by orionontv | Dec 3, 2024 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
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.
by orionontv | Nov 26, 2024 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Written Saturday November 23rd at 9:05 AM
Here is the Boys Basketball preview for the 2024-2025 season.
AROUND THE OAA TOP TEN
- Groves
- Clarkston
- West Bloomfield
- Ferndale
- Lake Orion
- Oxford
- North Farmington
- Avondale
- Adams
- Troy
Boys Basketball Shortcomings
https://saginawbay4650.blogspot.com/2024/03/boys-basketball-shortcomings-2024.html
Boys Basketball Districts
https://saginawbay4650.blogspot.com/2024/06/boys-basketball-districts-are-out-2024.html
Basketball Preview Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhZ9Ed_jkNs
RED
GROVES FALCONS
LAST SEASON: 13-12, 4-8 Red. Lost 72-60 to North Farmington in Division One Regional Semifinals.
STRENGTHS: Proven Experience.
CONCERNS: Bench.
KEY PLAYER: Landon McKinney-G/F
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Sustaining Success: The Falcons are coming off a really successful season winning a district crown but can they do more is the question. “Last year we had to battle with a lot of injuries that was kind of the unfortunate theme of the season but as we got through that and other guys got a lot of experience, we got healthy and we kind of peaked at the end of the season, we won 11 of our last 13 and got the district championship. We’re hoping to build on that this year, we got that momentum and go” said Coach Marc West. Groves has Jon Simpson. Josh Gipson, Landon McKinney, David Jones, and Paul Hubbard coming back for West. The Falcons have a tough district which has Birmingham Brother Rice in there. “You always want to make a state run you got to beat the people in your district and Brother Rice is right down the street (on Lahser Road) so they should be in our district, it’s going to be a great district, great basketball, and we look forward to compete, we get to host it this year, our goal is to be ready for that game in a Friday night in March and have some fun” said West. The Falcons if they can stay healthy can make a ton of noise in what is suppose to be a huge year for Groves. “We want to build off of last year, we want to compete in the Red, we had a losing record in the league last year trying to get that flipped back to a winning record and with our senior class being one of the best Groves has had, we want to compete against the best in the State, I put a schedule together, a lot of showcases to get these guys to play against some of the great teams, just to have fun with it” West concluded. The Falcons should be a really interesting team to watch especially with the football run they are going through this season.
FERNDALE EAGLES
LAST SEASON: 14-9, 7-5 Red. Lost 66-44 to Warren Lincoln in Division Two District Finals.
STRENGTHS: Experience.
CONCERNS: Depth, Program Strength.
KEY PLAYER: Eden Vinyard-F
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Warren Lincoln???: The Eagles are coming off a really disappointing 66-44 loss to Warren Lincoln in the district finals last season. Coach Juan Rickman lost four key players to graduation. They have Eden Vinyard, Toriano Adams, Cameron Fraser, Drakkar Washington, Tyler Ruth, Julian Cardenas, and Dexter Wilson coming back. Depth and program strength are serious question marks. Ferndale has played a really tough schedule and will do so again. The question for Rickman will be program strength and can they get by Warren Lincoln who is in their district this season. The Abes will be a tough challenge for the Eagles. They have the experience to make a deep postseason run in Division Two.
CLARKSTON WOLVES
LAST SEASON: 14-12, 3-9 Red. Lost 47-32 to Grand Blanc in Division One Regional Semifinals.
STRENGTHS: Experience.
CONCERNS: Bench.
KEY PLAYER: Hayden Flavin-F
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Is Clarkston back to being Clarkston???: The Wolves have been around 500 the last two years but have made it past the districts in that stretch. Coach Tim Waslik could have a team that could be back to the original Clarkston tradition if things go right and if they can do the little things like defend and rebound. They have had a strong summer and have been dominant in those games. The Wolves have proven experience in Hayden Flavin, Cole Charter, Jon Kaul, and Quinn Rosenburg coming back for Waslik. They have Ace Walters to solidify the point guard spot. Walters transferred from Birmingham Brother Rice this offseason and Shane Dasuqi moves up to varsity along with Hayden Barrow, Caleb Harmon, Troy Rosenburg, Doug Schoenfeld, Drew French, Smith Waslik, and football quarterback Alex Waszczenko. Program strength has always been strong for Clarkston. Depth could be something to watch for the Wolves. This will be a much better basketball team this season.
