Boys Basketball Preview.

Written Friday December 1st at 2:05 PM

Here are my early projections and insights surrounding the upcoming Boys Basketball season. Enjoy everyone.

INSIDE THE OAA TOP 10

1. Clarkston

2. West Bloomfield

3. Hazel Park

4. Oak Park

5. Troy

6. Stoney Creek

7. Pontiac

8. Orion

9. Rochester

10. Oxford

Red

INSIGHT: This will be an interesting division that has three teams that made deep runs in the playoffs last season and two teams that have been to the State Finals in the last five years. Hazel Park and Troy comes up from the White. The favorite has to be Clarkston with being the defending State Champions and the likely favorite to repeat because of whom they return. West Bloomfield whom made the Final Four last season got stronger with the addition of several transfers that came there that could contend. Troy was a State Quarterfinalist returns the balk of their team back. Hazel Park also has a ton of talent back. North Farmington will have to reload a bit. Southfield Arts and Tech will be young. Bloomfield Hills could struggle here in this division. Interesting league to say the least.

DREAM SCHEDULE: Troy: The Colts have a friendly non conference schedule this season. Now it does include a tough test against Novi but Troy has Troy Athens, Avondale, Canton, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, and Ferndale, in which those games are tough but competitive, and winnable. The Colts have a tough league schedule as mentioned but with the talent this team returns why not Troy here, they could win double digit games this season.

NIGHTMARE SCHEDULE: Clarkston: Who would want to play Clarkston with the team they have back???, not to mention that they are the defending State Champions. The league will be interesting for the Wolves but the non conference will be a challenge. Coach Dan Fife’s team will have to play Wayne Memorial, Flint Carman Ainsworth, Detroit East English Village Prep, Detroit Pershing, Ann Arbor Skyline, Romulus, and Orchard Lake St. Marys. Talk about a brutal non league schedule but Clarkston deserves it.

TEAM THAT HAS A LOT TO PROVE: Hazel Park: The Vikings got their wish, they are in the Red and Senior Heavy but do they belong in this division is the question. Hazel Park plays a tough non conference schedule with games against a ton of Detroit schools including Detroit Henry Ford, Detroit East English Village Prep, Detroit Pershing, and Loyola. That’s not mentioning their Southfield Arts and Tech classic game, Toledo Scott, Benton Harbor, or Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit. This is a brutal schedule for the Vikings, got to wonder if they are ready for it.

TEAM THAT’S IN TROUBLE: Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks are in the Red and have a new coach in Phil Kurajian but the schedule is brutal with not only the league but non conference as well with Groves, Seaholm, Detroit Western, and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep. That’s not mentioning their home opener against Plymouth Christian. Birmingham Detroit Country Day, Detroit Cass Tech, and Saline is also on the schedule. It could be a long season for Bloomfield Hills this season.

CLARKSTON WOLVES

Last Season: 27-1, 9-1 Red. State Champions.

Strengths: Experience.

Weakness: Heavy expectations.

The Wolves are the defending Division One State Champs from a season ago and is one of the best High School teams in the Country. Clarkston is led by Head Coach Dan Fife and by Point Guard Foster Loyer, who has committed to Michigan State and is one of the best guards in the nation. CJ Robinson also is a very good guard and compliments Loyer with his guard making ability. Taylor Currie is the Wolves best big man committing to Wisconsin adding an outside game to his inside abilities. Clarkston added two more transfers from the mix in the offseason. Gone is Dylan Alderson whom is now at Toledo but the Wolves added Thomas Kithier whom transferred from Macomb Dakota and Hank Schemmel from Maryland. Kithier is committed to Michigan State. Nick Wells will be the other starter for the Wolves. The Wolves feature a deep bench with Tristen Mysen, Schemmel, Chase Wasilk, Mike Nicholson, Tieler Houston, and Desmond Mills-Bradley. Clarkston really has no clear weakness but if there is one weakness they have it could be the heavy expectations. Nothing less than a state championship could mean a failed season.

WEST BLOOMFIELD LAKERS

Last Season: 17-9, 6-4 Red.

