Updated Basketball Surprises/Concerns.

Written Sunday December 10th at 9:30 PM
Updated Sunday December 17th at 1:10 AM

Well we are in the midst of mid December so here are my surprises and disappointments from Girls and Boys Basketball in the midway point of the month.

Girls

Teams Expected to be where they are at:

Clarkston (3-1): The Wolves have seemed to recover from their disappointing loss to Ypsilanti Arbor Prep with wins over Royal Oak and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep respectably but the biggest one they had was against Groves in which they came back from ten down on their home floor to beat the Falcons. Clarkston will be tested again when they go to Stoney Creek and then host Southfield Arts and Tech this week. The Wolves have seemed to have figure things out and have seemed to have things going in the right direction.

Groves (3-1): The Falcons are off to a nice start and with a ton of talent and experience back, they can become a player not only in the White but also in the district itself. Groves had a tough loss to Clarkston in which they blew a ten point lead but they bounced back to beat Berkley on Friday night. This week they two road games with Royal Oak in an early test and then on Friday against Seaholm. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Falcons win two games this week.

Royal Oak (4-1): The Ravens have been tested when you look at them. Royal Oak lost to Clarkston but have had big wins over Bloomfield Hills, Royal Oak Shrine, Berkley, and Walled Lake Northern. The Ravens have a tough schedule as this week they host Groves on Tuesday and go to Rochester on Friday. Royal Oak also has Birmingham Marian on the schedule as well. Things are looking up for coach Brian Sopota’s team.

Biggest Surprise in a good way:

Oxford (3-1): The Wildcats are off to a strong start after upsetting Stoney Creek and survived against Lapeer along with beating Adams but the only loss came against River Rouge, whom is very good. Oxford could give some teams problems this season especially against the White’s top contenders in Groves and Royal Oak. The Wildcats will have two interesting league games setting up with a trip to Troy and a game at Little Caesars Arena against West Bloomfield on Friday.

Farmington (3-1): The Falcons have surprised some people this season by winning two straight games. Farmington beat Milford, St. Catherine of Sienna, and Troy Athens with their only loss being to a good Troy team. The Falcons could do some damage in the Blue but they have a tough game on Tuesday against Avondale and then on Thursday against Oak Park on the road. Farmington under first year coach Laura Guzman has things heading in the right direction.

Avondale (2-1): The Yellow Jackets have bounced back a bit ever since losing to Groves, whom is very good. Avondale beat Rochester Luteran Northwest last week and have seemed to be back in the good graces. The Yellow Jackets play two tough road games this week in Farmington and Berkley. We'll know a lot about Avondale this week.

Biggest Surprises in a bad way:

Adams (0-3): The Highlanders have played a tough non conference schedule thus far with tough losses to Farmington Hills Mercy, Oxford, and Walled Lake Central. Adams is injury riddled right now but they work hard despite question marks. The Highlanders still have to play Utica Eisenhower and Utica later in the season. They play the Eagles on Thursday but they have Southfield Arts and Tech first on Tuesday. It could be a real tough week for Adams.

Berkley (0-5): The Bears have been in a lot of close games but haven’t been able to find those inches. Berkley lost to Troy Athens, Waterford Mott, and Royal Oak Shrine by a combined 28 points but they were blown out by both Royal Oak and Groves by a combined 64 points. The Bears have a very tough stretch coming up with games against Avondale and Oak Park this week. Berkley will have their hands full once again this week.

Bloomfield Hills (1-2): The Blackhawks were supposed to have a down season but they have been very competitive as of late. Bloomfield Hills lost to Royal Oak by one point but bounced back to beat West Bloomfield but they had a tough loss to Waterford Our Lady of the Lakers last week. The Blackhawks will play Chandler Park Academy this week. The schedule will toughen up though with  River Rouge coming to Bloomfield Hills on December 28th. It won’t be easy for coach Jeff Rubin and his team.

