Archive | March, 2015

Five State Quarterfinal Storylines

24 Mar

The final week of the season is here, so start it off right.

Premier Matchup of the Night

Muskegon meets Lansing Everett in a highly anticipated contest between Michigan’s two best senior forwards/centers, Deyonta Davis and Trevor Manuel.  Davis won Mr. Basketball just a day prior to the game, while Manuel placed third.  Davis is committed to Michigan State, and Manuel will continue his career at Oregon.

Will Arthur Hill Make the Breslin?

Eric Davis placed second in the Mr. Basketball voting, and while Deyonta has one Class A ring, Eric has never been to the Breslin Center before, let alone a district championship prior to this season.  Arthur Hill has cruised past opponents in both district and regional play.  The lone remainder in their way is Walled Lake Central, led by junior standout guard Walter Kelser.  The Vikings have managed to beat two state-ranked team along the way in the playoffs, rival Walled Lake Western, and then Holly for the regional championship in a defacto road game.

Your Point?

U of D Jesuit meets Clarkston in one of two quarterfinal games at Calihan Hall.  Jesuit’s Cassius Winston, is among one of the premier floor generals in the country for the junior class.  Winston has been to the Breslin Center before, while Clarkston floor general a year ago wasn’t even in high school.  Freshman point guard Foster Loyer plays with poise beyond his years for the Wolves, and is coming off an impressive 35 point performance in the team’s victory against Macomb Dakota.

Potential Upset

Ypsilanti exercised some demons, defeating Romulus in their regional round, the same Eagles team that ended the Grizzlies’ season last year.  Despite not carrying the amount of talent as in year’s  past, the Grizzlies are not to be taken lightly in March with the back-court duo of Corey Allen and Avery Williams.  Ypsilanti meets Western as heavy underdogs, however, it isn’t called March Magic for nothing.

Contrasting Rosters

Henry Ford has had to fight and crawl for three of their four games in the playoffs, and will need another one against New Haven for a trip to the Class B semi-finals.  Ford’s tallest player is 6’4″ Western Michigan bound Josh Davis.  However, Davis is not a center, Josh thrives on the perimeter will his silky smooth jump shot.  For the undefeated Rockets, four of their starters read 6’4,” 6’6.” “6’10,” and 6’10.”  New Haven struggled just to reach the quarters, the Rockets rallied from a seven point deficit with just 40 seconds remaining to force overtime and eventually defeat Detroit Osborn.  The very same Osborn team Ford handled relatively easily.

Prep Ball Review Podcast Quarterfinal Preview

23 Mar

Recap of last week’s regional championships, discussion on Deyonta Davis’ Mr. Basketball award, and Class A and B quarterfinal previews.

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Freshman Foster Loyer’s Career High 35 lead Clarkston Past Dakota 63-58

19 Mar

IMG_0257And a freshman will lead them.

It seems a script made for a Hollywood production.  A freshman, leading an undefeated team with championship aspirations, in a highly anticipated meeting between two state top ten teams.

Clarkston freshman floor general Foster Loyer scored more than half his team’s 63 points, 35, in the Wolves’ regional final victory against MAC Red Division champions Macomb Dakota (21-3).

Foster scored 13 of his total points in the final period of play, and the Wolves needed every last one of them.  In a game of two evenly matched teams, there was little separation.  Until the fourth quarter, the largest advantage any team held was five points.

The Wolves built an eight point advantage twice in the middle of the fourth quarter.  However, uncharacteristic Clarkston turnovers and mishaps propelled a Dakota charge.  Junior point guard C.J. Marshall scored scored six points in an 8-0 run to put the Cougars down one exactly half-way through the fourth.

“They changed up their defense,” Loyer said of the Dakota spurt.  “Put the trap on us and worked pretty well against us.  Had some careless turnovers but we finished through.  That’s all that matters.”

Dakota even held a one point advantage at one point with under three to play.  Clarkston (24-0) needed to make a stand, this time it wasn’t Loyer, however, senior Andrew Myers scored five straight for the Wolves and gave the team the lead they would not relinquish the remainder of the contest, up two with 2:12 to play.

Now Clarkston needed to connect on free-throws.  Loyer shot 10 free-throws in the final eight minutes, and made eight of them, four of which in the final minute.