Strengths: Quickness, Backcourt.

Weakness: Post/chemistry

The Lakers went to the Final Four last season before bowing out to Clarkston. West Bloomfield Head Coach Jeremy Dehna looks to continue to build off last year’s success. The Lakers lost Kevin McAdoo who is now at Eastern Michigan but they will be guard heavy led by Tre Harvey. Harvey was McAdoo’s backcourt mate last season. West Bloomfield will also benefit from several transfers coming into the program, all four of them are also guards. The first transfer is Donovan Moore, Moore transferred back to Michigan from Illinois and has family ties to West Bloomfield. Another transfer that came into the program is Jalen Kelso. Kelso played two seasons at Pontiac and last season he was at Walled Lake Northern. The other two transfers that are on the team is Robert Johnson and AJ Abbott, both of them came from Northville. The two big concerns for West Bloomfield will be in the post where they will have to rely on Chris Oviasu, Zach Isenberg, and football standout James Falkner to address that area. Falkner and Abbott played on the West Bloomfield football team this season. The other concern will be chemistry, with so many transfers coming in, building chemistry will always be challenging.  If the Lakers can address that and use with within their four guard, one big offense then West Bloomfield could very well do something this season.

TROY COLTS

Last Season: 21-5, 8-2 White.

Strengths: Experience.

Weakness: Unproven depth.

The Colts fresh off making the State Quarterfinal last season return the bulk of that team that fell to West Bloomfield. Troy will be led by forwards Jason Dietz and Danny Sully along with guard Leon Ayers. The Colts under coach Gary Fralik are big as well with height and size. Brody Parker is expected to play a big role in his freshman season. Parker is the son of Troy assistant Gary Parker. The Colts are well known for their scrappiness but if there is one weakness on this team it looks like it will be unproven depth. Troy will be deep and they have a very solid program but the question is can some of those kids who performed well at the JV level perform well at the varsity level. The Colts lost some talent from last season but they are well coached and being in the Red will help their cause.

HAZEL PARK VIKINGS

Last Season: 15-8, 8-2 White.

Strengths: Experience.

Weakness: Depth.

The Vikings process to the Red is now complete and they bring along a ton of experience led by their big three of Carl Bow, David Hearns, and Devin Pettus. Hazel Park coach Brendan Barrett will have high expectations as he should with his team this season. Barrett will also have Kyle Washington, Khari Adams, and Ju Jones return as well. With all the senior talent, they could make the jump up in the standings. Depth however, will be a major concern surrounding this team besides the six seniors. They like to play physical so it will be important for the Vikings to stay out of foul trouble. Hazel Park also made a jump from Class B to Class A which means they are in a very tough district. They do have a tough non league schedule which should help.

SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH WARRIORS

Last Season: 11-10, 6-4 Red.

Strengths: Leadership.

Weakness:Youth and Inexperience

The Warriors will be a team to keep an eye on for coach Mike Avery whom is in his second year as Southfield Arts and Tech head coach. The Warriors will have a ton of leadership returning led by John Darby, Terrell Humes, and Cameron McEvans. The question for Southfield Arts and Tech will be is how will the rest of the roster play out and besides McEvans, Humes, and Darby whom will be expected to provide that scoring option now that Michael Flowers and Remi Torbert have graduated from the program. The Warriors will be very young this season featuring Darby as it's lone senior, 10 juniors including McEvans and Humes and three sophomores.

NORTH FARMINGTON RAIDERS

Last Season: 11-9, 7-3 Red.

Strengths: Coaching.

Weakness: Experience/talent.

The Raiders will always be in the hunt but this season they will be replacing a lot of scoring after Armani Hardy went out west to UNLV along with Karl Patrick. North Farmington returns Justus Salaam who had a pretty good Freshman campaign while adding freshmen Deon Hayes to their roster. The Raiders also fielded a strong JV squad as well. A major strength for the Raiders is their coaching staff led by Todd Negoshian. He has won league championships and has been to the state championship. If anyone can handle this type of challenge, it is Coach Negoshian.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS BLACKHAWKS

Last Season: 10-10, 2-8 Red.