Teams that are fine:

Southfield Arts and Tech (0-4): The Warriors are off to a shocking start in the wrong way with losses to very good teams in Walled Lake Western, Flint Carman Ainsworth, River Rouge, and Cleveland Norwood. This might be the first time that I question coach Michelle Marshall when it comes to playing a tough schedule. Southfield Arts and Tech has Adams and Clarkston this week then it's Detroit Renaissance next week. Talk about brutal but expect the Warriors to get their first win this week.

Stoney Creek (1-4): The Cougars inexperience and youth has showed this early season especially against Walled Lake Western and Waterford Kettering but they had another rough week with losses to North Farmington and were upset by Oxford but their only win was against Rochester. Stoney Creek is fine though because they are well coached and well disciplined. The Cougars will be tested with one game this week against Clarkston before getting some much needed rest before playing Flat Rock on December 29th.

Orion (3-2): The Dragons had some success last week but it came at a heavy price as the team lost it's starting point guard to a knee injury. After a solid win against a very good Utica Eisenhower team they had one tough loss to Groves and a really bad loss to Holly but the road has been kind to them as Orion beat Seaholm and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep last week. Orion still has a tough schedule with North Farmington and Romeo coming up this week both on the road. The Dragons mental mindset remains a big concern but if they can play for each other they will be fine.

Teams that has work to do:

Troy (3-2): The Colts have been a Jekyll and Hyde team as of late, winning their first two games over Sterling Heights Stevenson and Farmington but they lost to Waterford Mott by three points and took a really bad loss to Walled Lake Central but bounced back and blew out Cranbrook. Troy’s next two games will be interesting as they will be at home with games against Oxford, and Troy Athens. The Colts do have some issues to fix as we head into the season.

Troy Athens (2-2): The Red Hawks have been competitive as of late, going through two wins against Pontiac Academy of Excellence and Berkley but they took two setbacks losing to Farmington and Romulus. Troy Athens still has some work to do to see any progress. The Red Hawks have a tough schedule coming up with games against Troy on Friday and West Bloomfield on Tuesday. We're starting to get an idea and see what Troy Athens has.

Pontiac (1-1): The Phoenix had been hot and cold as of late, going through a tough loss to Westland John Glenn but bounced back by beating Detroit Community. Pontiac will have one game next week  against Ferndale on Tuesday. The game with the Eagles should be winnable but they have a tough one looming on December 27th when they take on Lansing Eastern. We'll know a lot about the Phoenix when they play that game.

Teams that are unproven:

North Farmington (4-0): The Raiders sit in a nice spot after getting blowout wins over Lakeland, West Bloomfield, and Walled Lake Northern but they had to survive Stoney Creek last week. North Farmington has rode Samantha Cherney whom had four big games. This week the Raiders play Orion on Tuesday at home and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep on the road on Friday. It should be an interesting week for North Farmington.

Hazel Park (2-1): The Vikings have a new coaching staff and they have picked up where they left off from last season, now given that the wins were against Eastpointe and Mount Clemens. Hazel Park did lose to Armada. The Vikings play Hamtramck and Ferndale this week, both of them should be easy victories.

Oak Park (2-1): The Knights hadn't been tested until last week. Despite getting wins over Pontiac Academy of Excellence and Ferndale University they were tested by a solid Dearborn Heights Robachud team. Oak Park lost by three points to the Falcons last week in a very competitive game. The Knights will have a tough schedule this week with home games against Berkley on Tuesday and Farmington on Friday. Also they have Toledo Waite on December 28th. It will be interesting to see what happens with Oak Park but they are competitive.

Teams that are in trouble:

Rochester (0-5): The Falcons are going through a tough transition with coach Al Poynter taking over the team but finding wins on their upcoming schedule will be tricky. Rochester lost to Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, Milford, Utica Ford, Stoney Creek, and Avondale. The Falcons have a chance to get their first win of the season when they host Seaholm on Tuesday and on Thursday host Royal Oak but Rochester right now is not in a good spot.

West Bloomfield (0-3): The Lakers have had some rough luck as of late losing to Bloomfield Hills, North Farmington, and Howell. The non conference schedule will get tough for West Bloomfield this week with as they will be on the road with a back to back against Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes on Tuesday and then opening league play against Troy Athens on Wednesday and then a trip to Detroit to play Oxford on Friday. It won’t be easy for coach Bert Mosley and his team.