Loyer, son of former Piston interim coach John Loyer, said free-throws are an aspect of a game he takes great pride in, and he practices them every day.

“(I) try to make 50 free-throws at least every day,” Loyer said.  “Free-throw line wins basketball games.”

Head coach Dan Fife had high praise for his freshman point guard’s performance in a filled to capacity crowd.

“It’s hard to imagine he’s a freshman,” said Fife.  “It’s incredible to think a kid that poised can play that composure in this kind of environment, cause I don’t think he’s played in anything like this.

On the roster sheet, Dakota clearly held an advantage athletically.  A 6’4″ guard, and four 6’6” plus forwards the Cougars rotated through during the game.  On top of the Cougars athleticism, Dakota also has one  the premier sophomore guards, Jermaine Jackson Jr.

Jackson scored 14 points, but took well over 20 shots to reach that plateua.  In a match-up of two promising underclassman point guards, it was Loyer’s night.  On a key rebound in the final minutes, Jackson attempted to get an easy layup, however, Foster was there to thwart a would-be Jackson two pointer, only a microcosm of Loyer’s dominant night.

“Really wasn’t ready to block it,” Loyer said with a smile.  “Ball came my way so I did what I could.”

Following a rugged regional championship, Clarkston has six days to prepare for Catholic League Champion U of D Jesuit (21-3).  The Cubs have their own stud point guard in junior Cassius Winston, whose scored at least 20 point in each playoff game for U of D.  Clarkston last appeared in the Class A state quarterfinals in 2011.

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Michigan Players In The 2015 NCAA Tournament

17 Mar

2015FinalFourLogoEvery single player born in the State of Michigan playing in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky

Devin Booker 6’6″ freshman guard (Grand Rapids, Moss Point High School, Alabama)

Tyler Ulis 5’9″ freshman point guard (Southfield Michigan, Marian Catholic, Ohio)

Cincinnati

Coreontae DeBerry 6’9″ junior center (Holland High School)

Buffalo

Mory Diane 6’3″ freshman guard (Pershing High School)

Christian Pino 5’7″ redshirt freshman guard (Romulus High School)

Raheem Johnson 6’10” junior center (Romulus High School)

Justin Moss 6’7″ junior forward (Romulus High School)

Maryland

Richaud Pack 6’4″ senior guard (Birmingham Seaholm)

Oregon

Tim Jensen 6’6″ redshirt senior forward (Manistee High School)

Xavier

Jalen Reynolds 6’10” sophomore forward (Livonia Stevenson High School)

Edmond Sumner 6’5″ freshman guard (Detroit Country Day School)

Georgia State

Jalen Brown 6’8″ junior forward (Buchanan High School)

VCU

Justin Tillman 6’7″ freshman forward (Pershing High School)

Ohio State

Amir Williams 6’10” senior center (Detroit Country Day School)

Trey McDonald 6’8″ senior forward (Battle Creek Central High School)

Louisville 

Jaylen Johnson 6’9″ freshman forward (Ypsilanti Community High School)

Providence

LaDontae Henton 6’6″ senior guard (Lansing Eastern High School)

Boise State

Kevin Allen 6’11” junior center (Ecorse Community High School)

Dayton 

Darrell Davis 6’4″ freshman guard (Frederick Douglass Academy)

Michigan State

Bryn Forbes 6’3″ junior guard (Lansing Sexton High School)

Matt Costello 6’9″ junior forward (Bay City Western High School)

Trevor Bohnhoff 6’7″ junior forward (Saginaw Nouvel High School)

Kenny Goins 6’6″ freshman forward (Warren Mott High School)

Denzel Valentine 6’5″ junior guard (Lansing Sexton High School)

Keenan Wetzel 6’3″ redshirt senior guard (Monroe St. Mary High School)

Matt Van Dyk 6’5″ junior forward (Imlay City High School)

Iowa

Anthony Clemmons 6’2″ junior guard (Lansing Sexton High School)

Georiga

Yante Maten 6’8″ freshman forward (Bloomfield Hills High School)

Robert Morris

Andre Frederick 6’8″ freshman forward (Detroit, Daniel Hand High School, Connecticut)

St. Johns

Sir’Dominic Pointer 6’6″ senior forward (Detroit, Quality Education Prep, North Carolina)

Utah

Kyle Kuzma 6’9″ redshirt freshman forward (Flint, Rise Academy, Pennsylvania)

Iowa State

Monté Morris 6’2″ freshman guard (Flint Beecher High School)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Western Advances To Regional Semi-Final 65-55 Over East English Village

17 Mar

IMG_0246This is what Josh McFolley came to Western for.  To win and lead.

