Boys Basketball Offseason.

Written Sunday March 25th at 3:05 PM

The offseason is now here for Boys Basketball and Clarkston is now Back to Back State Champs. Here is what offseason things these teams will need to address and what the outlook looks for next season.

Clarkston: The Wolves will have a ton of questions next season for coach Dan Fife pending if he stays. Clarkston loses 11 seniors but they have a Junior Varsity team that finished 19-1 and won the league. The Wolves have returning players like Matt Nicholson and Jake Jensen. Also they have the younger Loyer (Fletcher) and Waslik (Keegan) coming into the program but are they Varsity ready players, which remains a question.

Oak Park: The Knights could have a special team come next season led by Maliq Carr and Dwan Mathis for coach Bobby Thompson. Oak Park wasn’t the strongest in Junior Varsity finishing with a 9-5 league record but they have a lot of young guys up on Varsity which will bold well for the future.

Lake Orion: The Dragons 17-3 record was no fluke considering that this time is built for now and for the future. Lake Orion loses Jamie Lewis, Pierce Burke, Drew Crane, and Casey Stironek but with a young nucleus led by Jack Cummings, Kyle Loken, Jake Rydquist, and Nate Talbot all returning and a Junior Varsity team that went 19-1 and Freshman team had an 11-3 record, both league champs then coach Jim Manzo’s team could be a force to be noticed next season.

West Bloomfield: The Lakers could be a strong program for years to come despite losing Jalen Kelso and James Faulkner but Tre Harvey and Donovan Moore return. West Bloomfield’s freshman class went 10-0 in the league giving them the Red and had a 9-3 league record in Junior Varsity. Lakers coach Jeremy Denha will have the talent made to win now and build for the future.

Troy: The Colts will lose a bunch of talent but coach Gary Fralick will center his team around Brody Parker. Troy’s Junior Varsity team was not bad either finishing with a 9-3 league record with one of those wins over Clarkston. Troy has a young nucleus to build upon for next season.

Stoney Creek: The Cougars had a rough season with the loss of Mike Melanagri to an injury but they do lose Nate Davis as well. Stoney Creek could look strong for the future as they return Griffin Beears and Trevor Smith on the guards. The Freshman went 13-1 in the league and 9-5 in Junior Varsity. The future looks bright for coach Steve Norgrove’s team.

Farmington: Terron Humes, Tariq Sheppard, and Jared Atkins will return next season for a Falcons team that went to the regional semifinals. Farmington’s league record in Junior Varsity was very good for coach Terrance Porter finishing at 9-5 and the freshman finished at 7-7 in league. The Falcons if they can get capable wings or a big in the post then they could go places starting with next season.

Ferndale: The Eagles and coach Tom Staten have went through a lot this season including the loss of one player who transferred out. Ferndale has players like Keelan Lucas, Teonah McClendan, and Brian Polozo returning to with a strong freshman class that went 10-3 in league this season. The Eagles current freshman and junior class will be the future of the Ferndale program next season.

Oxford: The Wildcats have a ton of experience returning led by Michael Raisch. D’Wavay Turner, Trey Townshed, Zach Townshed, Connor Nicholson, and Grant Kornburger but the sub-varsity was a concern but there is some talent coming up from Oxford Middle School that could make some noise there. Oxford could be a sleeper next season for coach Steve Laidlaw. The question for them will be is whom replaces Jimmy Claudio production.

Adams: The Highlanders could be a player heading into next season led by a young nucleus of Ethan Emerzian, Austin Ursuay, Carter Farris, Jake Emerzian, Jake Schuler, and Brody Prieskorn. Adams loses three key players in Jack Jenkins, Davis Reifel, and Ryan Lindley but the Highlanders are primed to be something special in the next few years. Adams coach Brad Crighton has his team on the rise heading into next season.

Rochester: The Falcons could be the most interesting team in the offseason. Rochester loses Hunter Schlater and LaMarko Gulledge but returns Corey Gulledge, Drake Reid, and Cameron Caggins. The sub-varsity teams really struggled for coach Vance Kirkwood. Kirkwood will have hands full next season.

Berkley: The Bears went 9-0 to start the season but finished 1-10 down the stretch. Berkley does not have a lot of experience coming back but players like Herbert Simpson, Ari Belchinsky, Jackson Sewell, Christian Talley come back for coach Joe Sermo. Terron Favors, Jeff Vlahakis, and Charles Serwa could be impact players next year also the Bears went 11-3 in league play in Freshman. The future is bright for Berkley.

Troy Athens: The Red Hawks lost a ton of talent for coach Dave Scott’s team but they have a strong Junior Varsity team that finished 13-1 in league play this season. The question for Troy Athens will be is how the new Varsity players will gel next season considering it’s a step up in competition.

Avondale: The Yellow Jackets really had a young team this season. They lose Martone Cole but players like Kobe Anthony, Ezekiel Ringstaff, and Derrick Hinton return for coach Tim Morton. Avondale will need to address their sub varsity programs but next season the Yellow Jackets could make some noise.

Pontiac: The Phoenix had a tough season this year but the future looks bright with the Junior Varsity team that went 10-3 in league play and a Freshman team that went 9-4 in league play. Phoenix coach Joel Schroder will be very good next season with these two teams and the Cole brothers coming back.

Groves: The Falcons have a strong future next season for coach Mark West led by Freshman Daniel Lee. Groves freshman class went 10-4 in the league but really struggled in Junior Varsity. The Falcons return a ton of experience next season and could make some noise.

Seaholm: The Maples had a bounce back season but will lose Cooper Mixon and Brady Flynn. There is hope for coach Mike DeGeeter and Seaholm. The Junior Varsity team had a great year going 11-3 in the league. Most of those players are expected to be on Varsity next season. There is some hope for the Maples.

Hazel Park: The Vikings had a special season this year but next year it will be different. Brendan Barrett has stepped down as Hazel Park head coach and looking at the talent pool the Vikings really struggled in the Junior Varsity going 2-10. It could be a tough season next year for Hazel Park.

Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks had a rough season but an upset of West Bloomfield has brought the future in sight for Bloomfield Hills. The Blackhawks will be young again this season but for coach Phil Kurajian and is team, the future is now.

North Farmington: The Raiders have had some struggles this season but they have some players coming up that can make some noise. North Farmington will be in an interesting spot this offseason. The sub-varsity has struggled for coach Todd Negoshian. The Raiders are a team to watch for sure this offseason.

Harrison: The Hawks had a rough season all around and next season will be it’s final season as a school. Harrison could have a struggle next season despite having Eddie Lenton back. They might not be able to fill a Freshman or Junior Varsity team with it’s likely lack of numbers. It could be a rough season for coach Jarrell Hogan and the Hawks next year.

Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors had a young team this season but returning players like Cameron McEvans for coach Mike Avery could bring Southfield Arts and Tech back to being competitive. The Warriors will have to address some things this offseason but could make a move next year.

Royal Oak: The Ravens had a rough season this year but coach Aaron Smith has a nucleus coming back led by Toby Adesanya, Joe Binkowski, and Jovan Martin but Royal Oak will have a lot of work to do but like Corey Dupree and Seth Warner will be good pieces to build your team off of for next season.