Girls Basketball Preview.
Written Wednesday November 27th at 12:25 PM
Here is the preview for Girls Basketball for the 2024/2025 season.
Girls Basketball Shortcomings
https://saginawbay4650.blogspot.com/2024/03/girls-basketball-shortcomings.html
Girls Basketball Districts
https://saginawbay4650.blogspot.com/2024/06/girls-basketball-districts-are-out-2024.html
Girls Basketball Preview Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq7o5FF8f7E
AROUND THE OAA TOP TEN ENTERING THE SEASON.
- West Bloomfield
- Troy
- Clarkston
- Stoney Creek
- Seaholm
- Royal Oak
- Lake Orion
- Ferndale
- Rochester
- Avondale
RED
This division is loaded with a ton of proven teams. West Bloomfield won the Division One State crown last season but they are replacing a lot from last season. Clarkston has a ton of proven talent coming back plus their freshmen class is looking really good. Ferndale is coming up to the Red from the Gold after a really successful season but there are warning signs surrounding the Eagles. Stoney Creek went to the State Quarterfinals last season but there are some questions surrounding the point guard spot. Lake Orion is the sleeper, the Dragons have a proven player along with proven returners but can they bond is the question. Oxford has a new coach but they have to go through a coaching transition which has to happen during the season. Overall this division looks to be balanced, any team can win this division.
WEST BLOOMFIELD LAKERS
LAST SEASON: 27-1, 10-0 Red. Won Division One State Crown with 60-30 win over Grand Blanc.
STRENGTH: Athleticism.
WEAKNESS: Size.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Sheridan Beal-F
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Replacing Production???: The Lakers won the Division One State crown last season but they lost four starters from that team. West Bloomfield won’t be as deep as in years past but they are still talented. They have Ava Lord, Sheridan Beal, Breanna Gamble-Jones, Breasia Gamble-Jones, Jordyn Ratliff, Jaylee Head, and London Hall coming back for Coach Darrin McCallaster. Program strength is a big concern for the Lakers. West Bloomfield also has a very tough district looming. Replacing four starters from last season will be a challenge coming into the season.
CLARKSTON WOLVES
LAST SEASON: 19-7, 6-4 Red. Lost 44-42 to Grand Blanc in Division One Regional Finals.
STRENGTH: Guards.
WEAKNESS: Size, Mental Mindset.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Brooklyn Covert-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Mental Mindset: The Wolves made a ton of ground winning a district over Lake Orion and almost won a regional but fell to Grand Blanc. “We want to get back there or farther, that’s kind of our goal, we as a team haven’t outlined any goals but to a person we want to get back there again, we tasted it we want to get back there again” said Coach Aaron Goodnough. Clarkston has Brooklyn Covert, Elliana Robak, Marley Mazur, Ella Morgner, Ellery Hernandez, Kayla Butki, Lauren Fishtaller, Keira Zorski, and Lexi Fry coming back. They also have incoming players in Brooke Bond and Bella Flavin could be impact players for Goodnough. Covert and Robak should get a ton of attention this season. The Wolves have a tough non conference and a challenging district that looms. Program strength looks to be solid for Goodnough. “Our 28 class is very, very good, I think we’ll be sprinkling in some on varsity right away, it’s made for a really competitive summer which is always great, we got some girls who are defiantly going to contribute, they are going to get better whether it’s in games or in practice, it’s great all the away along” Goodnough concluded. Size is a big question mark coming into the season for Clarkston. The Wolves could make some noise with their depth but mental mindset is a concern.
FERNDALE EAGLES
LAST SEASON: 17-4, 8-0 Gold. Lost 67-43 to Birmingham Detroit Country Day in Division Two District Finals.
STRENGTH: Guards.
