Holiday Tournaments This Week. Boys and Girls Basketball Rankings Top 21.

Written Sunday December 22nd at 12:15 PM
Updated Thursday December 26th at 4:35 PM

Boys Top 21

1. Troy (3-0): Colts winning with a boatload different ways thus far.

2. Clarkston (1-1): Wolves should be fine despite falling last Friday night to Orchard Lake St. Marys.

3. North Farmington (4-0): Finally the Raiders were tested and came from behind to win last Saturday night.

4. Southfield Arts and Tech (4-0): Warriors have quietly have went along with their business.

5. West Bloomfield (2-1): Lakers still in good shape since losing to Warren De LaSalle.

6. Ferndale (1-1): Eagles didn’t look good in Chicago on Saturday. They have two tough games this week.

7. Farmington (1-1): It’s been a quiet week for the Falcons.

8. Bloomfield Hills (4-0): Mason Canfield and Collin Hecker are difference makers thus far for the Blackhawks.

9. Oak Park (1-1): Knights bounced back in their own showcase but questions still remain with them.

10. Stoney Creek (3-1): Cougars look to be back on track after beating Seaholm last Friday night.

11. Lake Orion (2-1): Dragons are a very interesting team to keep an eye on.

12. Oxford (2-1): Wildcats need someone to step up and help Trey Townsend.

13. Adams (2-2): Jonathan Urusy has proven himself big time for the Highlanders.

14. Berkley (3-1): Bears have won three straight since their opening night loss to Troy. Berkley still are the favorites in the Blue.

15. Groves (4-2): What happened to the Falcons in the fourth quarter against Detroit Pershing on their home floor???

16. Troy Athens (2-1): Red Hawks have bounced back nicely since their loss to Lake Orion.

17. Seaholm (2-2): It was a very disappointing week for the Maples.

18. Pontiac (0-2): Phoenix have played a tough schedule but it’s early.

19. Rochester (0-3): When you start three sophomores there is going to be growing pains.

20. Royal Oak (1-3): Ravens look good against neighborhood schools but the others not so much.

21. Avondale (0-4): Yellow Jackets haven’t even been competitive in their games thus far.

Girls Top 21

1. Troy Athens (6-0): If you haven’t seen the Red Hawks play you’re in for a treat.

2. Southfield Arts and Tech (4-1): Warriors battled back and beat Clarkston last Friday night. They lead the Red for now.

3. West Bloomfield (4-1): Lakers moving along with their business since their opening night loss to Detroit Renaissance.

4. Clarkston (5-2): Wolves closing the gap in the Red. They will be fine going forward.

5. Berkley (5-2): Bears loss to Rochester creates competition in the Blue with Rochester, Seaholm, Oak Park, and themselves. I think Berkley is fine though moving forward.

6. Royal Oak (4-2): Ravens have lost two tough games last week. They should be fine going forward.

7. Oxford (4-2): Wildcats have been a Jekyll and Hyde lately.

8. North Farmington (5-2): Raiders lost both games by a combined five points. They’ll be fine going forward.

9. Lake Orion (2-2): Dragons came back from 17-3 down to lead Adams at one point says a lot about this team.

10. Avondale (3-3): Yellow Jackets have some good wins and have played a tough schedule but the loss to Novi baffles me a bit.

11. Adams (3-3): Highlanders have been a very odd team to figure out.

12. Troy (4-2): Rumors have been swarming, could Kendal Zeiter come back and play for the Colts???

13. Stoney Creek (2-4): Cougars have played a tough schedule, they’ll be fine going forward.

14. Rochester (2-4): Falcons have been battle tested lately.

15. Groves (2-3): Falcons have been competitive lately.

16. Bloomfield Hills (2-3): Keelen Fife will be a name to watch for the Blackhawks in 2020.

17. Oak Park (2-1): Knights upset of Seaholm was a stunner for me.

18. Farmington (1-4): Falcons got their first win of the season last Friday night.

19. Ferndale (2-2): Eagles have been making some progress in developing a program.

20. Seaholm (2-3): Maples upset loss to Oak Park last Friday night really has me baffle.

21. Pontiac (0-3): It’s been a rough few weeks for the Phoenix.

Top Games (Boys)- Christmas Tournaments December 23^rd until December 29^th. (Times will be updated)

Clarkston vs Roseville. Holiday Hoops Extravaganza at North Farmington (6:45 PM, Friday): I’m going to be curious how the Wolves will respond after losing to Orchard Lake St. Marys last Friday night. Roseville has a ton of talent and experience. They should give Clarkston some fits.

Adams at Saginaw Heritage (Saturday): The Hawks are not a bad team especially in the Saginaw Valley League. The Highlanders are a Jekyll and Hyde after starting off 0-2 they have two big wins over Lake Orion and Chippewa Valley. Saginaw Heritage will be a test for sure.