WEST BLOOMFIELD LAKERS
LAST SEASON: 17-6, 11-1 Red. Lost 68-46 to Orchard Lake St. Marys in Division One District Finals.
STRENGTHS: Proven Experience.
CONCERNS: Bench.
KEY PLAYER: Chris Britton-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Who steps up???: The Lakers had a really successful year sharing the Red last season but fell to Orchard Lake St. Marys in the district finals. “Playing against Trey McKineey, very good player, he had a really good team last year, I think this year we will be more competitive, we lost four seniors, we still had a connection with the young players becoming older now, we got a good group and we’ll be able to compete with Orchard Lake (St. Marys) and the district is at West Bloomfield, that always helps to play at home” said Coach Arnette Jordan. West Bloomfield will look to replicate last season’s success with have De’Avion Thomas, Corey Pittman, Brendin Jones, Artis Hicks, Terrance Lowe, Ryan Hood, David Lewis, Jamad Williams, and Chris Britton coming back. The Lakers took a hit as Drew Wilson transferred to Detroit Old Redford this offseason. “Even though we lost Drew Wilson, I think we still have great players, we have Chris Britton, Corey Pittman, Brendin Jones, Terry Lowe, we have pieces that will help us stay up top of the Red and to compete and go back to back in the Red” Jordan concluded. Program strength looks to be solid for Jordan and several players like Pittman, Jones, Lowe, and Britton will look to make a name for themselves this season in a very tough division and a tough district that looms in March.
AVONDALE YELLOW JACKETS
LAST SEASON: 16-7, 13-1 Blue. Lost 37-35 to Clarkston in Division One District Semifinals.
STRENGTHS: Guards and Wings.
CONCERNS: Size, Bench.
KEY PLAYER: Jordan Bush-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Does the Yellow Jackets belong in the Red???: The Yellow Jackets won 16 games, the Blue crown, and had Clarkston on the ropes in the district semifinals but fell on a heart breaker last season. Coach Jaret Thomas has made a ton of head waves this offseason moving up two divisions. Avondale has Jordan Bush, Jordan Clayton, DJ Moody, Makao Carroll, Isaac Gordon, Javontae Anderson, Braylin Grandberry, Karri Fields, Qualaeb Ross, and Justin Greer-Sykes coming back. They added Jakobe Louris from Lake Orion this offseason. Program strength looks to be solid. The question for the Yellow Jackets is do they belong in the Red.
NORTH FARMINGTON RAIDERS
LAST SEASON: 24-3, 11-1 Red. Lost 63-52 to Orchard Lake St. Marys in Division One State Finals.
STRENGTHS: Guards.
CONCERNS: Inexperience.
KEY PLAYER: Rob Smith-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: What Next???: The Raiders lost a ton of talent from a year ago that went to the Division One State Finals. Coach Todd Negoshian has to figure out how to replace four proven players who have graduated. “It’s been different, the last four five years, we’ve had a lot of returning kids, a lot of program kids that have been on the varsity it’s been different, we graduated a lot and a lot of young kids have gotten acclimated quick over the summer, it’s been fun, it’s been more of my enjoyable offseasons just for the simple fact that we got to teach a lot more than normal because we didn’t have so many returning guys eating up the balk of our minutes, we’ve had fun” said Negoshian What helps is the coaching staff is still there despite losing one (Darnaryll Rice) to Warren DeLaSalle this offseason however with this team is has helped to coach this young team with a strong foundation especially when it comes to program strength and assistant coaches like Todd’s father the Hall of Famer Tom Negoshian and also Junior Varsity Coach Pete Mantayla. “I think it’s super important to have him he keeps me kind of grounded with the ups and downs in the season but we got an unbelievable staff outside of him. Pete Mantayla is if not one of the best JV coaches that I’ve ever been around, he’s spent 17 years as a girls coach, three years as the boys coach at (Farmington Hills) Harrison and to have him with us someone who has been through it, the big picture, it’s a staff thing, the veteran experience of keeping us grounded is unbelievable” Negoshian said. He will have Avi Melster, Will MacShara, Rob Smith, and DJ Morgan coming back but talking to Negoshian it looks like Melster will be out for a while with an injury. It might take some time for the Raiders to gel. “The kids know our expectations, know how we’re