Saturday, December 7, 2019

Boys Basketball Preview 2019-2020.

Written Saturday December 7th at 5:30 PM

Here is the preview for the Boys Basketball season this year.

EARLY SEASON TOP 21.

1. Clarkston
2. Troy
3. Farmington
4. Ferndale
5. Berkley
6. North Farmington
7. Oxford
8. Groves
9. Oak Park
10. Stoney Creek
11. Southfield Arts and Tech
12. West Bloomfield
13. Bloomfield Hills
14. Lake Orion
15. Adams
16. Seaholm
17. Troy Athens
18. Rochester
19. Avondale
20. Pontiac
21. Royal Oak

Red

OUTLOOK: The Red has always been a tough division and it will be again this season. Almost all of the teams return the majority of their talent from last season. Clarkston has a ton of talent back and should be in peak form by February thus could be in line to make a deep and long postseason run. Ferndale makes the move up from the Blue. They will look to make some more noise after having a successful postseason run last season. They could make a deep run in Division Two come March. North Farmington has the balk of their players back. Bloomfield Hills has their backcourt returning. Oak Park has almost everyone back from last season. West Bloomfield will be young but they have proven talent back. Lake Orion has a new coach and a young team. Usually being in the Red with a new coach and a young team does not mesh really well.

CLARKSTON WOLVES

Strength: Proven Experience.
Weakness: Mental Mindset.

The Wolves are loaded with a ton of talent and program strength is strong. Clarkston has their big three back in Fletcher Loyer, Keegan Wasilk, and Matt Nicholson along with Cole Donchez and Jaiden Wasilk. The top four mentioned saw huge minutes last season for a team that won 17 straight games. They have added some talent for second year coach Tim Wasilk in Mike DePillo, Blake Kosin, Isayah Harris, Connor McKouren, Cole Harris, Luke Scherler, Logan Forbes, Jessie Lawton, and Zach Austin. Program strength looks to be in good shape. Clarkston should be back to their normal selves after a disappointing postseason last year. Mental mindset remains the key for this group though.

FERNDALE EAGLES

Strength: Proven Guards and Wings.
Weakness: Depth and Program Strength.

The Eagles make the big jump from the Blue to the Red this season. They were in the middle of the pack in the regular season in the Blue but had a deep playoff run which included making the regional finals in Division Two last season. Ferndale has two transfers in JayShawn Moore and Colin Golston in the fold after sitting out last season because their transfers from Detroit East English Village Prep was deemed “athletically motivated.” The Eagles already have starting point guard Treyvon Lewis and a role player in Jalen Daugherty back for Coach Juan Rickman. Depth and program strength are major concerns for this squad. On the bright side, Ferndale has enough talent to make another run in the postseason.

NORTH FARMINGTON RAIDERS

Strength: Experience and Size.
Weakness: Big Courts and Mental Mindset.

The Raiders have the majority of their team back from a team that won 14 games last season. North Farmington has Eddie Linton, Basheer Jihad, Justus Clark, Jon Brunette, Deon Haynes, and Jamal Haynes returning for Coach Todd Negoshian. The Raiders do have some concerns though despite having a ton of experience back. Program strength looks to be very strong. If they can figure out their troubles on bigger courts like Clarkston and Lake Orion then the Raiders will be a team to watch.


OAK PARK KNIGHTS

Strength: Experience.
Weakness: Mental Mindset at Times and Program Strength.

The Knights should be an interesting team to keep an eye on after having some turmoil last season that really derailed their season in the districts. Oak Park returns the majority of their team including Fred Garland, Solomon Johnson, DaVonte Edwards, and Jaylin Mines for Coach Bobby Thompson. Mental mindset is a question mark for this team along with program strength. If the Knights can use that experience they have back they could make some noise.

WEST BLOOMFIELD LAKERS

Strength: Shooting and Program Strength.
Weakness: Experience.

The Lakers will be an interesting team to keep an eye on after two disappointing postseason losses since making the Final Four in Class A or Division One three years ago. Looking behind the scenes they are expecting this squad a young group for Coach Jeremy Denha. West Bloomfield has Shameer Mathews, Chase Glover-Rogers, Jake Lanshaw, and Kipras Blazeviciux returning. The Lakers will have to replace Donovan Moore and Robert Johnson after they both graduated but they have a freshman in Bryce Hurst that could make an impact. Also their program strength is very strong. It might take a couple of games for them to get adjusted to life but this team should be fine moving forward.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS BLACKHAWKS

Strength: Guards.
Weakness: Interior.

The Blackhawks should be an interesting team to watch from a team that won 11 games last season. They have the talent and ability to compete in this division for Coach Phil Kurajian. Bloomfield Hills has the three point shooters and experience returning in guards Mason Canfield and Colin Hecker. If the Blackhawks can address the interior then there is no reason why they can’t be in games. Program strength looks to be very strong. This is a scrappy team to say the least.