Strengths: Depth/hard workers.

Weakness: Competing in the Red.

The Blackhawks had some program issues last season which led to a coaching change. Phil Kurajian takes over for Mike Maryanski. Bloomfield Hills will have some hard workers and depth led by Guards Tyler Canfield, Dean Hyusay, Jay Reedemer, along with Forwards Brent Bosart, Grant Ellis, and Joe Hecker returning. Reedemer and David Werthmeir are recovering from injuries while Guards Ben Mutz, Robert Goldsberry, and Collin Hecker will provide depth for the Blackhawks. The question is can Bloomfield Hills compete in the Red? This is their second year in the division but they were only 2-8 in league play. If Bloomfield Hills can prove to compete in the Red, it will prepare them for Districts and good things will happen in Blackhawk country.

White

INSIGHT: This will be an interesting division which features a team that went to the Regional Final and a team that went winless last season. There are several teams that come up from the Blue and one that came down from the Red. The favorite has to be Oak Park with the talent they do return to the fold. Stoney Creek might have other plans, they were a Regional finalist last season and return the majority of their players. Adams went winless last season and will hope moving down to the White will help their fortunes. Oxford will be a team to watch as they have some talent. Avondale is junior heavy this season. Seaholm is very scrappy and veteran heavy for a team that struggled last season. Troy Athens has a ton of experience coming back. Groves will be young but they are well coached. This will be an interesting division to keep an eye on.

DREAM SCHEDULE: Stoney Creek: The Cougars non conference is not the greatest for a team that went to the Regional Final last season. Stoney Creek should be favored against Rochester, Lansing Everett, Walled Lake Northern, Detroit Loyola, Macomb Lutheran North, and Utica Ford. The Cougars should be a team to keep an eye on this season.

NIGHTMARE SCHEDULE: Seaholm: The Maples have a tough non conference schedule with games against Novi Detroit Catholic Central, Birmingham Brother Rice, and Clawson. Harrison and Bloomfield Hills are tricky non league games. The league schedule will be a challenge for Seaholm as well but the first three games will determine how the Maples will do this season.

TEAM THAT HAS A LOT TO PROVE: Troy Athens: The Red Hawks have a Senior heavy team this season and a favorable non conference schedule. They open up with Utica Eisenhower which should be improved this season along with their rivalry game with Troy and Okemos is a strong team as well. But they also have winnable games on their schedule as well. Troy Athens will be a team to keep an eye on this season.

TEAM THAT’S IN TROUBLE: Avondale: The Yellow Jackets are a very young team this season but the schedule will be tough for coach Tim Morton’s team with games against Orion, Troy, Waterford Mott, Detroit Douglass, Detroit University Prep, and Rochester. That won’t be an easy non league slate for Avondale and that’s not mentioning league play. The Yellow Jackets could be in line for a long season this year.

OAK PARK KNIGHTS

Last Season: 15-7, 7-3 White.

Strengths: Experience.

Weakness: Mental Mindset and Size.

The Knights led by second year Head Coach Bobby Thompson could have the tools to contend for a league championship. The Knights return a lot of experience from a team who won 15 games. Malik Carr, Dwan Mathis, and Bobby Thompson Jr. return for the Knights looking to make a strong run in both the league race and the district race. Oak Park also fielded a strong JV team last year led by former Oak Park Varsity Coach Al Katoola. Like last year, Oak Park will play a very challenging non-conference schedule. The question will be, is the Knights ready for it.

STONEY CREEK COUGARS

Last Season: 19-6, 7-3 Blue.

Strengths: Experience, hard working team.

Weakness: Other players contributing.

After a very solid run into the Regional Final last year, Stoney Creek returns their three top players. Guard, Nate Davis, their best player averages 20 points a game and is a very relentless competitor who should be getting college looks this season. The Cougars also field a solid post player and Mr. Soccer, Mike Melarangi, and a combo guard/forward in Jericho Barr-Redmond. Cougars coach Steve Norgrove will get consistent production from those three players but it will need contributions from his other players. Stoney Creek will be able to get a lot of wins with their non conference schedule not exactly that impressive but when looking at the players they return. The Cougars will be in the mix for not only a league title but once again a district title and maybe more.