going to play, practices have been great, been competitive, been a lot of fun to be back in the gym preparing to go against the best division in the State which is right up there with the Catholic League” Negoshian added. Program strength has been unbelievable for Negoshian which is why they have been consistent every season. “It’s unbelievably important because we don’t have open enrollment so we can’t just go and get kids, I’m an old school believer that kids come into a program that they develop, our lower level coaches has been unbelievable to our success and this year will be a tip of the cap to them with these young kids coming up are going to be good, we got a good freshman class, I’ll have one freshman with me for sure on game day, I have one or two more that practice with me everyday, the strength of our program is our program, it’s our coaches, it’s our seniors, it’s guys that’s been in it teaching it to them, helping them out what it’s all about. Unfortunately it kinda of gets lost in today’s society, it’s not normal with open enrollment, I’m not saying which one is right and which one is wrong, personal preference, to see a kid like last year Will MacShara who started for us and led us to a State Championship Game with how hard he played defensively and what he meant to our team, he took 11 shots last year and think about it in today’s society when everyone talk NIL (National Letter of Intent) and the transfer portal and how important it is, and social media and the disease of me instead of we instead of we that’s what a program is about and that’s how it’s important, kids like that being able to succeed in our program because of what they mean and how hard they play and to ride his back like we had, the State Championship game when he was getting announced, I was sitting next to him I said Will did you ever think we would be here on your back??? and he said Coach, I thought I was done after my sophomore year and I said Will there is always going to be room in our program that is going to play as hard as you and I think that’s what our program is built upon, our kids know it, believe into it and buy into it, it’s taught from the freshman level on down and our older kids do an unbelievable job of teaching that to our young kids, this isn’t about me, it’s about we and you better not have the disease of me your not going to make it in our program. I was very fortunate I took over a program that had everything in place from my father (Tom Negoshian) and to be able to carry that on and lead them to two State Championship Games (2016, 2024) in eight years is something I’ve never dreamed off, to share it with our coaches and our community, it’s something that’s going to last a lifetime, I wished we could have won one or both of those games every single day and you replay them over your head of what you could have done differently, what it means to our program, it’s been great” Negoshian said. North Farmington has a favorable district and could be one of those teams to make some noise. “It’s a weird district, it’s a lot like last year, they added Livonia Churchill to it. Redford Thurston has a new coach, Livonia Stevenson has a new coach, I thought (Livonia) Franklin was well coached last year when we played them and scouted them, (Livonia) Churchill is the same way they got a new coach so it’s a lot of moving parts, I think it’s going to be a competitive district, I think it’s going to be well coached and the Livonia schools, they play in the KLAA (Kensington Lakes Activities Association) so it’s a different brand of basketball, we have to scout it when we get closer to the tournament, they are all well coached, well organized teams, pretty tough kids, it’s never easy. I wish we could go into the state tournament knowing that we’re going to get off the bus and going to win but when your playing competitive schools and competitive coaches, the kids that like to compete it’s a nightmare for coaches, it’s the grind, we’re going to try and do what we always do, get to work everyday in the regular season and compete our butts off and play hard and when the district draw comes, we’ll see where we’re at and get ready to prepare mentally and physically and go through it” said Negoshian. The Raiders could surprise some people if the young guys step up and make some noise.
ADAMS HIGHLANDERS
LAST SEASON: 15-8, 5-7 Red. Lost 66-61 to Utica in Division One District Finals.
STRENGTHS: Wings, Size, Depth, Program Strength.
CONCERNS: Guards.