Seaholm (0-4): The Maples have been struggling lately not scoring 30 points in each of those games but their defense has improved recently. Seaholm has a really tough schedule coming up when they get into league play this week with a trip to Rochester on Tuesday and a home test with Groves on Thursday. This week will tell a lot where the Maples are at right now.

Boys

Teams Expected to be where they are at:

Clarkston (4-0): With all the distractions surrounding regarding the Thomas Kitchier situation the Wolves got two wins against State ranked teams in Flint Carman Ainsworth and Wayne Memorial to go along with blowout wins over Orion and Sterling Heights Stevenson. Clarkston will play Orchard Lake St. Marys on Thursday, which is their only game this week. It will be an interesting test for the Wolves.

Hazel Park (2-0): The Vikings made a statement against Detroit East English Village Prep two weeks ago and they made yet another statement when they went into Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit and beat the Cubs. Hazel Park will be tested with a back to back on Friday against Detroit Loyola at Corunna and Saturday against Detroit Public Safety Academy at Southfield Arts and Tech, along with December 27th when they play Detroit Henry Ford. It will be an interesting week for the Vikings.

Troy (3-0): The Colts are off to a nice start with big wins over Troy Athens, Novi, and Avondale.  Troy has had to deal with internal issues off the court but on the court they are as deep as anyone. This week the Colts host Ferndale on Tuesday and then they won't play again until December 28th when they play Canton. Troy wants to get back to having a deep playoff run and right now they are off to a good start.

Biggest Surprises in a good way:

Orion (2-1): The Dragons are half way to their win total from all of last season with home wins over Avondale and Oxford but they ran into the buzzsaw known as Clarkston. Orion is far from a finished product though and will be tested this week at home with Davison on Tuesday and on Thursday at Romeo. The Dragons right now are in a good spot.

Avondale (2-2): The Yellow Jackets did not have a good week with two losses to Orion and Troy two weeks ago but Avondale will be fine heading into league play because of good coaching and the talent they have even though it is young talent, they are still very athletic. The young guys will get better for the Yellow Jackets and they made a big statement with big wins over Detroit University Prep and Waterford Mott by one point. This week Avondale plays Rochester at Rochester College on Tuesday and goes to Detroit Cass Tech to play Detroit Fredrick Douglass. It won’t be easy but they will be fine going forward

Farmington (1-0): The Falcons are off to a solid start after getting a big overtime win over Walled Lake Central. Farmington is far from a finished product though but they will have over two weeks of rest with their next game not being until Saturday when they play Sterling Heights Parkway Christian at Corunna. It will be interesting to see where the Falcons are at for a while.

Biggest Surprises in a bad way:

North Farmington (1-1): The Raiders are not the same team as they were last season and they really laid an egg at home against Ypsilanti despite beating Detroit University Prep Science and Math. North Farmington has concerns everywhere despite playing Roseville on Tuesday on the road and Cincinnati Withrow on December 27th. The Raiders have a tough schedule as well the rest of the way.

Southfield Arts and Tech (0-3): The Warriors did not look good against Southfield Christian, River Rouge, or Detroit Mumford but they were a very young team. Southfield Arts and Tech won't have another game until December 27th when they play Macomb L'Anse Creuse. It could be a long season for the Warriors.

Rochester (3-1): The Falcons under new coach Vance Kirkwood sent shockwaves through Rochester when they beat Stoney Creek on Friday night. Rochester also got an opening night win over Detroit University Prep two weeks ago but they were blown out by Warren De LaSalle even though they bounced back and beat Fraser. The Falcons have to play Avondale on Tuesday at Rochester College to close out the year. It will be interesting to see what happens with Rochester.

Teams that are fine:

Oxford (1-2): The Wildcats have had a tough two games to start their season with tough losses to Orion and Romeo but Oxford has improved from game to game and sent a statement with a blowout win over a good Lapeer team last week. Oxford will play Richmond at Imlay City this week to close out the year. The Wildcats are just fine where they are at.

