Written Sunday February 5th at 12:40 PM
Updated Sunday February 26th at 7:00 PM
These are the updated districts with my thoughts so here they are.
District 6 @ Clarkston (Winner heads to Fenton to Play District 8)
PONTIAC vs Waterford Kettering
PONTIAC/Waterford Kettering vs CLARKSTON
AVONDALE vs Waterford Mott
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: John Kaul-Clarkston
UPDATED THOUGHTS: I’m still at a loss for words how Clarkston didn’t get the top seed in the district last season and Waterford Mott ended up getting that spot. The Wolves should be the favorite with home court and proven experience. They have been hanging by the moment all season with a ton of close games. Clarkston has Brayden Wiley, Desman Stephens, Brody Kosin, John Kaul, Cole Church, and Cavanaugh Diton for Coach Tim Waslik. Waterford Mott won the Lakes Valley last season and had the top seed last season but fell to Clarkston in the district finals last season. They are in a battle with South Lyon East and Milford for the crown. The Corsairs have been up and down this season. They have Dequantre Warren, Jacoby Menyweathers, Octave Lawerence, Davon Warren, Kalieb Osborn, Devin Lewis, Davis Ellis, and Jake Martin coming back for Coach Sean Moore. Waterford Kettering struggled last season but they have been improving despite the struggling record. The Captains have Tommy Knibbs, Zarek Zelinski, Noah Salazar, Josh Brooks, Adrian Hicks, and Marcus Mitchell for longtime Oxford Girls Basketball and Walled Lake Central Coach Steve Emmert. Pontiac has really been up and down this season. They have Daveon Hall, Tyree Long, and Carter Douglas for Coach Dameon O’Neil. Avondale is a sleeper in this district. They had a coaching change during the season which was very unusual. Yellow Jackets have Malik Adams, Denzel White, Tyler Prentice, Justin Sykes, Terry Daniel, DJ White, Issac Gordon, Jeremiah Phillips, and Darren Pagel coming back for interim coach Aaron Fox whom took over for Coach Pat Clancy. This should be a rematch of a district final from last season between the Wolves and the Corsairs but anything is possible.
UPDATED THOUGHTS II: This is a very interesting district. Pontiac and Waterford Kettering should be a very interesting matchup of two struggling teams that has a combined four wins in the first round. Pontiac has really struggled in the Gold this season. Waterford Kettering has also struggled as mentioned and is last in the Lakes Valley Conference. The Captains have been going through a coaching transition with a legionary journeyman in Coach Steve Emert. Whoever wins that game will have to deal with Clarkston whom has not been the same team this season but they are still Clarkston. Waterford Mott has been up and down lately but they are still in the Lakes Valley Conference race. Avondale has been decent in the Gold this season. They could give the Corsairs some problems in the district semifinals. This could be a sneaky good district but that all depends on the Yellow Jackets and if they can give Waterford Mott a game.