KEY PLAYER: Colin Langdon-F
BIGGEST STORYLINE: How does the Highlanders replace their guards???: The Highlanders had a great year for Coach Isiah Novak but it didn’t end well in the district final losing to Utica on their home floor. ” It was a great season, the only loss we had outside of the OAA was that district championship against Utica, obviously that leaves us with a sour taste in our mouths, it’s been really motivating since then and the guys have internalized that, they’ve been working really hard, conditioning coach has been non stopped so I’m excited to get back at it” Novak said. Adams lost two great guards in William Gee and Peter Kardasis to graduation. “We lost two great guards, they can score, they can handle the ball, they can play defense so we got big shoes to fill but we got pieces that can do that, we got six seven guys who can go out there and handle the ball, they can all score, they can play d so I don’t know if any of them can do with Will and Peter Kardasis can do but collectively they can” Novak added. They have Colin Langdon, Clark Langdon, Trenton LaGarge, Luke Marcial, and Cannon Flynn coming back. The Highlanders will need to replace their two top guards from last season. Program strength looks strong for Novak but replacing two great guards will be tough to replace as mentioned. “We can go out there and compete and give us a chance to win” Novak concluded. It will be really interesting to see how Adams does especially with the run the football team is having.
WHITE
LAKE ORION DRAGONS
LAST SEASON: 16-8, 9-5 White. Lost 53-32 to Waterford Mott in Division One District Semifinals.
STRENGTHS: Depth, Proven Experience.
CONCERNS: Size.
KEY PLAYER: Zack Parks-G/F
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Proven Depth and Experience: The Dragons had a strong year last season winning 16 games but fell to Waterford Mott in the district semifinals. The majority of Coach Jose Andrades team is coming back with Zack Parks, Nick Galben, Ryan Rocheleau. Gabe Scott, Steven Butcher, Joey Neering having varsity experience, along with newcomers Nate Guccione, Will Farmer, Jackson Shoskey, and Max Neering in the fold. Lake Orion is very deep, talented, and blue collared. “I think it’s right on par, I got great kids, they want to play together, want to play hard for each other and we have kids like that you can do anything, we’re excited about this year” Andrades said. They have a tough non conference and a tough district looming. The Dragons look to be a force despite not having a ton of size. Program strength looks to be solid for Lake Orion. “Having experience helps a lot, having ups and downs, last year we had some great runs and couple of learning experiences, it teaches a lot to persevere and it’s great to have them back” Andrades concluded. The Dragons could be in line for a big year if everyone stays healthy.
OXFORD WILDCATS
LAST SEASON: 14-9, 11-3 Blue. Lost 64-46 to Grand Blanc in Division One District Semifinals.
STRENGTHS: Proven Experience.
CONCERNS: Size, Program Strength.
KEY PLAYER: Jake Champagne-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Senior Experience: The Wildcats were a very young team that won 14 games and were in the Blue title picture but they fell twice to Avondale and eventually fell to Grand Blanc in the district semifinals last season. They made a ton of noise this summer winning games and bonding. Oxford has the majority of their team in Jake Champagne, Drew Cady, Robert George, Nolan Mauser, Colatrane Hudson, Brennan Elling, Parker Bennion, Cayden Smith, Jonah Lundeberg, and Luke Stoffan coming back for Coach Joe Fedorchick. Program strength looks to be a big concern especially with a huge senior class that the Wildcats have. They have a very tough non conference schedule and a tough district which has Grand Blanc. Size looks to be a question mark for the Wildcats but experience makes up for it.It could be very interesting to see what Oxford has this season and also in the long term as well.
TROY COLTS
LAST SEASON: 22-2, 14-0 White. Lost 59-44 to Birmingham Brother Rice in Division One District Finals.
STRENGTHS: Proven Guards.
CONCERNS: Size, Program Strength.
KEY PLAYER: Mason Parker-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Which post player steps up???: The Colts had a really good season winning 22 straight games until they fell to Birmingham Brother Rice in the district finals. “Last year was a lot of fun obviously they had a lot of good players, a lot of experience, we are going to miss Chase and Jonny, and Bryce but these guys are going to have to step up and they will” said legendary coach Gary Fralick. Troy lost two key players in Jon Whiteside and Chase Kuiper to graduation but they have Cameron Adams, Patrick Johnson, Andrew Lake, Leo Penoza, Cung Lian, Colin Bastein, Jack Sobotka, and Mason Parker coming back for Fralick. Interior is a big question for the Colts. “I think we’ll battle, we’ll play a lot of four guard even five guard offense, we’re going to press a lot, we’re going to run a lot, we’re going to try and disrupt the other team with our defense and get up and down the floor as fast as we can” Fralick concluded. Program strength will be something to watch for the Colts. Troy has Parker and Lake which is huge but it’s a young lineup and size is a concern. They have a favorable district which helps as well. The Colts are a really interesting team to watch this season.