WEAKNESS: Depth, Program Strength.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Demi Bolton-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Program Strength, Expectations: The Eagles had a turnaround winning 17 games with a very young roster last season that ran into a really good Birmingham Detroit Country Day team in the district finals. Ferndale has basically followed their athletic director and boys basketball coach Juan Rickman’s path when it comes to scheduling and made the jump to the Red this season. “It’s going to be a good experience, I think we’re ready for it, ready for tougher competition to prepare us for this run and make it to States” said Coach Keith Paris. Paris had a really young team as mentioned and has had a strong summer. They have Aaliyah Frost, Inaya Davis, Demi Bolton, Janiya Larry, Masiah Clark, Kathleen DeVillena, and Keyanna McGarrell coming back along with emerging talents in Zahra Richardson, Janielle Turner, McKenzie Turner, Malia Taylor, Kassidy Cain, and Zayria McCrary coming back for Paris. They added Kamaria Paige and Gabby Foster who transferred to Ferndale this offseason. Paige comes from Southfield Arts and Tech and Foster from Macomb Dakota. Program strength is a huge concern and playing in the Red with proven powers are warning flags with them moving up three divisions. Program building is the biggest concern for Ferndale. “It’s tough, we don’t have a JV team, we don’t have a freshman team and it’s been since I got here, we barely had a varsity team, they had six kids even last year we had six kids, us being able to develop our younger kids at our Middle School and getting them into our high school that’s big for us even though we don’t have a JV team, a lot of our Middle Schoolers are ready to play so they’ll come in and make a big impact” Paris concluded. The Eagles could be very good but the warning signs are there especially when it comes to program strength.
STONEY CREEK COUGARS
LAST SEASON: 20-6, 6-4 Red. Lost 49-27 to Grand Blanc in Division One State Quarterfinals.
STRENGTH: Interior.
WEAKNESS: Point Guard.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Merrick Schlawbach-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: How to replace Sarah LaPrarie???: The Cougars had one of their best seasons in school history winning 20 games before falling to Grand Blanc in the State Quarterfinals. Stoney Creek might have the talent to make another deep run if everything goes right. “We bring back four of the five starters, a lot of defensive minded players back, it’s going to be a lot of fun, we’ll get better on defense, we’ll be able to get up and down a little faster, ball movement a little bit more just looking forward to building off what we did last year and continue the run we are on” said Coach Columbus Williams. Williams benefited from having an experienced roster last season and they still have experience in Merrick Schlawbach, Izzy Ivezaj, Calista Ivezaj, Abigail Ivezaj, Mikayla Gendich, Addy Allen, Samantha Fulkerson, Taylor Fulkerson, Sophie Budzick, Jadelynn Freeman, and Jenna Cook coming back. Losing Sarah LaPrarie hurts after she graduated. “You can’t replace Sarah LaPrarie, four year starter, all OAA over at Hope, made the team. It’s going to be by committee to replace her, 14-15 points per game just can’t get that in one person, it’s going to be fun seeing the younger guys step up this year” Williams said. Program strength is a big concern for Stoney Creek.”Hopefully we can compete for the OAA Red, if we can get out of districts and make another run, I know the regional is a little bit tougher than it was last year but looking forward to just competing and we’ll see what happens” Williams concluded. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if the Cougars take a step back with the loss of LaPrarie this season.
LAKE ORION DRAGONS
LAST SEASON: 15-9, 3-7 Red. Lost 41-40 to Clarkston in Division One District Finals.
STRENGTH: Guards, Defense.
WEAKNESS: Size, Chemistry, Team Bonding.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Izzy Wotlinski-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Team Bonding: The Dragons were one point away from winning their second straight district crown but fell on a heartbreaker to Clarkston last season. Lake Orion has had a really interesting summer when it comes to numbers even though program strength looks strong in the lower levels. Coach Bob Brydges has a ton of questions with the varsity roster but there are similarities to the path when it comes to the worksman like approach. They have their leading scorer in Izzy Wotlinski coming back along with Charlotte Peplowski, Riley House, and Dani Heck. The Dragons also have newcomers Lala Hill, Kara Veeder, Liz Crawford, and Jasmine Randolph coming to varsity and Brooke Armstrong and Mel Guccione coming back into the program. Size is a concern for Brydges but the biggest question mark is chemistry and also team bonding. They have the talent and worksman like approach to be a player and have a lot of upside. Team bonding will be really important this season if Lake Orion wants to make some noise.
OXFORD WILDCATS
LAST SEASON: 11-12, 3-7 Red. Lost 60-38 to Grand Blanc in Division One District Finals.
STRENGTH: Forwards, Point Guard.
