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Michigan Represents in NCAA Tournament
16 Mar
The NCAA tournament is out, which means millions of brackets across the country will be filled out in anticipation for three thrilling weeks of college hoops. 16 teams in the field have players who hail from the great state of Michigan. So as you’re filling out your bracket, when in doubt, go Michigan.
Arizona State
Brandan Kearney 6’5″ forward, Detroit, Southeastern High School
Dayton
Devin Oliver 6’7″ forward, Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Central High School
Eastern Kentucky
Glenn Cosey 6’0″ guard, Flint, Carman-Ainsworth High School
Iowa
Roy Devyn Marble 6’6″ guard, Southfield, Southfield-Lathrup High School
Anthony Clemmons 6’1″ guard, Lansing, Lansing Sexton High School
Iowa State
Sherron Dorsey-Walker 6’4″ guard, Detroit, Pershing High School
Monte Morris 6’2″ guard, Flint, Beecher High School
Percy Gibson 6’9″ center, Detroit, Southeastern High School
Kentucky
James Young 6’6″ guard, Rochester Hills, Rochester High School
Michigan
Derrick Walton 6’1″ guard, Detroit, Chandler Park Academy High School
Jordan Morgan 6’8″ forward, Detroit, University of Detroit Jesuit High School
Michigan State
Keith Appling 6’1″ guard, Detroit, Pershing High School
Trevor Bohnhoff 6’7″ forward, Saginaw, Nouvel High School
Dan Chapman 6’3″ guard, Okemos, Okemos High School
Matt Costello 6’9″ forward, Bay City, Bay City Western High School
Denzel Valentine 6’5″ guard, Lansing, Lansing Sexton High School
Keenan Wetzel 6’4″ guard, Monroe, Monroe St. Mary’s High School
North Carolina Central
Juwan Moody 6’1″ guard, Pontiac, Westwind Prep Academy (Arizona)
Ohio State
Amir Williams 6’11” center, Detroit, Detroit Country Day High School
Trey McDonald 6’8″ center, Battle Creek, Battle Creek Central High School
Providence
LaDontae Henton 6’6″ forward, Lansing, Eastern High School
Texas
Martez Walker 6’4″ guard, Detroit, Pershing High School
Texas Southern
Lawrence Johnson-Danner 6’4″ guard, Detroit, Melvindale ABT High School
Aaron Clayborn 6’7″forward, Benton Harbor, Benton Harbor High School
Tulsa
Stevie Repichowski 6’5″ guard, Lansing, King Prep (Iowa)
Western Michigan
Jared Klein 6’2″ guard, Otsego, Otsego High School
Von Washington 6’2″ guard, Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Central High School
Bishop Robinson 6’3″ guard, Kalamazoo, Loy Norrix High School
Shayne Wittington 6’1″ center, Paw Paw, Lawerence High School
Kellen McCormick 6’8″ forward, West Bloomfield, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
Taylor Perry 6’5″ guard, Rochester, Rochester High School
Connor Tava 6’6″ forward, Macomb, Warren De La Salle
Xavier
Jalen Reynolds 6’9″ forward, Detroit, Livonia Stevenson High School
Regional Playoff Previews
10 Mar
After a quality week of opening district rounds, the state tournament shifts focus to regionals with plenty of intriguing pairings. The Breslin at the same time is as close as it is far away.
Class A
Best Regional: Cass Tech
- Cass Tech
- Redford Thurston
- Detroit Southeastern
- University of Detroit Jesuit
Contenders remaining: Muskegon, University of Detroit Jesuit, Clarkston, Bloomfield Hills, Ypsilanti
Sleepers remaining: Romulus, Cass Tech, Oak Park, Holt, Mt. Pleasant, Detroit Southeastern, Saginaw
Class B
Best Regional: Wyoming Godwin Heights
- Holland Christian
- Wyoming Godwin Heights
- Comstock Park
- Spring Lake
Contenders remaining: Wyoming Godwin Heights, Jackson Lumen Christi, Milan, Detroit Country Day, Otsego
Sleepers remaining: Millington, Detroit Community, Wayland, Comstock Park, Goodrich, Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy, Detroit Douglass
Class C
Best Regional: Clinton
- Detroit Consortium
- Detroit Allen Academy
- Clinton
- Ottawa Lake Whiteford
Contenders remaining: Detroit Consortium, Mt. Clemens, Negaunee, Shelby, Detroit Allen Academy, Muskegon Heights
Sleepers remaining: Flint Beecher, Pewamo-Westphalia
Class D
Best Regional: West Bloomfield
Allen Park Inter-City Baptist
Southfield Christian
Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes
Pinckney Livingston
Contenders remaining: Southfield Christian, Powers North Central, Hillman, Cedarville
Sleepers remaining: Munising, Crystal Falls Forest Park, Battle Creek St. Phillip
Statewide Regional Pairings
8 Mar
Regionals are composed of four district winners,and last until the state quarterfinals. Regional semi-finals begin on Monday, and the two winners of the semi-finals play in the regional final on Wednesday, March 12.