OAK PARK KNIGHTS
LAST SEASON: 5-15, 1-11 Red. Lost 70-58 to Groves in Division One District Semifinals.
STRENGTHS: Guards.
CONCERNS: Program Strength.
KEY PLAYER: Jason Harris-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Can the Knights handle life without Geon Hutchins???: The Knights really struggled in the Red winning five games and falling to Groves in the district semifinals. They took a huge hit when Geon Hutchins transferred out of Oak Park and went to Warren Lincoln this offseason. The Knights have some experience coming back with Jason Harris for Coach Durrand Sheppard. Program strength looks solid but can they transition from sub varsity to varsity remains to be seen. Sheppard has a history of playing in classics but program strength is a concern if the Knights want to compete.
SEAHOLM MAPLES
LAST SEASON: 6-17, 4-10 White. Lost 43-39 to Bloomfield Hills in Division One First Round.
STRENGTH: Length.
CONCERNS: Bench.
KEY PLAYER: Cole Baldwin-F
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Transition period: The Maples were a team in turmoil changing coaches during the season. Seaholm fell to Bloomfield Hills in the first round and a change was needed last season. The Maples went with Spenser Adams taking over the program this offseason. Adams has a football background which helps when it comes to knowing the players really well. “The transition from football to basketball was quick, we were playing Friday night (lost to Groves in district finals) and trying out Monday morning luckily we’ve had a lot of good assistant coaches in the program, those guys have carried the torch this fall, the senior leaders have been working all summer and all fall knew the expectation before football really got rolling so between the senior leadership and the assistant coaches, I don’t think we missed a beat, the guys came in Monday morning with their hair on fire” Adams said. Seaholm has a talented player in Everett Wertz coming back and should be a foundation piece for Adams. They also have Charlie Gorycia, Will Soderwall, and Cole Baldwin coming back. Program strength looks to be solid but the transition will be really interesting to watch with the Maples. “We got really good kids, they want to work hard, we got kids that are willing to sacrifice their time, effort, and energy and get uncomfortable to improve themselves as long as we handle our offseason business the right way we should come in and be ready to compete with anybody. Some of the strengths of the program, we got some senior guys that want to make an impact on the program and turn things around. We need to be ready to come out and play a different brand of basketball that Seaholm High School isn’t accustom to seeing, it should be exciting” Adams concluded. The Maples are going to be a really interesting team to watch this season.
FARMINGTON FALCONS
LAST SEASON: 12-11, 8-6 White. Lost 79-67 to Redford Thurston in Division One First Round.
STRENGTH: Worksman like, chip on the shoulder, Program Strength.
CONCERNS: Interior, Proven Experience.
KEY PLAYER: Darnell Cochrane-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: How the Falcons will handle life without Greg Grays???: The Falcons had an up and down year last season and a season ending injury to star player Greg Grays but despite losing Grays they fell to Redford Thurston in the first round. “It’s good or bad it depends on who you ask” Coach Byron Johnson said. This offseason has been crazy for Farmington, they had several players transfer out including Grays who transferred to Birmingham Brother Rice. Coach Byron Johnson has Darnell Cochrane and Randy Rice coming back but they will be a young team. “We have a lot of young guys who we’re really excited about, our guys play hard, we got a couple of new faces, it will be exciting to see what we look like in the league” Johnson said. Program strength is also a big concern as well. The Falcons have a ton of questions coming into this season despite being a possible sleeper. “I think we’re going to be a sleeper in the league, nobody thinks we’re going to be very good but our young guys are tough, we have two seniors who are really excited about, who can score the basketball so defensively as long as we can guard, I feel like we can win every game in the league” Johnson concluded. Farmington does have a chance to be a sleeper, they will be a team to watch.
