Boys Basketball Thoughts.
Written Sunday January 14th at 1:00 PM
North Farmington: The Raiders have been rolling along especially the play of Tyler Spratt and Landon Williams. Coach Todd Negoshian has a very good and proven squad along with their famous press and trap defense. North Farmington is rolling right now.
Ferndale: The Eagles have bounced back by winning two straight games. Ethan Vinyard has played really well for Coach Juan Rickman. Ferndale has been up and down which was almost similar to last season when they won the Division Two State crown. The Eagles should be fine going forward.
West Bloomfield: The Lakers have started to turn things around since their loss to North Farmington. Drew Wilson has fit in nicely for Coach Arnette Jordan and they had a huge third quarter where they pressed Clarkston in their ten point win over them. West Bloomfield has been rolling as of late but they still have some lulls at times which has to concern Jordan a little bit.
Adams: The Highlanders are going through a rough patch after two straight losses. Adams likes to shoot a ton of threes which has been their strength all season long. Coach Isiah Novak will be fine, they are going through a rough patch as mentioned.
Clarkston: The Wolves have lost two straight which is unusual for Coach Tim Waslik and his program. Peyton Fitzsimmons has been on and off. John Kaul, Cole Charter, and Quinn Rosenburg has been solid for Clarkston. The Wolves are going through a rough patch which all good teams go through during the season.
Oak Park: The Knights have been a Jekyll and Hyde as of late. They won 68-66 over Clarkston which sent shock waves around the league. Geon Hutchins has played very well for Coach Durrand Sheppard. Oak Park has been going through a lot but the win over the Wolves should help their confidence going forward.
Groves: The Falcons snapped their five game losing streak with a win over Pontiac Notre Dame Prep. Groves is still a very young team but life in the Red has been very difficult for them. This win should help Coach Marc West’s team gain some much needed confidence before heading back into Red play.
Troy: The Colts have been rolling as of late. The big three of Mason Parker, Jon Whiteside, and Chase Kupier have been playing very well but Coach Gary Fralick has been impressed with Andrew Lake. Lake has been steady at point guard which helps because it makes Parker into a true shooting guard. There is a ton to like with Troy right now.
Harper Woods: The Pioneers have played a really tough schedule and they are coming off a tough loss to Troy Athens. Julian Young and Isiah Lewis have been the key players for Coach TaJuan Porter. It will be very interesting to see what Harper Woods does going forward.
Troy Athens: The Red Hawks have been rolling as of late. They have won four straight and are playing the basketball that Coach Dave Scott likes. Emmanuel Robinson has been playing really well and they got a monster win in Harper Woods. The Red Hawks are playing really well right now.
Seaholm: The Maples have lost three straight which is not a good sign for Coach Mike DeGeeter and company. Seaholm has really struggled defensively although there were some signs against Lake Orion where they played well in spurts.
Lake Orion: The Dragons bounced back after a tough loss to Troy by winning a defensive slugfest against Seaholm. It’s been a team effort all around for Coach Jose Andrades. The Dragons are in a really good spot right now.
Farmington: The Falcons have really improved. They are 4-1 in their last five games. Greg Grays has been playing really well for Coach Byron Johnson. Farmington is gaining a ton of confidence, not a lot of team want to play them right now with how they have been doing.
Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks have gone through a very tough transition period. DaRon Mason, Carter Canfield, Phil Muhammad are doing everything they can for Coach Brian Canfield. They are getting better despite the record. They’ll be fine.
Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors have been struggling as of late. They did score 62 points against Farmington. Coach Terrance Porter’s team has shown some greatness and struggle, which are all signs of a very young team. Southfield Arts and Tech has been a work in progress.
Stoney Creek: The Cougars have really struggled which is very odd especially for a second year. Coach Jeff Olind has had moments of greatness and rough stretches. Stoney Creek has a really tough schedule going forward with non league games against Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Hamtramck, Troy Athens, and Adams. Stoney Creek is struggling right now.
Avondale: The Yellow Jackets have won three straight and four of their last five games. Coach Jaret Thomas is still building the program in his image and he’s doing that. Justin-Greer Sykes has had some moments of greatness as has others as well. Avondale is playing well right now.
Oxford: The Wildcats took a hit in the league standings after falling to Berkley but they still have a chance to turn things around. Jake Champagne has played really well but he needs some help and has gotten it for the most part of the season. Coach Joe Fedorinchik will be fine going forward.
Rochester: The Falcons have been playing much better despite what the record says about them. Rochester has been very competitive for Coach Nick Evola. Max Muhl, Jake Tandy, and company have stepped up their games as of late. They will be fine going forward.
Berkley: The Bears control their destiny in the Blue after their statement win over Oxford. Coach Joe Sermo’s team has won five straight. Berkley has gotten key contributors playing well at the right time. If the Bears can keep this up then that division crown could be well within their grasp.
Pontiac: The Phoenix have been up and down which are normal signs for a young team. JJ Claudio has done very well for Pontiac. Coach Andrew Myers already has five wins for a young and emerging Pontiac squad going forward.
Royal Oak: The Ravens have lost three straight heading into 2024. Royal Oak has given up over 50 points twice in this stretch. Coach Aaron Smith needs to shore up the defensive intensity going forward because it’s looking almost similar to last season when the year changed they struggled.
Ferndale University: The Eagles have not been the same team lately. They have not scored over 50 points in four games which is a big concern. Coach Josh Nicks needs to get this figured out and quick if they want to turn things around.