Ferndale (1-2): The Eagles showed strong resilience when they went into Birmingham and came back to beat Birmingham Brother Rice two weeks ago but last week Ferndale had a setback with losses to Ecorse and Walled Lake Northern. The Eagles will have an interesting week with a trip to Troy on Tuesday. Ferndale is fine right now.

West Bloomfield (0-2): The Lakers have been very competitive as of late with two tough losses to Warren De LaSalle and Detroit Henry Ford. Both of West Bloomfield's losses have came by a combined 12 points. The Lakers this week play River Rouge on Tuesday and then won't play until December 29th when they play St. Clair. West Bloomfield is fine right now, don't press the panic button on these guys.

Teams that have work to do:

Pontiac (0-3): The Phoenix have had a tough few weeks losing heartbreakers to Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Waterford Mott, and Detroit Community. Pontiac will have one game this week when they host  host Southfield Christian on Monday. The schedule also gets tough as the Phoenix are in the Plymouth Salem Tournament against Redford Thurston on December 28th and possibly Plymouth Salem on December 29th. It could be very interesting for Pontiac to see where they are at.

Stoney Creek (0-1): The Cougars found out that you just can’t rely on Nate Davis to carry you in their loss to Rochester. Stoney Creek needs to get others involved besides Davis. The Cougars should be fine in the long run but they need to get help for Davis and they have the talent to do it. Stoney Creek has two road games starting with Utica Ford on Monday and Detroit Loyola at Corunna on Friday. These could be the two games that get the Cougars back on track.

Oak Park (1-1): The Knights have seemed to have turned things around with a win over Detroit Cody but they are still stinging from their loss to Birmingham Detroit Country Day from last week. Oak Park will not play another game until 2018 but they still have some work to do until then.

Teams that are unproven:

Berkley (3-0): The Bears have been rolling as of late but the teams they have played haven’t been the greatest with wins over Eastpointe, Madison, and Clawson. Berkley hosts Ferndale University on Tuesday and Center Line on Thursday. The Bears should be unbeaten heading into their game on December 29^th with Madison Heights Bishop Foley. Berkley right now off to a nice start.

Adams (2-0): The Highlanders fresh off going 0-21 last season have won two straight games over interesting competition in Utica and Waterford Kettering, both teams played tough on Friday with Utica beating Utica Eisenhower while Waterford Kettering lost to Waterford Mott. Adams will host Brandon on Thursday. The Highlanders are looking for wins and they are on the right path getting there.

Troy Athens (2-1): The Red Hawks are off to a good start and they have a ton of experience to back them up as well. Troy Athens got wins over Mount Clemens and Utica Eisenhower but they took a setback against their arch rivals from Troy last week. This week the Red Hawks will play Pontiac Academy of Excellence on Wednesday and then they will play Grand Rapids Union on December 27th and Okemos on December 29th. We'll know a lot about Troy Athens for sure after those two games.

Teams that are in trouble:

Seaholm (2-2): The Maples to their defense have been injury riddled as of late and it has shown with losses to Novi Detroit Catholic Central and Birmingham Brother Rice. Last week, Seaholm got two big victories as they beat Clawson and needed a buzzer beater to beat Harrison. The Maples will close out the year on Tuesday when they host Bloomfield Hills. It will be an interesting matchup for Seaholm.

Harrison (0-3): The Hawks have really struggled defending including getting blown out by Milford on the road. Harrison has some issues right now and they have a new staff with Jarell Hogan taking over the program. The Hawks lost two one point games to Detroit Osborn and Seaholm, both on buzzer beaters. Harrison heads into 2018 with some motivation to get their first win of the season.

Bloomfield Hills (1-2): The Blackhawks got a big win over Plymouth Christian two weeks but last week didn't go so well for Bloomfield Hills with losses to Detroit Cass Tech and Groves. The schedule won't be easy for the Blackhawks this week as they are at Seaholm on Tuesday and host Pontiac Notre Dame Prep. They play Detroit Western on December 26th. Besides the Red schedule Bloomfield Hills has to play Saline as well. It won’t be easy for the Bloomfield Hills.