OXFORD WILDCATS

Last Season: 17-4, 7-3 Blue.

Strengths: Strong contributors.

Weakness: Replacing ten players.

The Wildcats are in a unique spot. They lost ten players to graduation including arguably three of their better scorers and leaders in Jordan Jaden, Jeam LaVaris, and Ray LeVine but Head Coach Steve Laidlaw will have some talent coming up and returning as well. Oxford will be led by three point sharpshooter Nolan Harding and Forward Michael Raisch. Expect guards Jimmy Claudio, Grant Kornberger, and Forward Lawrence Townsend to all contribute as well. Obviously, experience will be a challenge early for this group but if they can get it together, the Wildcats could make some noise in the league race.

ADAMS HIGHLANDERS

Last Season: 0-21, 0-10 Red.

Strengths: Post, Coaching.

Weakness: Confidence.

Last season was a season Coach Brad Crighton would want to forget. Despite being in the Red, the Highlanders finished 0-21. Now in the White, Adams looks to rebound and return to being a strong program again. They return center Austin Ursuay who was the team’s best player a year ago. Besides Ursuay, Adams returns Guards Jack Jenkins, Zach Maynard, Forward Jake Schuler, and John Gurraj will back up Ursuay at Center. Brody Prieskorn transfers from Orchard Lake St. Marys and could give them a spark at Power Forward. Adams will be a team to watch this upcoming season.

TROY ATHENS RED HAWKS

Last Season: 9-13, 3-7 White.

Strengths: Experience/drive

Weakness: Not as challenging out of conference schedule

From an inexperienced group who improved a lot from two years ago when the Red Hawks struggled in the Red. Athens last year improved with nine wins and three wins in the White. The Red Hawks under Head Coach Dave Scott will be a senior heavy group led by their best player Guard/Forward Taylor McCaskill. What helps the Red Hawks is that they are battled tested, in the last two years, Athens has played one of the most difficult schedules in the state and has continued to improve since heading back to the White last year. Athens will look to continue to improve and contend for a league title.

GROVES FALCONS

Last Season: 13-8, 8-2 Blue.

Strengths: Program.

Weakness: Lack of Varsity Experience.

The Falcons led by Head Coach Mark West won some quality games and won the Blue Division a year ago but they lost seven players to graduation including Guard Marcus Pittman and Forward Drew Scheckel each of whom contributed strongly for the Falcons. Replacing that talent will be a big challenge for Groves. Their JV program however, was very strong but the question will be how will they do at the Varsity level. Groves will be very young this season and will rely on their upperclassmen early on. If their underclassmen can contribute alongside the upperclassmen, it will put the Falcons in a position to contend in the league race.

AVONDALE YELLOW JACKETS

Last Season: 12-10, 4-6 Blue.

Strengths: Guards, returning seniors

Weakness: Youth, losing a ton of talent.

The Yellow Jackets led by legendary long time coach Tim Morton lost a ton of talent from last season but they do return Guard Marton Cole who was one of their leading scorers from a year ago. Avondale also returns seniors Jordan Douglas, William Fahoone, Daniel Minton, and Nick Whiteside, who after a strong football season is returning to play basketball. Avondale also has players who have plenty of potential and have talent in underclassmen Derrick Hinton, Donovan Bowers, and Ezekiel Ringstaff. It could be growing pains early for the Yellow Jackets but once they get later in the season, Avondale could be a dangerous team to play against.

SEAHOLM MAPLES

Last Season: 9-13, 3-7 Blue.

Strengths: Post presence.

Weakness: Graduated heavy, can they compete in the White?

The Maples coached by Mike DeGeeter are in an interesting spot. Despite losing a lot of seniors including Henry Diehl and having a losing record in the Blue last season, they opted to move up to the White. They return Forward Brady Flynn but it is important for him to stay healthy and return some solid pieces. Seaholm also expects strong contributions from Joel Mitchell, Max Schumaker, Paul Jokish, Nick Lang, and Vashanav Siddapurredy, many of whom played football for the Maples. Seaholm always plays hard and competes but they did graduate heavily last year and the competition is stronger, will they compete?