District 5 @ Utica Eisenhower (Winner heads to Fenton to Play District 7)
LAKE ORION vs ROCHESTER
LAKE ORION/ROCHESTER vs ADAMS
STONEY CREEK vs Romeo
STONEY CREEK/Romeo vs Utica Eisenhower
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Ethan Mychajulk-Utica Eisenhower
UPDATED THOUGHTS: Could this district be Macomb County revenge??? It looks like it but Oakland County could spoil things again like what happened last season when Lake Orion played Rochester Adams. Utica Eisenhower has home court and proven experience in Ethan Mychajulk, Braden Buza, Preston Crumm, Jackson McHale, Hayden Bills, Ethan Barker, Matthew Elias, and Kyle O’Reilly for Coach Tom Antishin. Romeo has had a really good season but the past has really haunted them. They have gotten past the first game once in the last four years. The Bulldogs have Tim Kewey and Aiden Tague for Coach Marv Cushingberry. Stoney Creek has really struggled this season and a lot of the struggles has to be the injury to Peyton Rummler. Rummler is expected to be back for the postseason which should help them big time. The Cougars have Aiden Groszko, Jake Fulkerson, Tre Walker, Leo Kent, Tommasso Sincola, and Jonah McCay for new coach Jeff Olind. Adams should be the favorite in this district. They lost a ton of experience from last season but has Brady Prieskorn, William Gee, Drew Blackmer, and Peter Karakasis for Coach Jaret Thomas. The Highlanders are having a strong season in the always tough Red. Rochester has really struggled which is very unusual. They lost a lot of experience from last season. They have Elijah Kalaj, Joe Lulgjaraj, Grant Calcagno, Rex Matoud, and Kharmani Potts for Coach Nick Evola. Lake Orion should be very interesting. They have had a ton of bad luck and play in the very tough White. The Dragons have Nate Havrilla, DJ Morrow, Kevin Tobe, and Blake Liddell for Coach Jose Andreadas. They are the sleeper in this district despite having a ton of bad luck as mentioned where they lost four one possession games to very good teams. This district looks to be anyone’s for the taking, it is possible there could be an all Oakland or all Macomb County district final but its wide open for the taking.
UPDATED THOUGHTS PART II: This is a very tough district. Adams is the favorite but they better be careful of Lake Orion. The Dragons were not healthy when they played the Highlanders back in December but they are now. Rochester is a wildcard, they beat Adams all be it the Highlanders didn't have Brady Prieskorn but they gave Lake Orion everything and then some in the fourth quarter of that game. On the other side of the bracket, Stoney Creek is getting healthier and has played a Macomb County non conference schedule in Macomb Dakota and Sterling Heights Stevenson. They should be familiar with Romeo and Utica Eisenhower, both teams are better than the previous two Macomb County teams they have faced. Romeo has gotten out of the first round once in the last four districts but the Bulldogs feel this is their best opportunity to get out of the first round especially with the combination of Aiden Tague and Tim Kewey. If they can get by Stoney Creek then they should face Utica Eisenhower whom they beat twice this season. Utica Eisenhower has been red hot lately with wins over Grosse Pointe South, Port Huron Northern, and Chippewa Valley winning the Macomb Area Conference tournament in the process. This is anyone's district for the taking.
District 4 @ Grand Blanc (Winner heads to Flushing to play District 3)
OXFORD vs Lapeer
OXFORD/Lapeer vs Grand Blanc
Flint Kearsley vs Davison
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Greg Lawson-Davison
UPDATED THOUGHTS: This is the same district as of last season but the district is at Lapeer. Grand Blanc has a ton of storylines. They have a new coach in Tory Jackson. Jackson takes over for Mike Thomas whom left to take the East Kentwood coaching job. It will be very interesting to see how the transition period goes. The transition period has gone well and the Bobcats are rolling again. Grand Blanc was a Division One State runner up has Robert Williams, Tae Boyd, Amonte Allen-Johnson, Micah Welch, Anthony Perdue, RJ Taylor, Bryce O’Mara, Trevon Johnson, Jake Lindquist, Joe Nemeck, and Donnine Huddleston for Jackson. Lapeer has really struggled this season. The Lightning have Owen Boyle, Matt Sierakowski, Christopher Best, Alex Wells, and Matthew Smith for Coach Greg McGeary. Davison has a very young core that has made a ton of strides during the season and has also been doing very well in the Saginaw Valley League. The Cardinals have Greg Lawson, Teon Armstrong, Buddy Williams, Zach Papadakis, Henry Carstaphen, and Braylen Himmelin for Coach Mike Williams. Flint Kearsley has been up and down this season. The Hornets have Neely Dakari, Donovan Harrington, and Julienne Brandt for Coach Joe Corkan. Oxford is a sleeper in this district, I do wonder what Chicago Brothers Pizza Owner Dan Brown has to say about this district??? They have been up and down this season. The Wildcats have Dominic Cassisse, Lucas Botette, Jake Champagne, Kyle DiMalanta, and Dylan Stone for Coach Steve Laidlaw. Grand Blanc right now is the favorite but watch for Oxford and Davison.