LAKE ORION DRAGONS

Strength: Wings.
Weakness: Interior besides Boegheimer and Jones, Experience, and Program Strength.

The Dragons are in the midst of a transition period for new coach Joel Schroeder. Lake Orion won 13 games last season but they only return two players with proven Varsity experience in Cameron Sutton and Dylan Boegheimer along with one guy who could be out for the season in Drew Van Heck. The Dragons will need to be several players to fill bigger roles with basically a group that haven’t played Varsity Basketball. There could be some potential breakout players to watch in Nick Fisher, Andrew Bryant, Malaki Grandberry, Alden Ritt, and Brendan Jones. Program strength is a concern. If Lake Orion can address some things then they could make some noise but according to Schroeder this is a young basketball team with a lot of work to do.

White

OUTLOOK: The White seems to be a two team race when looking at it on paper but it could be a four team race if some surprises occur. Troy comes down from the Red after being around 500 most of last season. The Colts added three transfers this offseason and seemed to be ready to make some noise again. Farmington had a solid season last year but had a tough district in the process. The Falcons have two guards and a big back which always helps along with a transfer which should help things for them. Keep an eye on Oxford. The Wildcats made the jump from the Blue and have lost a ton of talent however in the summer leagues they have really proven themselves. Stoney Creek is another team to keep an eye on. They have a lot of youth coming into that program along with a ton of experience. Groves is another to watch with the experience they have back. Adams has a new coaching staff after a turmoil filled offseason but according to scouts behind the scenes everyone has seemed to have bought into the new staff and the program. Southfield Arts and Tech has a strong junior varsity squad coming up and a transfer coming into the program. There could be a ton of questions surrounding the Warriors.

TROY COLTS

Strength: Shooting and Proven Guards.
Weakness: Interior and Program Strength.

The Colts took home a district title last season after being in the middle of the pack in the Red. They came down from the Red to the White this season. There is a ton of optimism for Coach Gary Fralick and his team. Program strength is a concern though even though Brody Parker returns. Troy added several transfers in the offseason in Jake Emerzian, Ethan Emerizan, and D’Anthony Hamilton from Ferndale. The Emerizan’s transferred from Adams while Hamilton transferred from Ferndale. The Emerzians played with Parker in AAU. There is no doubt that they will put up a ton of three pointers and play scrappy defense. They are more than capable of making a deep postseason run. The question for Troy will be in the interior even though Zach Zesses is there. If they can address that area then this squad should be a team to be a recon with.

FARMINGTON FALCONS

Strength: Proven Guards and Wings.
Weakness: Depth and Program Strength.

The Falcons had a strong year battling Adams for the division crown along with a very brutal district last season. Farmington should be right back in the thick of things competing for a league crown and a deep postseason run looks possible this season. Farmington has Jaden Atkins and Tariq Humes at the guard spots along with interior presence in Jack Donghue for Coach Terrance Porter. They added a transfer in the offseason in Robert Davis who came from Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit. He is expected to give Atkins and Humes another option. If the Falcons get some depth alongside their four top players then there is no reason why they could make some noise. Program strength is another concern to address as well.

OXFORD WILDCATS

Strength: Program Strength.
Weakness: Depth Scoring.

The Wildcats had a special year going 19-1, winning the Blue, and having a deep postseason run which included a trip to the regional final last season. The majority has graduated however Coach Steve Laidlaw brings back several key players from that team in Trey and Zach Townsend. Oxford also has a solid junior varsity squad coming up which should give Laidlaw a ton of options but they are unproven in the Varsity level. Program strength is very strong. The Wildcats also moved up to the White which should be a challenge. They should be competitive in this division. Oxford should be a team to watch.

GROVES FALCONS

Strength: Experience.
Weakness: Wings and Program Strength.

The Falcons should be an interesting team to watch this season even though program strength is a bit of a concern though in Beverly Hills. Groves has Adolphus Cast, Devin White, Daniel Lee, and Mark Watson returning for Coach Benny White. This Falcons lost a ton of buzzer beating games last season and are looking to make some noise this season. Groves should be a darkhorse team to watch.

SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH WARRIORS

Strength: ????????
Weakness: Experience.

The Warriors will be an interesting team to watch as they lost a ton of talent from last season which included Cameron McEvans. Southfield Arts and Tech added Amauri Bates whom transferred from Southfield Christian this offseason. Bates should help a very young team this season for Coach Darrell Buchanan. If this team can gel quickly then look out.

STONEY CREEK COUGARS

Strength: Program Strength.
Weakness: Size.

The Cougars should be better after a disappointing year last season which resulted in a tough loss to Utica in the district semifinals. Stoney Creek has Alex Reiter, Zach Jones, Lance Fogelberg, and Trevor Smith back along with a solid junior varsity squad coming up. Program strength is on the rise within the program. If the young players can gel then Coach Steve Norgrove’s team could make some noise.