WEAKNESS: Size, Transition Period, Team Bonding.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Tegan O’Connor-F
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Coaching Transition: The Wildcats had an up and down year winning 11 games and making the district finals falling to Grand Blanc last season. Oxford will have a new coach in Phil Dawson taking over the program. Dawson has had a really interesting summer for the Wildcats and will look to put his system in place. They have a ton of proven experience in Alison Hufstedler, Sophia Rabb, Emma Beggs, Mia Champagne, Tegan O’Connor, Brynley Cardona, Camryn Quidort, Jaylen Jacobsen, Katelyn Brockway, and Claire Bruski coming back. Team bonding is going to be the key for Oxford along with the coaching transition that has to take place during the season. Program strength is a big concern for the Wildcats. Oxford should be solid but they have a ton of questions as well this season.
WHITE
The White is a very interesting division of balance and different styles. Troy has a ton of proven experience coming back but they have a ton of questions. Royal Oak made the regional final but they lost a ton of proven experience. Seaholm has the proven experience coming back, can they be primed to made a deep postseason run??? Groves has a new coach and a ton of questions. Rochester comes from the Red. They have a new coach along with key returning players in the interior but guards are a question mark. Bloomfield Hills has a new coach and a ton of questions. The White has a ton of proven experience on each team. It should be really interesting to watch.
TROY COLTS
LAST SEASON: 14-9, 9-1 White. Lost 64-46 to Bloomfield Hills in Division One District Semifinals.
STRENGTH: Proven Experience, Depth.
WEAKNESS: Size, Program Strength.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Olivia Sprangler-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Experience Matters: The Colts had a struggle early in Coach Laura Guzman’s first few weeks seeing what works but they turned things around and won the White but couldn’t get past Bloomfield Hills in a crazy game in the district semifinals last season.”Last year was building chemistry for the girls to like basketball again, they kind of found a rhythm and we won nine in a row, we won 14 games after winning three the previous year, this year we are very deep, I think we can put some pieces together I think we can make a pretty good run” said Guzman. What helps Guzman is that she will have a ton of proven experience in Diamond Prince, Reagan Zeiter, Carly Higginbottom, Olivia Sprangler, Sophia Kaltsounis, Kelsey Block, Aly Matuza, Savannah Oddy, Victoria Siegan, Shavani Angadi, Brianna Bert, and Lizzie Dobbs coming back and that’s not mentioning Maci Zeiter who is coming into the program. “Obviously we have 10 returning players, seven seniors, a very good incoming class, we’re really excited if we can put it together we’ll be pretty good” Guzman said. Troy could be a team that could make a serious leaps and bounds even though program strength and size are question marks despite Guzman being high on their freshman class. “We have if she can knock the rust off a girl who played her freshman year and didn’t play last year so she’s been at conditioning, she’s about 5.11 and I think if can get our bigs up and down the floor a little bit better that can help us inside and get everybody ready to play” Guzman concluded. They have a great chance to have a deep postseason run like what Stoney Creek did with the proven experience they have coming back.
SEAHOLM MAPLES
LAST SEASON: 15-9, 7-3 White. Lost 49-46 to Bloomfield Hills in Division One District Finals.
STRENGTH: Experience.
WEAKNESS: Complacency.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Addy Flynn-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Experience Matters: The Maples made a ton of noise winning 15 games and getting to the district finals before falling to Bloomfield Hills. The motivation for Seaholm has to be win the district and see what happens for Coach Chris Manchester. “The girls have been super excited about this year, after last year we won the White and tried to move to the Red, didn’t get voted in so we’re going to go in the White again, it’s going to be competitive, we’re going to have a lot of fun, the girls love each other, been working really hard” said Manchester. They have a ton of proven experience in Addy Flynn, Mary Gumbus, Taylor Hartwig, Emma Weber, Sophie Sullivan, Ella Koosis, Addy Kitzman, Jada Josifovski, and Elia Gifford coming back. Complacency is the concern for the Maples and the district looks very daunting for Seaholm but that doesn’t phase Manchester or the Maples “This might be the year, they bought in and actually for the first time I’ve seen some emotion about being upset about last year finals and I think this year will put them over the top this year” Manchester said.. Program strength looks to be solid for Manchester. They should be in the conversation this season.