Stoney Creek vs Detroit Henry Ford. Motor City Roundball at Ferndale (3:30 PM, Monday): The Cougars had a bounce back win last Friday night by beating Seaholm. Stoney Creek will have their hands full with Detroit Henry Ford. Detroit Henry Ford is usually solid. If the Cougars can control tempo then they shouldn’t have a problem.

Pontiac vs Detroit Cornerstone. Motor City Roundball at Ferndale (11 AM, Monday): This could be a very interesting matchup for the Phoenix. There is a real possibility that they could get their first win of the season if things go right. Detroit Cornerstone sits at 2-3 and has been struggling lately. Pontiac has played two really tough opponents in Birmingham Brother Rice and North Farmington. It will be interesting to see what happens on Saturday.

Bloomfield Hills vs Detroit Western. Detroit Public School League Winter Basketball Classic at Detroit Cass Tech (1:15 PM, Friday): The Blackhawks should be tested when they play the Cowboys in Wayne County. Bloomfield Hills played here last season needing to beat Detroit Collegiate Prep 54-51. The Blackhawks are unbeaten which makes this year’s trip very interesting.

Bloomfield Hills vs Howell. Motor City Roundball at Ferndale (1:40 PM, Saturday): The Blackhawks will have another very interesting matchup and playing the second game of a back to back when they play against the Highlanders on Saturday. Howell went to the Final Four in Division One last season is very young. Bloomfield Hills has two really good players in Collin Hecker and Mason Canfield. I’ll be curious how they will respond playing in the second game of a back to back as mentioned.

Troy vs Canton. Holiday Hoops Extravaganza at North Farmington (3:15 PM, Friday): The Colts will be tested against a solid Chiefs team. Canton has a solid guard in Ben Stesiak that Troy will have to deal with. It makes up for a very interesting guard matchup between Stesiak and Jake Vickers vs Brody Parker, Jake Emerizian, and Ethan Emerzian. Should be very interesting.

Troy vs Saginaw. Motor City Roundball at Ferndale (6:30 PM, Sunday): The battle of the guards between Brody Parker, Jake Emerzian, and Ethan Emerzian vs Sir’Real Smith and Freddie McIntosh. The Trojans have played a tough schedule in the Saginaw Valley and had put over 200 points in their first two games of the season. Also what makes this matchup tough for Troy is that this is the second game of a back to back, talk about brutal.

Troy Athens vs Detroit Communication Media Arts. Motor City Roundball at Ferndale (12:30 PM, Friday): This should be the Red Hawks toughest test since playing Lake Orion in their first game of the season by going up against the Pharaohs. Detroit Communication of Media Arts has been battle tested and has a double overtime victory over Farmington but lost a tough one to North Farmington last Saturday. This should be very interesting to say the least.

West Bloomfield vs Detroit Mumford. Detroit Public School League Winter Basketball Classic at Detroit Cass Tech (11:30 AM, Friday): The Lakers brutal non-conference schedule continues with a trip to Detroit Cass Tech on Friday to play Detroit Mumford. The Mustangs are solid in the Detroit Public School League. They could make some noise in the postseason. Talk about brutal.

Royal Oak vs Algonac at Marine City Cardinal Mooney (3:30 PM, Friday): This is an interesting matchup for the Ravens playing Algonac. Algonac is typically a decent team which can give anyone trouble in the Blue Water Conference. Royal Oak will need to play well if they want to play for the championship on Saturday.

Royal Oak vs Marine City Cardinal Mooney (6:30 PM, Saturday): The Ravens will need a good showing no matter what happens or if they play either Marine City Cardinal Mooney or Memphis. A good showing would be great for Coach Aaron Smith’s crew.

Farmington vs Orchard Lake St Marys. Holiday Hoops Extravaganza at North Farmington (8:30 PM, Friday): The Falcons will be well rested heading into their arch rival’s gym. Farmington has to deal with a loaded Eaglets squad that beat Clarkston by 13 points. It will not be an easy game to say the least.

Farmington vs Detroit Martin Luther King. Motor City Roundball at Ferndale (8:20 PM, Sunday): The Falcons will have another really tough game looming after Orchard Lake St. Marys when they play Detroit Martin Luther King. Farmington certainly has the guards to matchup against the Crusaders. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Toledo St. Francis at North Farmington. Holiday Hoops Extravaganza (5 PM, Friday): The Raiders came back from eight points down to beat Detroit Communication of Media Arts 47-46 last Saturday. Toledo St. Francis is very good sitting at 5-1. It’s going to be a tough matchup for North Farmington in their home gym.