Last season, McFolley was a key component on a Mt. Clemens team that reached the Class C quarterfinals.  Now as a senior, Josh is the primary leader of a Western team that was once a dormant program of the PSL.

“I’ve been in this position before,” McFolley said of his team’s position in the state tournament.  “I know how to control the team, calm things down a little bit, and the coaches keep us calm too.”

In the team’s 65-55 defeat of East English Village at the Sterling Heights regional semi-final, Josh scored 19 points, hauled in seven rebounds, and assisted on four Cowboy baskets.  For as good as he was, Josh surprisingly didn’t lead the team scoring-wise.  That was held by junior guard Brailen Neely, with a game-high 22 points.

In their short time together, Neely and McFolley have built a strong relationship among one another now reaping rewards on the court.

“We talk about this before every game,” McFolley said of him and Neely.  “Talk about it during practice, what we got to do, ever since day one we’ve been together.  We know we have to work together.”

McFolley struggled in the first-half, connecting on just one of his first five shot attempts.  However, Neely was there to pace Western with 11 points in the opening 16 minutes.

Western held a slim one point advantage at intermission.  Then, it was McFolley’s turn.  Josh scored 11 of the Cowboys’ 21 third quarter points, including six straight at one point.

“I rushed a little bit in the first-half,” McFolley said, “kind of slowed me up a bit.”  “Then the coaches told me just to stay composed and I was expecting it in the second-half too, so I managed to play through it.”

Western knew the game would be an up-and-down affair.  In the first meeting of the year, the two squads combined for 149 points.  Just as it was in January, this game would be dictated by guards.  Three Western Cowboys standing 6’8″ scored just 10 points, and EEVP’s two primary forwards scored combined for 15 points.

The one Bulldog that found any form of success against Western was 6’3″ junior guard Kamari Newman.  Newman scored 22 points, and seven off free-throws.  Yet no other Bulldog scored more than 12 points.

“That was the key,” McDowell added about the team’s defensive strategies.  “Hold the rest down, we knew Kamari (Newman) would get his, but basically hold the rest down.”

A three-ball by Neely gave Western their largest lead of the fourth quarter, 59-48 exactly half-way through the period.  However, a desperation surge by East English placed the Bulldogs down just five with 1:50 in regulation following a Newman three pointer, his only basket of the final stanza.  Despite inconsistent free-throw shooting in the final minutes for Western, EEVP’s could not connect on challenged perimeter jump-shots, the Bulldogs went scoreless on the team’s final five possessions.

East English concludes the year with 16-5 overall record.  The Bulldogs have reason to be optimistic for next season, as just one player graduates from the team’s nine-man rotation.

Western improves their record to 22-0, and have a date with Warren De La Salle Wednesday night in the regional semi-final.  Josh is familiar with De La Salle’s style of play, but remains confident in his Cowboys.

“I know they’re a pretty good team,” he said.  “Pretty scrappy team.  So we just got to play our normal game and continue to play hard and we’ll get the win.”

 

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Class A Regional Playoff Preview

16 Mar

The state’s biggest class is the most open.

Contenders remaining: Western (21-0), Muskegon (21-1), Clarkston (22-0), Kalamazoo Central (22-1), Macomb Dakota (20-2), U of D Jesuit (19-3), Saginaw Arthur Hill (20-3)

Sleepers remaining: Lansing Everett (21-2), Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (23-0), Ann Arbor Huron (20-2), Romulus (17-5), East English Village (16-4), North Farmington (19-3).

Best Regionals:

Holland West Ottawa

Teams: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, Muskegon, Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, Hudsonville

Outlook: The defending Class A champs meet Forest Hills Central Monday night.  Forest Hills might have the undefeated record, but Muskegon has future Michigan State Spartan and Mr. Basketball candidate Deyonta Davis.  Davis’ Big Reds haven’t lost in over two months, December 30th to be exact.  This should be a nice match-up between Davis and 2017 stud forward Xavier Tillman for Central.