ROYAL OAK RAVENS
LAST SEASON: 19-7, 6-4 White. Lost 58-25 to West Bloomfield in Division One Regional Finals.
STRENGTH: Experience.
WEAKNESS: Depth.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Lucy Freytag-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: What Next???: The Ravens made a ton of history winning their first district crown and getting to the regional finals but can they sustain is the question despite losing a ton of talent to graduation last season. They have Lucy Freytag, Lydia Dickens, Hannah Saunders, Jordan Hills, Vivian Lawrence, and Maddie Lawrence coming back and have Kolbie Roelofs coming into the program for Coach Brian Sopota. Sopota has done an excellent job at building program strength in Royal Oak even though he might not have a freshman program this season. Depth could be an issue heading into the season. The Ravens are a team that could be in line to make some noise again with their defensive mindset and philosophy.
ROCHESTER FALCONS
LAST SEASON: 9-15, 2-8 Red. Lost 37-32 to Stoney Creek in Division One District Finals.
STRENGTH: Size.
WEAKNESS: Guards.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Lucy Cook-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Guard Play: The Falcons uncharacteristically struggled last season putting up points despite having the twin towers in Alice Max and Kylie Robinson. They won nine games and fell to Stoney Creek in the district finals. Rochester made a coaching change this offseason naming Andy Topie the new head coach. Topie will have his hands full besides Max and Robinson. He also has Lucy Cook, Angela Cichowski, Arisara MacDonald, Taylor Parsons, and Erica Procter also coming back. Emma Max could be a player to watch as well for the Falcons. Program strength looks strong for Rochester especially with Jeff Haney on staff. The Falcons will look to score more and continue their defense but guard play remains the biggest question mark for a team that is in a new division and will look to get back to the Red in the future.
GROVES FALCONS
LAST SEASON: 8-14, 3-7 White. Lost 47-35 to Royal Oak in Division One District Semifinals.
STRENGTH: Guards.
WEAKNESS: Interior, Program Strength.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Jacey Roy-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Can the Falcons find interior play???: The Falcons had a really interesting season where they were up and down winning eight games last season. Groves coach Alison Hidey left for Livonia Stevenson this offseason and new coach Jessica Duleba takes over the program. “I know we graduated a lot of players or at least that’s what everyone is telling me, we graduated a lot, we’re young I’m just looking forward to having a clean slate, I brought in a lot of new coaches with me so we’re looking forward to what we want to do and structuring it differently and hopefully we can do some damage” said Duleba. Duleba did a really good job at Lakeland but this will be her first varsity job and she has a tough challenge ahead of her. “I’m walking into a new program I will see how many players we have showing up, it’s what we’re going to have” Duleba said. They have Harlem Simpson, Jacey Roy, Aniyah White, Rose Strada, Sophie Schwanik, and Micah Smith coming back. Having Simpson and Roy will be huge especially since they know the division and what to expect. Program strength is a concern for Duleba along with the interior. “We do have some younger players that are going to need skill work put together and you can teach players to do things, I’m not too worried about that I guess, the style we’re going to play, we’ll be able to teach how to defend, it’s not only just about size so it is a different league, the competition is very different so I’m looking forward to the OAA” Duleba said. It looks like Simpson and Roy might have to carry Groves until the interior game develops this season.
BLOOMFIELD HILLS BLACKHAWKS
LAST SEASON: 14-10, 7-3 White. Lost 47-40 to Stoney Creek in Division One Regional Semifinals.
STRENGTH: Guards.