Southfield Arts and Tech vs Detroit University Prep. Motor City Roundball at Ferndale (5 PM, Saturday): The Warriors have been off to a solid start at 4-0. Going up against a Coach Brendan Barrett team will be a tough chore for Southfield Arts and Tech but they have managed to have a strong start thus far.

Oak Park vs Dayton Thurgood Marshall. Lima Senior Showcase at Lima Senior High School in Lima Ohio: (4:15 PM, Saturday): The Knights had a blowout win over Detroit Henry Ford last weekend. They will play a Cougars team that is solid and talented despite having a 5-3 record. It will be an interesting matchup to say the least.

Chicago Lincoln Park at Ferndale. Motor City Roundball (8 PM, Friday): The Eagles were in Chicago this past weekend but they did not look good in their blowout loss to Chicago Harvey Thornton falling 83-64. It should be a good test with another solid Chicago squad in Lincoln Park. Ferndale will need to play well on their home floor.

Ferndale vs Cleveland Heights Lutheran East. Lima Senior Showcase at Lima Senior High School in Lima, Ohio: (3:30 PM, Sunday): The Eagles will test themselves against another out of State team when they head southeast instead of northwest. Ferndale fell to Chicago Harvey Thornton 83-64 last weekend. They will head to Lima. Ohio to take on a very good Cleveland Heights Lutheran East team is very solid and is 5-1 this weekend. Usually playing an out of state team in the new format but it should make the Eagles better in the long hall.

Top Games (Girls)- Christmas Tournaments December 23^rd until December 31^th. (Times will be updated)

Pontiac vs Detroit Cody. Motor City Roundball at Westfield Prep (9:20 AM, Monday): The Phoenix have been struggling but so has Detroit Cody. It is also an early game as well. This one could be interesting.

Oak Park vs St. Clair Shores South Lake. Motor City Roundball at Westfield Prep (9:20 AM, Friday): The Knights are coming off an emotional 48-41 upset over Seaholm last Friday night. Oak Park will play St. Clair Shores South Lake on Friday morning. South Lake is not bad and should provide the Knights some issues but if Oak Park plays like they did against Seaholm then anything could happen.

Avondale at Carelton Airport (8 PM, Saturday): The Yellow Jackets have appeared to have things straighten out since playing Birmingham Marian. Carleton Airport is not bad and should give Avondale some fits but I think the experience could be too much in this game.

Bloomfield Hills vs North Farmington at Groves (4:00 PM, Friday): The Blackhawks are dealing with a ton of injuries and suspensions and it showed in their controversial loss to Groves on Friday night. The Raiders have lost both of their games by a combined five points. This should be an interesting matchup.

Bloomfield Hills vs Oak Park at Detroit University Prep (Monday): The Blackhawks will be taking on a red hot Knights team that has won two straight games. Bloomfield Hills has played a tough schedule thus far and could surprise some people this season. If Oak Park can get this one then they are going to be a team to be a recon with.

Bloomfield Hills at Detroit Edison (B-Team) Tuesday at Detroit University Prep: The Blackhawks are going to have it very tricky against the Pioneers but it won't be against their top team. It will be against their B team. Although weaker than their A team but they are still solid. It's going to be a tough matchup anyway for Bloomfield Hills.

West Bloomfield vs Royal Oak Shrine at Groves (6 PM Friday): The Lakers should matchup pretty well with Royal Oak Shrine but Royal Oak Shrine has given teams in the Red problems like Royal Oak. It will be interesting to see how West Bloomfield plays this out.

West Bloomfield vs Ann Arbor Huron at Ann Arbor Skyline (1:45 PM, Saturday): This will be a tough game for the Lakers playing in Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor Huron has a ton of experience and they have been battle tested. It will be interesting to see how West Bloomfield plays this out.

Waterford Mott at Groves (12 PM, Friday): This sets up to be a battle of the interior between Ellie Ruprich and Abby Ungler. The Falcons have been up and down lately. They recently winning a controversial game over Bloomfield Hills on Friday night.

North Farmington vs Chicago Phillips. Motor City Roundball at Westfield Prep (2:20 PM, Monday): Chicago Phillips is usually a solid team. They should test the Raiders in this matchup.

Southfield Arts and Tech vs East Grand Rapids. Motor City Roundball at Westfield Prep (5:40 PM, Friday): This will be a tough matchup to day the least for the Warriors against the Pioneers who are very good. It will be very interesting to say the least.

Southfield Arts and Tech vs Ypsilanti Arbor Prep at Ann Arbor Skyline (5:15 PM, Saturday): The Gators are a very solid squad who has beaten Clarkston early in the season. The Warriors besides McEvans, Worthy, and Willis should be tested again. Southfield Arts and Tech will need someone besides those three to step up against a stout Ypsilanti Arbor Prep squad.