UPDATED THOUGHTS PART II: This is a very tough spot for Oxford. The Wildcats have been up and down this season but they have to likely see Grand Blanc in the district semifinals. Oxford should get by Lapeer whom is having a very tough season and they played earlier in the season with the Wildcats winning that game. The Bobcats are State ranked and have RJ Taylor and Tae Boyd and both of them are having monster seasons. On the other side of the bracket, Davison got a great draw and should get by Flint Kearsley with ease in the district semifinals. Like I said this could likely be a Davison/Grand Blanc district final and it could go that way.
District 25 @ Berkley (Winner heads to Troy to play District 27)
BERKLEY vs Detroit Mumford
BERKLEY/Detroit Mumford vs Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit
ROYAL OAK vs Detroit Renaissance
ROYAL OAK/Detroit Renaissance vs OAK PARK
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Sonny Wilson-Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit
UPDATED THOUGHTS: This is a very interesting district at Berkley. Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit is the early favorite in this district. The Cubs won this district last season and has Sonny Wilson, Tarrance Reed, Julian Robinson, David Herron, Xavier Johnson, Zavier Banks, Sebestian Randolph, and Branden Walker coming back for Coach Tim Connely. Detroit Mumford had a really rough season last year and is also having a really rough year this season for Coach Anthony Woods. Detroit Renaissance has had a good year but they have had some tough losses in which they were in some high scoring games. They can score but defend is the question. The Phoenix have Lance Stone, Dion Stinson, Jayson Gamblin, and Jacob White for Coach John White. The Bears can’t seem to get a break with the district but they have home court and is having a really good season so far. Berkley has David Rolands, Tamir Runekvich, Riley Shafritz, Jacob Sheriff, Luke Winter, and Ian Smith for Coach Joe Sermo. Oak Park is having another very strong season. The Knights made the district finals last season but have ran into Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit in the last two years where they haven’t been able to overcome that hump despite having very good seasons. They have Jason Harns, Robert Smith, Geon Hutchins, Kevin Tolliver, Soloman White, and LuJuan Holliday for Coach Durand Sheppard. Royal Oak is a very odd team. They started off unbeaten but had a really rough January but have managed to turn things around again. The Ravens have Camden Clark, Dylan Hoffman, Davis Arbeiter, Rashad Wilson, and Nick Hoffman for Coach Aaron Smith. Hoffman is the all-time points leader at Royal Oak. This district has the makings of very similar to last season.
UPDATED THOUGHTS PART II: This is a very interesting district. Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit made the Catholic League Finals but fell to Birmingham Brother Rice in a very good game. The Cubs are the early favorite to win this district. They have also had Oak Park's number beating the Knights in the last three years. The Knights have a lot to prove in this district as well with their young and proven team. The first day games are very interesting with Berkley taking on Detroit Mumford and Royal Oak taking on Detroit Renaissance. The Bears should have no issue with the Mustangs likely setting up the matchup with Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit. The other side of the bracket is very interesting and a clash of different styles. The Phoenix like to go up and down the floor and has a strong inside game. The Ravens are a three point shooting team with Dylan Hoffman, Camden Clark, Nick Hoffman, and Rashad Wilson. I can see some problems for Royal Oak in this matchup against Detroit Renaissance. This should be a fun district to watch.