Class A
Region 7 at Linden High School:
Howell vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s @ 5:30
Grand Blanc vs. Salem @ 7:15
Region 8 at Mt. Pleasant High School:
Traverse City West vs. Mt. Pleasant @ 5:30
Flint Carman-Ainsworth vs. Saginaw @ 7:00
Region 1 at Kalamazoo Loy Norrox High School:
Ann Arbor Skyline vs. Lansing Eastern @ 6:00
Kalamazoo Central vs. Holt @ 7:30
Region 2 at Zeeland East High School:
Grand Rapids Northview vs. Muskegon @ 6:00
Grand Rapids Ottaw Hills vs. Hudsonville @ 8:00
Region 3 at Saline High School:
Dearborn Heights Crestwood vs. Romulus @ 6:00
Ypsilanti vs. Southgate Anderson @ 8:00
Region 4 at Cass Tech High School:
Detroit Southeastern vs. University of Detroit Jesuit @ 5:00
Redford Thurston vs. Cass Tech @ 7:00
Region 5 at Macomb Dakota High School:
Warren Mott vs. Roseville @ 5:00
Macomb Dakota vs. Utica Eisenhower @ 7:00
Region 6 at Southfield-Lathrup High School:
Clarkston vs. Troy Athens @ 5:00
Oak Parks vs. Bloomfield Hills @ 6:30
Class B
Region 9 at Coloma High School:
Otsego vs. Battle Creek Harper Creek @ 6:00
Benton Harbor vs. Edwardsburg @ 7:30
Region 10 at Wyoming Godwin Heights High School:
Spring Lake vs. Comstock Park @ 6:00
Holland Christian vs. Wyoming Godwin Heights @ 8:00
Region 15 at Pinconning High School:
Big Rapids vs. Standish Sterling Central @ 6:00
Belding vs. Saginaw Swan Valley @ 7:30
Region 16 at Petoskey High School:
Escanaba vs. Cadillac @ 6:00
Newyago vs. Mason County Central @ 7:30
Region 13 at Ponitac Notre Dame Prep High School:
Detroit Country Day vs. Harper Woods Chandler Park @ 5:30
Detroit University Prep vs. Detroit Douglass @ 7:00
Region 14 at North Branch High School:
Millington vs. Imlay City @ 6:00
Goodrich vs. St. Clair @ 7:30
Region 11 at Flat Rock High School:
Detroit Community vs. River Rouge @ 5:30
Milan vs. Grosse Ile @ 7:30
Region 12 at Spring Arbor University:
Wayland Union vs. Lansing Catholic @ 5:30
Leslie vs. Jackson Lumen Christi @ 7:30
Class C
Region 21 at Flint Beecher High School:
Hemlock vs. Montrose Hill-McCloy @ 6:00
Flint Beecher vs. Unionville-Sebewaing
Region 22 at Blanchard Montabella High School:
Shelby vs. Lakeview @ 6:00
Pewamo-Westphalia vs. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian @ 7:30
Region 17 at Bridgman High School:
Muskegon Heights vs. Kalamazoo Hackett @ 6:00
New Buffalo vs. Schoolcraft @ 8:00
Region 18 at Jonesville High School:
Vermontville Maple Valley vs. Adrian Madison @ 6:00
Hillsdale vs. Hanover Horton @ 7:30
Region 19 at Clinton High School:
Detroit Consortium vs. Detroit Allen Academy @ 5:00
Ottawa Lake Whiteford @ 7:00
Region 20 at Madison Heights Bishop Foley High School:
Marlette vs. Mt. Clemens @ 6:00
Harper Woods vs. Madison Heights Bishop Foley @ 7:30
Region 23 at Traverse City St. Francis High School:
Beaverton vs. Mio @ 5:30
East Jordan vs. Traverse City St. Francis @ 8:00
Region 24 at Marquette High School:
Iron Wood Luther L Wright vs. Norway @ 6:00
St. Ignace LaSalle vs. Negaunee @ 8:00
Class D
Region 29 at Big Rapids High School:
Baldwin vs. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart @ 6:00
Muskegon Heights Catholic Central vs. Fulton @ 7:30
Region 30 at Traverse City Central High School:
Boyne Falls vs. AuGres-Sims @ 6:00
Frankfort vs. Suttons Bay @ 7:30
Region 27 at West Bloomfield High School:
Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes vs. Southfield Christian @ 5:30
Allen Park Inter-City Baptist vs. Pinckney Livingston @ 7:00
Region 28 at Peck High School:
Burton vs. St. Thomas More Academy @ 6:00
Bay City All Saints vs. Peck @ 7:30
Region 31 at St. Ignace LaSalle High School:
Cedarville vs. Rudyard @ 5:30
Hillman vs. Alanson @ 7:30
Region 32 at Escanaba High School:
Lake Linden-Hubbell vs. Crystal Falls Forest Park @ 6:00
Munising vs. Powers North Central @ 7:45
Region 25 at Portage Northern High School:
Wyoming Potter’s House vs. Battle Creek St. Philip @ 6:00
Covert vs. Marcellus @ 8:00
Region 26 at Morenci High School:
Bellevue vs. Morrice @ 6:00
Hillsdale Academy vs. Adrian Lenawee Christian @ 7:45
Salem Betters Rival Canton 50-49
8 Mar“I knew I was going to make it” said Salem junior guard Allante Wheeler referring to his free-throw made with under five seconds left in the Rocks district final contest vs. rival Canton. “Before the game I shot around 50 free throws on that rim, plus I went to that line before and my form and everything felt good.”
After Canton senior Greg Williams tied the game with around one minute left in the contest, Salem decided to hold the ball for the final shot of the game. With 16 seconds left, the Rocks made their move. On the left wing, Wheeler took the ball to the rack, got fouled and hit one free-throw to send the Rocks to the MHSAA’s regional championships next weekend starting Monday.
With the win, Salem avenges an early season loss on December 13th against the Chiefs by a 60-56 decision. A key in Salem’s transition from a loss vs. Canton to a win was the defense the Rocks implored on Eastern Michigan commit Jordan Nobles. In the earlier matchup of the season, Nobles scored 18 points and 10 rebounds. Vs. Canton in the district final, Nobles only had six points and 3 rebounds.
Coming off the bench and providing a lift for your team offensively in a playoff game is always difficult, however, Wheeler found success with his role of being the 6th man. Wheeler knocked down his first shot, a three, and hit eight free throws the entire game, most of which came in the fourth, to score a team high 13 points.
“I think I played 150% better than the first meeting between us” Wheeler had to say. “I think that had a big outcome on the win but it was all set up by the team and coach.”
Salem held a one to five point lead throughout most of the ball game, and never trailed by more than three points in the first half. After leading 15-11 at the end one, and thanks to guards Brady Cole, Connor Cole, and Alec Winfrey, the Rocks were able to build their largest lead of the game 24-17 with :55 seconds left in the first half.
Canton rallied in the third to eventually lead 34-33 after a Nobles bucket with 3:25 left in the quarter, however the Chiefs would never lead the rest of the game, the only time the game was tied was when Wheeler hit his game winning free-throw.
For Salem, Wheeler had 13 points and three rebounds, Brady Cole with 10 points, and Tyler Brooks had 8 points.
Canton was led by Davon Taylor with 16 points and 13 rebounds, and fellow senior Greg Williams had 19 points for the Chiefs.
2013-2014 Playoff Preview
3 Mar
It’s March! Which means Spring is near, and playoff basketball is upon us. Districts are the first round of the playoffs, and there are plenty of intriguing matchups on deck for the upcoming week. District playoffs usually compose of teams within the same league or conference, which brings about great atmospheres and rivalries for games.
All four classes in Michigan this year are relatively competitive, and are open for multiple teams to win.