Blue

INSIGHT: This is an interesting division when you look at it with different styles that each team produces. There is one new head coach and one team that comes from the White. The rest of the teams were either in the Blue or Gold last season. The favorite has to be Pontiac with whom they have back and the addition of a transfer whom came back from Georgia. Orion returns a ton of experience and will have a say. Rochester has a ton of talent back and a new coach. Farmington will be a team that could have a say. Ferndale returns a ton of experience. Berkley is always scrappy and competitive. Royal Oak will be a team to keep an eye on this season. Harrison could have a say as well. This will be a tough division when looking at it.

DREAM SCHEDULE: Harrison: The Hawks are in a good spot when it comes to their non conference scheduling. Harrison will have two tough ones with Seaholm and Milford. Those two games look winnable as well in the process. They will go to Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills to play in an invitational with either Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, Wayland Union, or Rockford. Harrison should have no problem with Trillium Academy before heading into league play.

NIGHTMARE SCHEDULE: Orion: The Dragons have a tough non league schedule this season. Anytime you have to play Clarkston and Davison in there it will be a challenge. Orion has to also play Adams, Romeo, Avondale, and Oxford then it’s league play. The Dragons will have plenty of experience which should help them out a lot.

TEAM THAT HAS A LOT TO PROVE: Rochester: The Falcons have a Senior heavy team but a new coach in Vince Kirkwood as well. Rochester has an interesting non league schedule with games against Stoney Creek, Adams, Avondale, and Warren DeLaSalle which will be tough games. Fraser and Detroit University Prep should be wins for the Falcons before the league schedule starts. Rochester has a ton to prove to see where they are at.

TEAM THAT’S IN TROUBLE: Royal Oak: The Ravens will work and play hard for coach Aaron Smith but the non conference could be interesting with tough games against Groves and Clawson but winnable games against Mount Clemens, Madison, and Royal Oak Shrine. Royal Oak could have some issues in the non league which could translate to league play.

PONTIAC PHOENIX

Last Season: 3-17, 0-10 White.

Strengths: Experience/size.

Weakness: Chemistry/lack of familiarity

The Phoenix are the great unknown heading into the season. Pontiac did move down from the White which they were winless and moved down to the Blue. Being in the Blue will be very unfamiliar to Pontiac who has played in either the Red or the White. They did take a big step back in Dorium Kellam whom is currently having some legal issues. Pontiac will have some key pieces back for Coach Joel Schroeder in Dominque Stovall, Cleontal Brown, Daveaun Cole, and D’Quarion Cole. Brown will be the top big in the post this season but Stovall will give them some more size in the front court. Guard play could be an issue but the Phoenix brought back a transfer from Georgia in Delance Thomas. Thomas transferred back to Pontiac from Georgia, where he won a State Championship. It will be interesting to see what the Phoenix have this season but with Thomas it helps a lot.

ORION DRAGONS

Last Season: 4-17, 2-8 Blue.

Strengths: Experience/ hard working team/emotion/depth.

Weakness: Size/secondary scoring.

The Dragons led by Coach Jim Manzo had a rough season last year finishing last in the Blue but they return to the Blue with a boatload of experience and emotion. Orion brings a ton of experience back led by guard Jamie Lewis. The Dragons also return Guards Jack Cummings, Drew Crane, Forwards Pierce Burke, Casey Stironek, and Center Nate Talbot. Orion will lean on the team’s experience and emotion after what happened last season. Secondary scoring and size could be challenges but with the way Orion plays, they will contend for a league title.

ROCHESTER FALCONS

Last Season: 11-11, 3-7 Blue.

Strength: Post.

Weakness: Old habits/consistent guard scoring.