WEAKNESS: Depth.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Brianna Young-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Coaching transition: The Blackhawks have built a proven program under Coach Kristen Massey winning their first district crown and getting to the regional semifinals but they have a new coach after Massey stepped down in assistant Renardo Brown. Brown as mentioned was on Massey’s staff so the coaching transition won’t be as new to the players. “It’s not bad, me and Coach Brown were on the bench last year, Coach Brown is going to be the head coach and I’m going to be his assistant, also going to have Marcus Woods, we’re going to have three coaches for varsity, we’re going to be young, we graduated a lot from last year, we had a good season, we won a district championship, tied for the division and we’re looking forward with the young girls, keeping the program moving in the right direction and competing with the Lake Orion’s and the Seaholm’s” said assistant coach Steve Green. Bloomfield Hills has Brianna Young, Brianna Brooks, and Giselle Haddad coming back. Young had a really strong year last season. “She’s been doing great going to Schoolcraft, she’s doing pretty good, she’s been working out regularly, she’ll be our go to player, we’re going to rely on her to take a lot of shots” Green said. Supporting cast and depth is the biggest question mark for the Blackhawks. Program strength looks to be solid. Bloomfield Hills is going to be as good as Young takes them this season.
BLUE
The Blue is a very interesting division that features change and opportunity. Avondale comes from the Gold after an injury filled season last season. They have a lot coming back. Berkley had a really good year and will look to continue that stretch onto this season. Southfield Arts and Tech looks to find balance this season. Adams has to overcome a key injury early but when they get healthy look out. Troy Athens should be much improved. Harper Woods comes from the White with a lot of questions. North Farmington comes from the White after struggling last season. There are a ton of questions surrounding the Raiders. Overall the Blue has more questions then answers describing each team.
AVONDALE YELLOW JACKETS
LAST SEASON: 8-15, 6-2 Gold. Lost 59-34 to Seaholm in Division One District Semifinals.
STRENGTH: Experience.
WEAKNESS: Health, Size, Program Strength.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Madison Manyweathers-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Health: The Yellow Jackets had an injury riddled season in which they won eight games and fell to Seaholm in the district semifinals. “We’ve been weight room champions this offseason, we’ve been hoping to prevent those injuries, some of it were freak accidents, it is what it is, we should be all right this year” said Coach Roy Christmon. Avondale made the move to the Blue believing this was the team that could turn things around and they are in a different district for the postseason. “It makes it wide open, you come out and play ball you can win it, we’ve just looking to come out and be super aggressive, make the right passes, right shots, and hopefully we can come out holding that trophy” Christmon said. The Yellow Jackets have the proven experience in Madison Manyweathers, Morgan McPherson, Amaria Daniel, Khaila Bradley, Giavanni Hollie-Jackson, Sasha McClellan, and Janaye Richardson coming back for Christmon. Program strength is a big concern while size is the other concern. “We want to win districts, win our league, stay healthy” Christmon concluded. Avondale should be really competitive if they can stay healthy especially with the non conference coming up.
BERKLEY BEARS
LAST SEASON: 19-6, 8-2 Blue. Lost 60-29 to Detroit Renaissance in Division One District Finals.
STRENGTH: Experience.
WEAKNESS: Adjusting to different styles.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Maddie Boswall-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Adjusting to different styles: The Bears had an incredible turnaround under Coach Clay Shaver winning 19 games last season. Berkley will have a much different team this season despite returning a ton of proven experience and they have program strength as well especially in the lower levels. “We’re returning eight of nine, we graduated Malve (Nolan) who was our MVP and is playing kicking butt, playing at Kalamazoo but we got kids who have been playing together for a ling time, they’ve played exceptionally well together, we’re going to play fast, we’re going to play aggressive, and I think we’re going to play well” said Shaver. The Bears questions will be sustainability and can they do it against big time opponents like Detroit Renaissance who plays a different brand of basketball. “It was a good experience, our district shifted around so we won’t see Renaissance in districts (at Royal Oak) this year but Renaissance, the kind of eye opening thing for us was that they played the exact same offense we played, they just played it a little bit faster and a little bit better, I think a little bit more cohesion then we did being year one with our new system and I think we’re more prepared, we’re going to play a more tougher schedule this year, I think we’re just going to get better and we got the basics in solve, I got fantastic guards that play really well together and we got our very young sophomore bigs who were very green last year are far more polished, and our juniors so it’s kind of an added lair and an added weapon and I think we’ll be able to use it this year” Shaver said. They have Avery Wintergarden, Maddie Boswall, Katelyn Sills, Nadia Watt, Hailey Kirkwood, Blessing Nweke, Caleigh Tracy, Olivia Church, and Z Diop coming back. Program strength looks to be solid and having a ton of proven experience also helps as well. “We had a dinner with the seniors, I think the sky is the limit, we played well, we want to win the Blue, part of their legacy is they want to get us moved to the White in their last year and I think districts are on the table, every team in our district we played last year so we kind of know what they got and they know what we got, we’ll put our cards out and see where it goes” Shaver concluded. Berkley could be in line for another special season.