Class A
Best District: Belleville
Belleville
Romulus
Taylor-John F Kennedy
Taylor-Truman
Wayne Memorial
Westland-John Glenn
Contenders: Pershing, Muskegon, University of Detroit Jesuit, Saginaw Arthur Hill, Clarkston, Bloomfield Hills, Battle Creek Central, Ypsilanti
Sleepers: Romulus, Cass Tech, Oak Park, Jenison, Holt, Mt. Pleasant, Detroit Southeastern, Taylor Truman, Saginaw, East English Village
Class B
Best District: Central Collegiate Academy
Detroit-Central Collegiate
Detroit-Frederick Douglass
Detroit-Old Redford Preparatory
Ferndale
Ferndale-University
Hazel Park
Warren-Fitzgerald
Contenders: Wyoming Godwin Heights, Grand Rapids South Christian, Jackson Lumen Christi, Milan, Detroit Country Day, Otsego
Sleepers: Millington, Detroit Community, Wayland, Comstock Park, Ferndale University, Goodrich, Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy, Detroit Douglass, Detroit Henry Ford
Class C
Best District: Auburn Hills-Oakland Christian
Auburn Hills-Oakland Christian
Mt Clemens
New Haven
Pontiac Academy for Excellence
Rochester Hills-Lutheran Northwest
Warren-Michigan Collegiate
Contenders: Detroit Consortium, Mt. Clemens, Negaunee, Shelby, Boyne City, Detroit Allen Academy, Muskegon Heights
Sleepers: Southfield Bradford, Marlette, Detroit Loyola, Flint Beecher, Pewamo-Westphalia
Class D
Best District: Bark River-Harris
Bark River-Harris
Carney-Nadeau
Felch-North Dickinson
Powers-North Central
Rock-Mid Peninsula
Stephenson
Wilson-Nah Tah Wahsh PSA
Contenders: Southfield Christian, Powers North Central, Bellaire, Hillman, Cedarville
Sleepers: Munising, Crystal Falls Forest Park, Battle Creek St. Phillip
Team Rankings Heading Into The Playoffs
2 Mar
It’s March! Time for brackets and three weeks of chaos. In the third month of the year, there will be upsets. But it is nice to give a general idea of who is expected to compete for championships. March is the best time to be a basketball fan, and we look forward to three great weeks of high school hoops.
Statewide Rankings
1. Muskegon
2. Pershing
3. University of Detroit Jesuit
4. Detroit Consortium
5. Mt. Clemens
6. Wyoming Godwin Heights
7. Battle Creek Central
8. Ypsilanti
9. Grand Rapids South Christian
10. Jackson Lumen Christi
11. Holt
12. Bloomfield Hills
13. Milan
14. Flint Carman-Ainsworth
15. Taylor Truman
16. Southfield Christian
17. Clarkson
18. Saginaw Arthur Hill
19. Millington
20 Jenison
21. Kalamazoo Central
22. Romulus
23. Otsego
24. Negaunee
25. Cass Tech
26. Powers North Central
27. Imlay City
28. Ann Arbor Huron
29. Yale
30. Forest Hills Central
Class A
1. Muskegon
2. Pershing
3. University of Detroit Jesuit
4. Battle Creek Central
5. Ypsilanti
6. Holt
7. Bloomfield Hills
8. Flint Carman-Ainsworth
9. Taylor Truman
10. Clarkson
11. Saginaw Arthur Hill
12. Jenison
13. Kalamazoo Central
14. Romulus
15. Cass Tech
16. Ann Arbor Huron
17. Forest Hills Central
18. Grand Blanc
19. Holland
20. Warren De La Salle
21. Mt. Pleasant
22. Warren Mott
23. Dearborn Heights Crestwood
24. Holly
25. Marquette
Class B
1. Wyoming Godwin Heights
2. Grand Rapids South Christian
3. Jackson Lumen Christi
4. Milan
5. Millington
6. Otsego
7. Imlay City
8. Yale
9. Comstock Park
10. Detroit Country Day
11. Warren Fitzgerald
12. Ferndale University
13. Goodrich
14. Wayland
15. Clintondale
16. Chandler Park Academy
17. Holland Christian
18. Dundee
19. Harper Creek Battle Creek
20. St. Clair
Class C
1. Detroit Consortium
2. Mt. Clemens
3. Negaunee
4. Boyne City
5. Detroit Allen Academy
6. Shelby
7. Muskegon Heights
8. Marlette
9. Pewamo-Westphalia
10. Detroit Loyola
11. Flint Beecher
12. Southfield Bradford
13. Oakland Christian
14. Homer
15. Pine River Area
Class D
1. Southfield Christian
2. Powers North Central
3. Bellaire
4. Battle Creek St. Phillip
5. Hillman
6. Cedarville
7. Munising
8. Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes
9. Crystal Falls Forest Park
10. Fulton
Westland John Glenns Earns 56-51 Kensington Conference Championship Victory Over Salem
23 Feb
The Rockets of Westland John Glenn started the 2013-2014 basketball season a lethargic 2-3 in the non-conference portion of their schedule, but gained momentum after senior Isaac Everett returned to the lineup after starting the campaign with a broken thumb. Glenn eventually righted the ship to go 9-1 in league play and win KLAA Kensington South Division, their third in a row, and now their first Kensington Conference title for head coach Dan Young who will be stepping down at the conclusion of the season.