HARPER WOODS PIONEERS
LAST SEASON: 8-13, 8-6 White. Lost 71-65 to Eastpointe in Division Two District Semifinals.
STRENGTHS: Athleticism.
CONCERNS: Proven Experience, Program Strength.
KEY PLAYER: Jaden McDonald-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Numbers: The Pioneers had an up and down season which saw them win eight games but program strength took a huge hit when their Junior Varsity team got into a fight at Farmington which cost them their season. Harper Woods has Jaden McDonald, Colby Bailey, and Miron Baylor coming back for Coach TaJuan Porter. McDonald made a ton of noise and was the third option in the Pioneers offense but he will be the first option this season. Program strength is a serious concern for Porter heading into this season. Harper Woods is also in a deep football run in the postseason. It will be very interesting to see what the Pioneers do after a rough year last season.
TROY ATHENS RED HAWKS
LAST SEASON: 14-9, 9-5 White. Lost 63-58 to Troy in Division One District Semifinals.
STRENGTHS: Proven Starters and Forwards.
CONCERNS: Program Strength, Bench.
KEY PLAYER: Nathan Piggott-F
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Transition Period: The Red Hawks had a strong season winning 14 games but fell to Troy in the district semifinals. Troy Athens has a new coach in Mitchell Vercellino who takes over for legendary Coach Dave Scott. “I coached with Dave Scott for nine years so him and I were really aligned with most things with the program so I feel like it’s been my job to like pick it up and take it to the next level with what Coach Scott and I were trying to do, not try to come in and do a 180 just trying to come in and put my finger print on the program” Vercellino said. The Red Hawks have some proven experience in Nathan Piggott, Liam Dempsey, Nate Appledorn, Caiden Hanburry, Brendan Tucker, and Alex Beaubien coming back. Program strength is something to watch with Troy Athens. “We graduated a lot of important players pacifically the guards with the ball handling with Griffin LaBay and Emmanuel Robinson, scoring as well but we’re returning Caiden Hanburry and Nathan Piggott who were 10th graders who started on the team last year and they are going to be starters and returners for us this year, we’re going to lean on them, we’re going to rely on our four seniors as well, we’re just ready to compete and look forward to a great season” Vercellino concluded. It will be very interesting to see how the Red Hawks look heading into the season.
BLUE
PONTIAC PHOENIX
LAST SEASON: 13-9, 9-5 Blue. Lost 58-48 to Clarkston in Division One First Round.
STRENGTHS: Proven Experience especially Guards.
CONCERNS: Depth, Bench.
KEY PLAYER: Jeremiah Claudio-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Is the Phoenix back???: The Phoenix made a ton of head waves last season winning 13 games. They were really competitive with Clarkston before falling in the first round. Pontiac has seem to get back to where they were when Coach Joel Schroeder coached the program in 2019. Coach Andrew Myers has done a tremendous job turning the program. They have Jeremiah Claudio, Fa’Marzay Jeffery, FaHeem Jeffery coming back. Program strength looks to be solid for the Phoenix as well despite depth being a huge concern. Pontiac should be a force to watch this season.
ROCHESTER FALCONS
LAST SEASON: 8-16, 5-9 Blue. Lost 45-30 to Adams in Division One District Semifinals.
STRENGTHS: Proven Experience.
CONCERNS: Bench, Consistency.
KEY PLAYER: Max Muhl-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Can the Falcons be consistent???: The Falcons were up and down last season winning eight games but it included a hard fought win over Romeo but they fell to Adams in the district semifinals. Rochester should be much improved this season for Coach Nick Evola. The Falcons have Max Muhl, Noah Kim, Luke Lower, Anthony Chirco, Kellen Muhl, and Jake Tandy coming back for Evola. Program strength looks to be solid despite some questions when it comes to the bench. The Falcons have a really interesting non conference schedule with a tough district. Consistency is the key for Rochester this season.
BLOOMFIELD HILLS BLACKHAWKS
LAST SEASON: 6-18, 3-11 White. Lost 66-35 to Birmingham Brother Rice in Division One District Semifinals.
STRENGTHS: Guards.
CONCERNS: Size.