ADAMS HIGHLANDERS
LAST SEASON: 7-17, 3-7 Blue. Lost 49-39 to Stoney Creek in Division One District Semifinals.
STRENGTH: Guards.
WEAKNESS: Interior, Depth.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Faith Zoldus-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Patience paying off: The Highlanders have started to turn things around a little bit but it took them longer than thought but it seems like they are on the rise. Adams will look to keep the momentum after an emotional 53-50 overtime win over Utica Eisenhower in the first round. Adams has proven experience in Faith Zoldus, Neveah Williams, and Lily Tomahauk coming back for Coach Joe Malburg. Zoldus has been getting a ton of attention from college scouts however Zoldus has been battling an injury which is very concerning. Program strength looks to be on the rise for Malburg. Patience is always the key and it could pay off this season.
TROY ATHENS RED HAWKS
LAST SEASON: 9-14, 5-5 Blue. Lost 59-46 to Bloomfield Hills in Division One First Round.
STRENGTH: Guards, Forwards.
WEAKNESS: Health, Mental Mindset.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Alex Link-F
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Health: The Red Hawks were hit with the injury bug last season. Health will be a key for Troy Athens if they want to make some noise this season. They have Yasmeen Dabbish, Alex Link, Katrina Tasich, and Farida Youseff coming back for Coach Stacie Klumpp. Dabbish and Link look to be the key players for Klumpp this season. Program strength looks to be solid especially the sophomore class. The key for the Red Hawks is staying healthy and if they do they could surprise some folks.
SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH WARRIORS
LAST SEASON: 13-10, 5-5 Blue. Lost 91-30 to Detroit Renaissance in Division One District Semifinals.
STRENGTH: Guards.
WEAKNESS: Defense.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Christian Banks-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Defense: The Warriors lost a ton of proven experience and seen one of their top players transfer out of Southfield Arts and Tech. Coach Shaquita Coltrane’s team can score in bunches but they also give up a ton as well. Defense has to be the Warriors top priority if they want to make some noise this season. They have Christian Banks, Samiya Ashford, and Jordyn Ushery coming back for Coltrane but Kamaria Page transferred to Ferndale as mentioned. Program strength is a big concern for the Warriors but the defense is a bigger concern heading into the season.
HARPER WOODS PIONEERS
LAST SEASON: 10-12, 5-5 White. Lost 52-51 to Warren Fitzgerald in Division Two Regional Semifinals.
STRENGTH: Guards.
WEAKNESS: Experience, Program Strength.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Amari Hutchinson-F
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Sustainability: The Pioneers won the district crown despite winning 10 games along with a tough 52-51 regional semifinal loss to Warren Fitzgerald last season. Harper Woods will look to continue their success with a younger lineup this season. The Pioneers have Amari Hutchinson and Laniyah West coming back for Coach LaToya Tate. Program strength looks to be a concern for Tate heading into the season. Harper Woods will be a really interesting team to watch this season.
NORTH FARMINGTON RAIDERS
LAST SEASON: 12-12, 3-7 White. Lost 66-7 to West Bloomfield in Division One District Semifinals.
STRENGTH: Defense.
WEAKNESS: Scoring, Program Strength.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Quyaamah Jihad-F
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Scoring: The Raiders had an up and down year last season but lost two top players to graduation. Coach Michael Allin needs to address scoring and program strength which are two big concerns this season. North Farmington has Jade Spears, Quyaamah Jihad, Shylah Tarin, and Shalaya Rogers coming back. Jihad has been getting a ton of attention as of late for the Raiders and will look to be their top player. Program strength is a concern for Allin. If he can address this area then the program will be in a better place for years to come. Scoring is another concern as well which they need to address. They have the defense which always helps and Jihad will be looked upon to score this season.