Senior Isaac Everette, a member of last year’s Glenn team which saw their hopes of winning the Kensington Conference fall one point short to rival Canton, came out and started the first quarter and scored nine of his game high 26 points, which helped the Rockets gain a 21-10 advantage over Salem.
“This feels great. I’ve been thinking about that since it happened,” Everette had to say after the game. “I’m glad to be holding this trophy and being a winner.”
After only scoring seven points in the second quarter of play, Glenn started the third on a 10-4 run to lead 44-33 heading into the fourth with 6’7″ senior James Pruitt on the court who fell victim to foul trouble in the first half.
Salem would not go away easy on their home court, led by senior Connor Cole, the Rocks would cut into the Rockets lead beginning the fourth on a 9-3 run, with Cole scoring 10 of his team-high 16 points in the final frame. The Rocks would eventually only trail by four points with 1:25 left remaining. The man Salem wished to send to the foul line in an attempt to prolong the game was the senior Everette. Isaac went only 3-7 through the duration of the game, however, Everette hit six straight crucial free-throws to seal the second championship Glenn has won this season.
“They’re the best offensive rebounding team we’ve played all year,” Coach Young had to say after the game. “They run their system and it’s hard to guard. They pass really well, it’s a great system and it’s great coaching.”
James Pruitt chipped in the Rockets victory with double-double, 10 points and 16 rebounds, junior Mychael Bradley had seven points in the win as well.
Glenn will now host the KLAA’s Lakes Conference winner, Lakeland, Thursday night at John Glenn for the KLAA Association title.
Pershing Tops Southeastern To Claim City Championship
22 Feb
One of the hardest tasks in sports is to defend a championship, especially when the opponent is your bitter division rival who beat you earlier in the year. However, Pershing was able to outlast Southeastern in overtime to claim their second straight DPS City Championship by the score 57-56.
As soon as the game started, it looked as if it would be Southeastern winning their second city title within the last four years, jumping out to a 21-9 after the first quarter, and then eventually 29-19 at the halftime.
“He (Coach Henry) kept telling us that we were alright,” senior point guard Darsean Woodson said the message was at halftime. “we just had to be poise and dial in.”
In the second half, Pershing started to get their offense going. Buffalo Bulls commit Mory Diane highlighted the comeback scoring 13 of his game high 15 points in the second half, including the game tying floater in the lane for Pershing with 33.2 seconds left that capped off a 15-2 run for the Doughboys to send the game in to overtime.
Pershing never trailed in the overtime, even with seniors Justin Tillman and Diane fouling out within the first two minutes of the period. Pershing eventually led by one point with 6.2 second left, after two missed free-throws by Kam Barden, Southeastern did not get the ball passed half court, giving Pershing the hardware.
Mory Diane led all scorers with 15 points, Kam Barden chipped in with 13 points, and Darsean Woodson had 10 points for Pershing. Southeastern was led by Leonard Harper-Baker with 15 points, and D’Cari Charleston scored 12 points for the Jungaleers.
Both teams now move onto the state tournament which begins in about a week. For Pershing, who always have state titles on their mind, a game like this can serve as a teaching point for how to start a game.
“That gives us a lot of momentum,” Woodson had to say, “knowing that we have to turn it up more & earlier in the game.”
The Prep Ball Report 