KEY PLAYER: D’Ron Mason-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Experience Matters, size is a concern: The Blackhawks had a really challenging year in the White last season. They did show a ton of progress late into the year by winning over Seaholm twice and was in it for a while with Birmingham Brother Rice in the district semifinals. Bloomfield Hills should benefit being in a new division with proven guards despite some questions regarding size. They have Daron Mason, Philip Muhammad, Carter Hartfield, Mason Hitchcock, and Carter Canfield coming back along with Brandon Bies for Coach Brian Canfield. Program strength will be something to watch for Canfield and the Blackhawks. They have the talent and the experience to win this division despite being in a really tough district. Size is the biggest concern for Canfield and his program this season.
BERKLEY BEARS
LAST SEASON: 14-8, 9-5 Blue. Lost 52-39 to Groves in Division One District Finals.
STRENGTHS: Numbers.
CONCERNS: Not a ton of proven experience.
KEY PLAYER: Johnny Paprockie-C
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Can the Bears end the drought???: The Bears have been really consistent as a program. Coach Joe Sermo has done a great job keeping Berkley really competitive after winning 14 games and taking Groves to the limit in the district finals. “I graduated nine seniors from that class, we had high expectations for that group and we ended up tying for third in the Blue behind Avondale and Oxford. We got off to a slow start in Novi and a lot of questions to answer that night, we had Troy lurking at home that next Friday, we came out and beat Troy which ended up being a huge win. It took some time but we had some really good experience, we wanted to win the Blue but we fell short” said Sermo. They have Avery Johnson, Evan Young, Jacob Friedman, Evan Haenick, Sam Niyo, and Kenny Swain coming back. “I’m returning four roster players total from last year, two of them Evan Haenick and Jacob Friedman started every game for me last year, not only did they start but they had a significant role of our success so we’re excited and we’re going to lean on them a lot but graduating nine seniors I have a lot of slots to fill, we went into our own school’s portal and I have a lot of kids that are coming back who played their freshman and sophomore year in our program but have not played varsity and are seniors so I’m back up to eight seniors, they are going to bring significance, JaMah Hill is one of them, he’s a 6.3 senior, Johnny Paprockie a 6.6 center, these are guys that are big bodies and they are getting acclimated back to the high school game, the varsity game is a different animal when it comes to toughness so it’s going to take a minute but they are going to get acclimated themselves. Sam Sermo is a player to watch this season. “Sam will do just fine, he’s a sophomore, he’s a little bit younger with what you see on the varsity roster, him and his twin brother Drew (Sermo) are on varsity this year grew up going to my games, they were eating on their high chairs during games, they grew up in the gymnasium, they understand the locker rooms, the lingo, the terminology, how to compete, how to win, they aren’t going to be scared of the moment which is wonderful. Sammy is a shooter, he is confident with his shot, he’s streaky when he shoots the three ball. Drew is the consist point guard, he’s a pass first point guard, he can score and plays with a lot of quickness, it’s going to be a lot of fun out there, they know it’s not Daddy ball, they are going to be treated like everyone else but it’s going to be special to see them wear the same colors I did 25 years ago” Sermo added about his sons. Berkley could have a great chance to do some damage this postseason with a very favorable district. “We got some good experience getting to that district championship game against Groves, and we played really well, it was tight with four minutes to go and we couldn’t get enough baskets and take care of the ball down the stretch and Groves took us out on their home court but it was a great atmosphere and when your in the locker room you see the tears and hugs something went right and it meant something to those kids. This is a totally new district, I’m used to being in a district with Mumford (Detroit), Oak Park, and Renaissance (Detroit), U-D (Jesuit) and last year with Groves and Oak Park but this year with Warren Mott, Royal Oak, Troy, and Troy Athens nothing is ever a gimmie, we have never earned the respect to take anybody lightly, we have a chance like everyone else and our kids are excited over that but it’s going to take two and a half months to build up to playing our best basketball come March” Sermo said. Program strength looks solid for Sermo. The Bears did lose a ton of proven experience but the pipeline when it comes to program strength has been the key to Berkley’s success and it could be again this season.