ADAMS HIGHLANDERS

Strength: Interior.
Weakness: Adjusting to a New System and Depth.

The Highlanders have had a turbulent offseason that saw their coach Brad Crighton along with Gunner Walters and the Emerizians leave Adams. The Highlanders thought they had a new coach in Nate Evola but he turned a complete 360 after accepting the job only to turn it down a few days later. Adams went with Jared Thomas as the program’s third coach in three months. Thomas came over from Avondale and has seemed to have changed the program mindset and put in his own vision in place. The Highlanders have Peyton Prieskorn and Austin Ursuay returning in the interior but the guards are very young. Depth and program strength is also question marks as well for Adams. If everyone is on the same page then the Highlanders could be better than people think.

Blue

OUTLOOK: The Blue was the toughest division last season with three teams making deep playoff runs. Now two of the three teams moved up while the other is in a complete rebuild mode. Berkley seems to be the favorite as they return the most proven experience. Keep an eye on Seaholm, I like this Maples squad to what I saw in the summer league. Troy Athens and Rochester both come down from the White The Red Hawks have a ton of experience back while the Falcons are very young. Avondale has a new coach and it will take some time to get his system in place. Pontiac lost just about everyone from an 18-2 and regional final appearance from last season and has a new coach. Royal Oak I thought would had been better but really struggled last season. They could again this season.

BERKLEY BEARS

Strength: Experience and Program Strength.
Weakness: Mental Mindset.

The Bears had a bounce back year after having the collapse of the century two years ago when they went from 10-0 to 10-11. Arshad Walker and Ari Belchinsky returns for a team that won 12 games last season for Coach Joe Sermo. If Sermo can find ways to keep this team motivated and hungry then they could surprise some people. Program strength looks to be strong this season. It will be interesting to see how Berkley feels becoming the hunted instead of the hunters in the division.

SEAHOLM MAPLES

Strength: Defense and Program Strength.
Weakness: Size and Scoring.

The Maples had things rough, they won six games last season but there is some optimism at Seaholm this season. If the Maples want to challenge for the Blue, they will need to address some things and Coach Mike DeGeeter knows that. The mental toughness should be better especially in the defensive end of the court and they will be very scrappy. They have some experience back which helps in Matt Fricke, Dominic Cullen, and Alex Lonze but scoring is a question mark. Program strength is very strong. Seaholm should be a team to watch in this division for sure.

TROY ATHENS RED HAWKS

Strength: Proven Guards and Wings.
Weakness: Size and Depth.

The Red Hawks had a tough year winning four games last season but Coach Dave Scott should be better going from the White to the Blue this season. Troy Athens has a ton of talent back led by Jacob Thorton, Max DeLong, and Davis Giovinniaci. Jordan Sebaugh and Jake Wood are proven guards which saw a ton of time last season. The Red Hawks also have freshman Bryce Eaton in the fold as well. Size and depth are question marks this season for this group. Program strength will be interesting to watch as well. Troy Athens could make some noise this season.

ROCHESTER FALCONS

Strength: Sophomore Class.
Weakness: Varsity Experience and Program Strength.

The Falcons will be a young team after losing a lot of talent from last season. Rochester should be better but it will depend if Coach Vance Kirkwood moves up a ton of sophomores. The sophomore class went unbeaten last season. The Falcons could be an underrated team to keep an eye on if the sophomores can adapt to life on the Varsity level. Program strength will be very interesting to see.

AVONDALE YELLOW JACKETS

Strength: Guards.
Weakness: Interior, Program Strength, and Adjusting to a New Coach.

The Yellow Jackets will have a new coach in Pat Clancy taking over the program. Avondale comes down from the White to the Blue. They has a lot of talented guards like David Holloman and Josh Buggs along with a deep bench but their question will be in the interior despite having Drew Plumer who stands at 6.5 and Corban Small who is 6.2. The Yellow Jackets have a ton of questions that they need to address this season along with their program strength.

PONTIAC PHOENIX

Strength: ?????????
Weakness: New system, Trust, and Program Strength.

The Phoenix will be in the midst of a transition after winning 18 games and getting to the regional finals last year. Pontiac lost 10 seniors along with their coach Joel Schroeder who left for Lake Orion in the offseason. The Phoenix named Damien Odneal as their head coach. They will be starting from scratch despite having Terriah Hazard returning and Lake Orion transfer Isiah Harris in the fold. It’s going to be a challenge for them going forward.

ROYAL OAK RAVENS

Strength: Interior.
Weakness: Experience and Program Strength.

The Ravens are in a bit of a dilemma after last season’s disappointing year winning only six games. They lost seven seniors from last season’s team which will be hard to replace. Coach Aaron Smith will have six returning players from last season including Jessie Hoisington. Royal Oak will have some struggles this season and program strength is a question mark but if they can get some players to step up then maybe the Ravens could be on an upward swing.

My Podcast this week.
https://soundcloud.com/user-539915961/oaa-now-12-09-19

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