A sleeper in this regional is Ottawa Hills.  The Bengals slayed previously unbeaten East Kentwood in the district title.  Ottawa Hills’ strength is guards, with Ojani Echevarria, Lance Clanton, and Anthony McIntosh.  OH prefers an up-temp run-and-gun style of play.

Troy

Teams: Macomb Dakota, Clarkston, Auburn Hills Avondale, Utica Eisenhower

Outlook: The two favorites in the Troy Regional are Clarkston and Dakota.  Clarkston is a well-oiled machine that has not lost a game the entire year.  While Dakota has not lost since the second week of the season, a 15 point defeat to Clarkston.  Dakota found their stride in January, when Mt. Clemens transfers Charles Penn and Jermaine Jackson Jr. were granted eligibility.  A third transfer, forward Tarriq Jones, also from Mt. Clemens, has found his role in the Cougar game plan as well following a return to Michigan in the second semester.

As for the other two teams, Eisenhower lost twice to Dakota, one by two points.  Avondale plays Clarkston on Monday, a rematch from December 12th, a 38 point dissmaintling by the Wolves.  However, Avondale has not loss since late January, and tied West Bloomfield for a share of the OAA White.

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Class B Regional Playoff Preview

16 Mar

Class B is entirely open this year.

Contenders remaining: Milan (21-2), New Haven (23-0), Wyoming Godwin Heights (21-1), Detroit Henry Ford (16-5)

Sleepers remaining: River Rouge (18-5), Consortium (16-5), Benton Harbor (17-6), Goodrich (21-2).

Best Regional:

Dearborn Heights Robichaud

Teams: River Rouge, Henry Ford, Consortium, Detroit Northwestern

Outlook: Rouge pummeled teams in district play, winning by double-digits in each game.  While Ford and Consortium needed to claw their way to the second week.

Rouge meets Consortium on day one.  The Panthers routed the Cougars by 64-48 February 10th.  However, the defending Class C champions Consortium might be finding their groove at the right time, the Cougars are 8-1 since the last meeting with Rouge.   If Consortium is to return the favor to Rouge, they will need to control senior point guard Lamonta Stone.  The future Eastern Michigan Eagle scored 31 against the Cougars in the first meeting.

The winner of Consortium/Rouge will likely meet Ford in the regional championship.  Ford was challenged twice the district tournament by CMA and Detroit Community.  Ford has one of the state’s best perimeter shooters in senior Josh Davis, and lock down defender in point guard James Towns.  Will Ford’s stellar perimeter play be able to compensate the taller paint-play of either Consortium or River Rouge?

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Class C Regional Playoff Preview

16 Mar

Is Class C a one team class?  What challengers remain?

Contenders remaining: Flint Beecher (21-1), Hillsdale (22-0), Beaverton (23-0), Shelby (21-1, Horton (21-1)

Sleepers remaining: Monroe St. Mary (20-3), Southfield Christian (20-3), Detroit Edison (16-5)

Two Interesting Regionals:

Whitmore Lake

Teams: Detroit Edison, Monroe  St. Mary, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep, Melvindale ABT

Outlook: After winning the school’s first district championship, Edison moves onto regional play.  The young Pioneers in the first round meet familiar foe, Melvindale ABT.  DEPSA beat the Gators 69-58 in early February.

On the other side of the bracket, Monroe St. Mary won each district game by an average margin of 33 points.  Arbor Prep started the year a dissapointing 3-5, but enter the regional round with momentum winning their last six contests.

Sandusky

Teams: Flint Beecher, Sandusky, Madison Heights Bishop Foley, Southfield Christian

Outlook: This regional will be decided Wednesday night between Beecher and Southfield Christian. The two teams have combined for five state state championship the past five years, Beecher with two in Class C, and SCS with three in Class D.  Can the talented young guards of Christian keep up with the speed, athleticism, height, and experience of Beecher?

Class D Regional Playoff Preview

15 Mar

Chalk for the most part held serve in Class D district play.