STONEY CREEK COUGARS
LAST SEASON: 6-16, 5-9 Blue. Lost 65-56 to Utica Eisenhower in Division One First Round.
STRENGTHS: Proven Experience.
CONCERNS: Mental Mindset.
KEY PLAYER: Tyree Smith-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Can the Cougars put it together???: The Cougars have had things really rough in the last two years. Stoney Creek is 9-35 since Coach Jeff Olind took over the program but Stoney Creek mentioned that things are going to be different this season. “This is going to be completely different, I wouldn’t say we have better players but we have a better team overall, we have kids that want to play together, learn the game and play it the right way, we got kids who put everything in at practice, they are just ready to go and ready to compete” said assistant Coach Caleb Towns. They have Gideon Beers, Chritos Marselis, Koby Rauner, Joseph Zoorob, Spencer Beckeman, and Tyree Smith coming back. Program strength really hasn’t really been too much of an issue for Olind despite the lack of success on the varsity. “Our expectations are to compete in the Blue, win the league and win the district this year” Towns concluded. Success will be key for Olind if Stoney Creek wants to make some noise in the future.
SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH WARRIORS
LAST SEASON: 3-20, 1-13 White. Lost 53-35 to Livonia Franklin in Division One First Round.
STRENGTHS: Forwards and Wings.
CONCERNS: Mental mindset, Program Strength.
KEY PLAYER: Cameron Dickinson-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: New division, different results???: The Warriors were a really young team that was in a very tough division in the White which the results showed last season. Southfield Arts and Tech has a chance to be competitive in a new division and will see new teams. Coach Terrance Porter will have a really young team again this season but they will be more experienced. They have Cameron Dickerson and Trent Green coming back. Program strength is very concerning for the Warriors heading into the season. Southfield Arts and Tech should be better being in a new division but will the results show is the question.
ROYAL OAK RAVENS
LAST SEASON: 9-13, 4-10 Blue. Lost 51-26 to Oak Park in Division One First Round.
STRENGTHS: Three Point Shooting, Guards.
CONCERNS: Size.
KEY PLAYER: CJ Hariston-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Sustainability: The Ravens have been a really interesting team in the last two years. Royal Oak seems to do well early but struggle in the middle or late into the year. “Consistency is the word, I think this year we’re hoping to bring that consistency, we have good leadership with our four year senior Nick Hoffman so with the stability that he’ll bring on both sides on the court that’s going to really help us with our consistency” said Coach Aaron Smith. Royal Oak has CJ Hariston, Nick Hoffman, Yurem Patino, Sam Zeller, Sam Rogers, and Ethan Cousins coming back which helps. “We have some gym rats, CJ Hariston, he’s a sophomore guard who’s really good on the offensive end, a junior in Sam Zeller who can score the basketball, we have a potential point guard in Ethan Cousins and then the straw that stirs the drink is Sam Rogers. I think we have some really good leadership to allow us to be more consistent throughout the year so we can ascend come tournament time” Smith said. Program strength has been really interesting to watch for Smith. “That’s straight development for us, it’s not about wins and losses, it’s just identifying three or four players that we can reload to the varsity level every year and that’s just an up and down trek that comes to our freshmen and JV team but it’s been really successful for us, we got some really good leadership when they become seniors” Smith said. It comes down to sustainability for the Ravens, that will be the key for the season.
FERNDALE UNIVERSITY EAGLES
LAST SEASON: 4-19, 0-14 Blue. Lost 76-44 to Ferndale in Division Two District Semifinals.
STRENGTHS: Proven Experience.
CONCERNS: Mental Mindset, Depth, Bench.
KEY PLAYER: Kevin Williams-Jackson-G
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Finding a way: It was a rough year for the Eagles and Coach Josh Nicks not winning a league game and winning four games. It comes down to style for Ferndale University this season. They have Kevin Williams-Jackson, Amere Harris, Tyler Stokes, DeQuan Small, Taiwan Johnson, Antonio Jones, Dontrelle Milton, Devin Moore, and Kody Pippen coming back. The Eagles have a ton of proven experience to turn things around and quickly. Program strength is a big concern coming into the season. Ferndale University should be much improved with the proven experience Nicks has coming back.