GOLD
The Gold is a four team division to where each team really struggled last season. Farmington comes from the Blue after winning one game last season. The Falcons will look for better results this season. Oak Park was building their program and will look to take the next step. Ferndale University has experience but a new coach as well after going winless last season. Pontiac will look to stay healthy after a rough end of the year last season. Overall it should be a really interesting division to watch.
FARMINGTON FALCONS
LAST SEASON: 1-21, 0-10 Blue. Lost 72-29 to North Farmington in Division One First Round.
STRENGTH: Experience.
WEAKNESS: Improvement.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Edimari King-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Experience is a strength, improvement is a concern: It was a nightmare for the Falcons winning one game and wasn’t even competitive in most games last season. Farmington should get wins but improvement is a big question for Coach Natalie Nowak’s team despite having a lot of experience. The Falcons have Edimari King, Alexis Gebs, Emma Mohr, Anna Toranchuk, Grace Lamott, Gaia Demeester, Mya Jones, Sydney Nogas, and Kate Martin coming back for Nowak. Program strength will be something to watch for Farmington. Nowak has toughen the non conference schedule knowing what is ahead when it comes to the schedule and the district is not easy either. The Falcons should be in line to get more wins but improvement will be the biggest challenge.
OAK PARK KNIGHTS
LAST SEASON: 5-13, 4-4 Gold. Lost 78-31 to Southfield Arts and Tech in Division One First Round.
STRENGTH: Guards.
WEAKNESS: Depth, Program Strength.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Gabrielle Lee-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Guard play: The Knights had a really young team which won five games last season. Oak Park will look to have a better season this year. Oak Park has Mackenzie Blake, Madison Johnson-Williams, Sienna Walker, and Gabrielle Lee coming back for Coach Tyler Washington. Depth and program strength is something to watch with the Knights. Oak Park could be a team that could be in line for a much better year.
PONTIAC PHOENIX
LAST SEASON: 5-15, 2-6 Gold. Didn’t make Postseason.
STRENGTH: Experience.
WEAKNESS: Program Strength.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: ???
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Program Strength: The Phoenix really struggled with numbers winning five games but didn’t even make the postseason. “Last season was my second year, we had more competitive team but we had injuries and a couple of other issues, playing basketball is easy for us but the stuff off the court and of course not having a lot of girls, its happened across the nation, not having a lot of girls participate in girls basketball to force Pontiac to not make it” said Lett. Pontiac went to Division Two but is in a really tough district. The key for Coach Corray Lett and his team is to build numbers and stay healthy.”Everytime we step on the court we are expected to win the game, our expectations never change, whether we have five players or six players” Lett said. Program strength is a concern for the Phoenix. “We overestimated our numbers, this year we’re down a division, in a different district this year so as competitive as it still going to be a lot better not playing in Class A playing with the numbers” Lett concluded. I don’t think they will go through what they went through again. Pontiac should be much improved this season.
FERNDALE UNIVERSITY EAGLES
LAST SEASON: 0-18, 0-8 Gold. Lost 59-14 to Detroit Lincoln King Academy in Division Two First Round.
STRENGTH: Experience.
WEAKNESS: Mental Mindset.
MOST CRITICAL PLAYER: Kayla Sanders-F
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Nowhere to go but up: It was a really rough year for the Eagles not winning a game and wasn’t even competitive in most of those games. Ferndale University has a new coach in Bennie Szczepkowski taking over the program. “Hopefully seeing what we have, it will be a lot of work man we got to put in the work, willing to commit to the work, no days off, I know a lot of people are resting over Thanksgiving and Christmas break we will not be, we’ll be in the gym but we can not afford to have an 0 for season again, the good thing is that I can’t do any worse but I hope the girls are ready for a new direction and ready to work” Szczepkowski said. He should have an experienced team in LeAnna Spencer, Gabrielle Thompson, Kayla Sanders, Taniyah Crawford, Tamary Powell, Kendall Spencer, and Jayda Wilson coming back. Program strength looks to be rising again despite having one team last season. “My expectation is we want to grow, we want to be competitive especially in our division, there were a couple of games where they competed in so my goal is to still compete, I’m not laying down, not saying we’re young but we’re going to compete, that’s my goal, compete” Szczepkowski concluded. It should be a better year for Ferndale University, the key is mental mindset.