Contenders remaining: Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (22-0), Powers North Central (22-0), Cedarville (22-0)

Sleepers remaining: Munising, Boyne Falls, Allen Park Inter-City Baptist, Adrian Lenawee Christian, Hillman, Baldwin

Best Regional:

West Bloomfield

Teams: Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, Bloomfield Hills Roeper, Allen Park Inter-City Baptist, Adrian Lenawee Christian

Our Lady has looked to be the team to represent Metro-Detroit in Class D for most of the year, guards Andrew Kline and Nick Robak are quite the duo for the Lakers.  Last year’s state runner-up, Lenawee Christian, has not had the year which was expected in the pre-season.  Despite a mediocre record, 12-11, the Cougars have the personnel to succeed in a playoff format.  6’8″ junior forward Maxwell is among the state’s top interior scorers and rebounders, and can single-handedly dominate a game.

Lenawee’s opponent, Inter-City has been to this very point the past three seasons, never advancing farther.  The combination of Garrett Kraatz and Luke Barber may need to shoot their way to a regional championship.

 

 

Ypsilanti Outlasts Rival Lincoln 60-48

14 Mar

IMG_0239Free-throws count for just one point, but separate the contenders from pretenders in a tournament setting.

Ypsilanti Community shot 22 free-throws in the Grizzlies’ district-final contest against rival Ypsilanti Lincoln, and made 18.  Senior point guard Avery Williams connected on all 11 he took.  So does Williams take pride in his free-throw ability?

“Every day,” said the senior with a smile.

Williams not only scored 11 points from the free-throw line, he also made four three pointers on the night, and led Ypsilanti with a game-high 25 points.  The performance his head coach has been waiting for.

“I’m going to be honest,” Ypsilanti head coach Steve Brooks said, “Avery Williams goes like that we may be undefeated.”  “He’s the guy we’ve really been waiting on to have that kind of game, he’s one of our captains.  I’m glad he chose tonight.”

Lincoln had already lost to SEC White Conference foe Community twice during the regular season, both double-overtime affairs.  The game was close well into the fourth quarter, the largest lead by any team was seven points.  With 2:04 remaining in the contest down four and the Rail Splitters holding the ball, sophomore guard Marlin Talley swiped a Lincoln pass and finished a high-difficulty lay-up.  Then less than five seconds later, Williams stole a Lincoln pass and found Talley for another lay-up, four points in less than 15 seconds.  This key series of events handed Ypsilanti momentum and control of the game.

The fourth quarter steals were a part of Community’s game plan.  Ypsilanti’s tallest player is listed at 6’3″, compared to Lincoln’s starting front-line of 6’5,” 6’6,” and 6’7.”  Ypsilanti’s guards needed to use their speed and quickness to combat a more vertically gifted team, in particularly on the defensive end.  Lincoln committed 18 total turnovers.

“We always understood that we’re a lot quicker than them,” Avery Williams said.  “Even though they always have the size over us, we always have the quickness, we also had the toughness as well.”

Again, free-throws win championships.  When Lincoln decided to foul from 1:17 on down, Ypsilanti went 8-10 from the charity stripe.  Junior guard Corey Allen with four, Williams two, and Talley two.  Lincoln scored just one time on their final five possessions.

Allen contributed 12 points, while Talley added 10 points, two steal, rebounds, and assists respectively.  Lincoln was led by senior forward Devin Haygood with a team-high 16 points and nine rebounds.

Ypsilanti (17-4), wasn’t expected to capture the school’s third straight district championship.  Community lost All-State 6’10” forward Jaylen Johnson to Louisville, as well as three starters from a 21 win team one season ago.

“It’s a down year maybe talent wise, but it’s never a down year character wise,” added Brooks.  “They’re very coachable kids.”

Williams is just one of three seniors on the 15 man roster.  Brooks says he has gained greater confidence in the roles of his underclassman as a result of added playing time.

“You basically got sophomores that’ve played 20 games, so what it does is officially make them juniors, and the juniors seniors,” said Brooks.  “And when they’re a close-knit group, they’re going to grow anyway, because everyone is going to encourage one another.

Ypsilanti’s next opponent is Southgate Anderson (11-12), Monday night in the Gibraltar regional.  Along with Anderson, Romulus and Dearborn Fordson will join Ypsilanti.  Romulus ended the Grizzlies’ season a year ago in the regional final by seven.

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