was blown out by Stoney Creek. The last two games are not a good sign with Groves, Clarkston, and Saline still on the non conference schedule. On the bright side Addy Flynn is off to a nice start for Coach Chris Manchester averaging 15 points per game. Seaholm can fix this but the danger signs are clearly there.

Royal Oak: The Ravens are better than what I expected. I really like how Royal Oak plays basketball. Lucy Freytag is a solid player along with Anna Waterstedt and Emily Walden. Lydia Dickens is a star in the making, she can shoot the three well and is a very good rebounder. Also the Ravens are back to playing their traditional defensive principals. The Walled Lake Northern loss ended up being a good loss for Coach Brian Sopota and his team. I think Royal Oak could make some serious noise in the White.

Berkley: The Bears have me very concerned. The Utica Eisenhower loss was okay but the Royal Oak Shrine loss has me worried going forward. Mya Jones didn’t play against Royal Oak Shrine but they have other players whom can pick it up. Berkley if they can’t get things together then they could be in trouble but a long break should help them going forward and to get some confidence back in the team.

North Farmington: The Raiders are off to a good start with two wins over Southfield Arts and Tech and Walled Lake Central. Sela Lefler and Penelope Creary are the big reason for the 2-0 start. Lefler had 19 points against Southfield Arts and Tech and 25 against Walled Lake Central. She has averaged 22 points per game. Creary had 14 points against Southfield Arts and Tech and 12 points against Walled Lake Central and has averaged 13 points per game. North Farmington needs third and fourth scoring which really concerns me with Coach Jeff Simpson’s team. It is really hard to rely on Lefler and Creary night in and night out, Simpson needs that third and fourth scorer to stand out if the Raiders want to make some noise this season.

Oxford: The Wildcats had a very emotional week. They lost a tough one to Lake Orion then earned a big win over Lapeer but the statement they sent to the State when they went into Birmingham Marian and Mary Cicerone Court to stun the Mustangs by 11 points that says a lot. Myranda Wyniemko has been playing outstanding. Nevaeh Wood and Sophia Raab have had their moments as has Peyton Ritcher but the play of Allison Hufstedler has been the key for Coach Rachel Bryer. She has played very consistent and has been the glue of the team. Oxford has North Branch looming this week. The Wildcats are a serious player in the White and also in their district which has Grand Blanc, Lapeer, and Davison.

Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors have been struggling defensively which is a big concern. In their two losses to North Farmington and Wixom St. Catherine Sienna Academy they have allowed 54 points per game. This is an area that Coach Shaquita Coltrane needs to address. Jaylin Austin has been playing well for Southfield Arts and Tech. The Warriors have Romulus looming this week, it should be winnable for them. It will be interesting to see where Southfield Arts and Tech goes but the defense needs to be fixed.

Troy: The Colts are a very young team where they rely a ton of freshman and sophomores but they have two good wins over Waterford Kettering and Holly. Troy has a very good freshman in Diamond Prince. Prince is a solid dribble driver and good three point shooter. She has averaged 16 points per game in her three games this season. Reagan Zeiter is a very good proven shooter along with Charlotte Guillion one of their three seniors. It is going to be a long year Troy but the future is bright especially with the classes coming into the program in the middle school levels.

Groves: The Falcons had everything in place to get their first win of the season in Novi on Friday night then a 15-1 run hit in the fourth quarter and Groves fell 41-35 to the Wildcats. There are some concerns to watch for Coach Allison Hidey and her program. This week is a big week for the program if they want to turn things around.

Stoney Creek: The Cougars have been quietly going along with their business. Sarah LaPrarie, Mia Carson, and Erin Flynn have been as good as advertised but I’ve been really impressed with Lily Solek. Her size makes up for a lot of the lack of height for Coach Kellen James. Solek played well in their win over South Lyon. Merrick Schwalbach has been playing very good off the bench and Kelsi Butcher has been solid as well. There is a lot to like about “Team Finebaum.” They have some really tricky but manageable games looming this week. If Stoney Creek can keep building on their depth then look out.

Clarkston: Elli Roback looks to be the real deal for the Wolves. She can dribble drive and shoot the three on a consistent basis. Roback has averaged 16 points per game in their two wins over Novi and Saginaw Heritage. Ava Hernandez has played very well in her first full season fully healthy. Kierra Tolmie, Emily Velicina, and Claire Walker have had moments. We will know more about Clarkston when they play Macomb Dakota and Chelsea is a very tricky game as well. The Wolves are rolling on all cylinders.

Rochester: Well besides the turnover and mistake prone disaster against Farmington Hills Mercy the Falcons got themselves back on track against Milford winning 33-18. Rochester relies on Alice Max and Kiley Robinson in games a bit too much which is a concern. They haven’t scored over 35 which is a concern but the defense looks very good where they are allowing 22.5 points per game. Guard play will be the key going forward for Rochester whom has a tough week which includes a tough one with a very good Utica Ford II program that looms.

Lake Orion: The Dragons haven’t missed a beat from last season’s district title run. Lake Orion is the deepest team in Oakland County for good reason. The win over Oxford is huge for this program. Would like to see more of that depth develop and there is a good chance that could happen in the future. The Dragons are certainly a player right now.

West Bloomfield: The Lakers look like they are the real deal. The Hendrix and Davis sisters looked dominant on all phases against South Lyon East. They can shoot, rebound, play fast, and play a physical brand of basketball. Depth is their biggest weakness. If teams can get both the Hendrix and Davis sisters in foul trouble or if they run into a very tight officiating crew then it could get very interesting. West Bloomfield has things clicking on all cylinders.