The Falcons have a new coach in Vance Kirkwood. Kirkwood takes over for John Pleasant whom resigned at the end of the season. Kirkwood comes from Royal Oak and coach Arron Smith’s program in which he was the Junior Varsity Coach but he does coach the Boys Golf team at Rochester. The Falcons have improved each season since they went 0-21 in the 2014-2015 season but took a step back in league play  going 3-7 in league last season. Rochester returns three very good players in LaMarko Gulledge, Corey Gulledge, and Hunter Schlatter. Schlatter is the team’s starting point guard and the Gulledge brothers are in the post. Rochester has Luke Kastran, Ryan Noble, and Drake Reid in the mix as well. The Falcons besides Schlatter needs someone else to step up from the guard front. The other concern for Rochester is that they have has a bad habit of getting disinterested at times. If they eliminate that habit and find help for Schlatter then the Falcons could be in the mix for not only a division title but a district title as well.

FARMINGTON FALCONS

Last Season: 16-5, 7-1 Gold.

Strengths: Mental Mindset/hard working team/familiarity.

Weakness: Replacing best shooter and best player.

After winning the gold division last year, Farmington looks to contend in the Blue this season. The Falcons lost four key players from last year including forward Jordan Graham and sharpshooter Quintin Kirby but coach Terrance Porter’s team returns a strong group of played led by forward Ray Bryant, and Guards Christian Smith, Bashar Shalal, and Austin Anthony. The Falcons also have two freshman in Tariq Humes and Jaden Atkins that are also expected to contribute. The Sophomore class will be key for Farmington to see which direction the programs goes. Another thing that helps the Falcons is that they are familiar with most of the teams in the league having played in the Gold and seeing other teams when they were in the Blue. The Falcons will be in the mix to contend for a league title this season.

FERNDALE EAGLES

Last Season: 5-15, 3-5 Gold.

Strengths: Experience.

Weakness: Depth.

The Eagles bring back a ton of experience for coach Tom Stanton’s team, only losing one player from a team who last season went to the District Final. Ferndale will be led by their 6.5 center in Brian Pozolo and they will be guard heavy led by Deondre Bonaparte. The Eagles also return Reggie Davis, Rodereck McClure, Trevon Coleman, Keelan Lucas, Trey McKeithen, and Will Scott. Ferndale toughened their schedule this year which will help their program. Depth will also be an issue especially going against schools who field bigger teams in terms of numbers.

BERKLEY BEARS

Last Season: 4-17, 2-6 Gold.

Strengths: Program/work ethic.

Weakness: Offense.

After going through a rough season last year, Berkley coach Joe Sermo will have an experienced team back led by Guard Greg McGee. He will lead a solid group of guards consisting of Jason Holloway, Tyler Spencer, and Ari Yaker. The Bears also field forwards Matt Austin, Evan Payne, Josh James, David Long and centers Herbert Simpson and Christian Talley. The Bears field a solid program with strong underclass teams. They are also very athletic and competitive. Offense will be a challenge for the Bears, last year they struggled to score. They need to be consistent on both side of the ball. If they are consistent, Berkley will be in a position to contend for a league title.   

ROYAL OAK RAVENS

Last Season: 14-6, 6-2 Gold.

Strengths: Guards.

Weakness: Replacing senior leadership.

After having a 14 win season and competing for a Gold Championship, Royal Oak under Coach Aaron Smith lost a lot of seniors and will have to rely on underclassmen in order to pick up the load. Royal Oak is a hard working and scrappy team. They will be led by Guard Carter Ellis along with Jovan Martin, and Mohammed Zonue. Royal Oak looks to compete on the defensive end which is one of Smith’s strengths. One thing about Royal Oak is that a lot of teams tend to overlook them and they use that to their advantage. For the Ravens to compete, they must play well defensively and they can put themselves in position to contend for a league title. 

HARRISON HAWKS

Last Season: 5-15, 2-6 Gold.

Strengths: A ton of offense.

Weakness: Depth/defense/size.

The Hawks were a mess last season under coach Stefan Wilson especially from the defensive end where they had issues. Harrison should be better this season and they got a big transfer from Troy Athens in Brandon Cotton. Cotton went for football purposes but he plays basketball as well. The Hawks also have Alex Krieske to lead the way as well. Harrison will score in bunches but the question this season for the Hawks will be is can they defend??? The Hawks schedule is very favorable as well. Expect Harrison to compete this season.