District 26 @ North Farmington (Winner heads to Troy to play District 28)
SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH vs Livonia Stevenson
SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH/Livonia Stevenson vs NORTH FARMINGTON
FARMINGTON vs Detroit Henry Ford
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Landon Williams-North Farmington
UPDATED THOUGHTS: This should be a very interesting district. North Farmington should be the favorite in the district and they could be a possible State title contender. They have proven that they are more than capable with their start. The Raiders have Landon Williams, Prince Jackson, Vincent Lee, Lee Hardy, Ryan Hurst, Tyler Spratt, Donovan Williams, Dwayne Ray, Daemon Eubanks, Connor Childress, and Lamar Walls for Coach Todd Negoshian. Farmington should be improved and have shown major strides. The Falcons have Greg Grays, Anthony Bailey, Tony Tobert, Nick Morgan, Chris Boyd, William Henderson, Jaden Turner, and Darrell Cochrane for Coach Derrick McDowell. Southfield Arts and Tech has been a very interesting story this season. They have been up and down which has been very surprising and have a lot of proven experience in Greg Davis, Davier Burt, Quantie Pryor, Ethan Taylor, Bryce Hewins, Kayel Sims, Nicholas Hardy, Matt Young, and Juwan Ramsey for former Farmington Coach Terrance Porter. Detroit Henry Ford won 11 games last season but have been playing around 500. The Trojans have some proven talent in Terrance Coker and Semaj Sanders for Coach Ken Flowers. Livonia Stevenson won 12 games last season but they have really struggled this season. The Spartans have Bailey Way, Domnick Jentzer, Nate Curtis, Maek Stein, Dylan McGlinch, Lucas Young, John Toth, and Chuck Davidek coming back for Coach Eoghann Stephens. The Raiders won this district last season and is the favorite again but Detroit Henry Ford could give them some fits, something to watch.
UPDATED THOUGHTS PART II: This should be a very interesting district. North Farmington has dominated this season with their proven experience and look poised to make a deep postseason run. Detroit Henry Ford has been up and down lately. The Trojans have a very tricky district semifinal matchup with Farmington. Farmington has struggled all season in the White but they are better than what their record indicates. Livonia Stevenson has been up and down this season but they have an above 500 record. Southfield Arts and Tech has really been struggling all season despite having eight wins and a proven experienced coach under Coach Terrance Porter. The Warriors and Spartans pre-district matchup should be very interesting but that winner sees the Raiders in the district semifinals. This district has North Farmington cruising all over it right now.
District 27 @ Bloomfield Hills (Winner heads to Troy to play District 25)
GROVES vs SEAHOLM
GROVES/SEAHOLM vs Birmingham Brother Rice
WEST BLOOMFIELD vs BLOOMFIELD HILLS
WEST BLOOMFIELD/BLOOMFIELD HILLS vs Orchard Lake St. Marys
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Curtis Williams-Birmingham Brother Rice
UPDATED THOUGHTS: This is a really interesting district. Orchard Lake St. Marys is loaded after winning the district last season and could be one of the favorites again. The Eaglets have Trey McKenny and Sharad Barnes for Coach Todd Cobert. Birmingham Brother Rice has having a very strong year and is on the verge of a Catholic League Central crown. They have a ton of proven experience. The Warriors have Xavier Thomas, Henry Garrity, John Blackwell, Luke Salkowski, Warren Marshall, Quincy Twymon, Tom Labruzzy, Curtis Williams, Keithan Gilmore, and Chase Van Ameyde for Coach Ricky Palmer. Bloomfield Hills has had a very good year despite some very tough losses in the White. The Blackhawks have Noah Adamcyzk, Drew Wilson, CJ Jackson, Brandon Newland, Ahmad Taylor, and Henry Jackson for Coach Brian Canfield. Groves is very interesting. They have had a strong bounce back this season. The Falcons have Jack Abbott, Max Kramer, Josh Simpson, Elijah Yelder, Myles McClary, Brody Tushman, and Josh Gibson coming back for returning Coach Marc West. Seaholm is always scrappy and they have showed it in January when they got healthy. The Maples have Ben Diskin, Findlay Sparby, Rishi Thota, Abe Miller, and Jeff Sheldon for Coach Mike DeGeeter. West Bloomfield has been much improved in the very tough White. The Lakers have Jayden Jones, Evan Ammori, Donnie Watts, Andrew Shewcraft, Terrance Curry, Dewan Moore, Corey Pittman, Tory James, Chris Britton, and Mitchell Seay for Coach Arnette Jordan. This will be a very interesting district as mentioned but the Catholic League stands out but watch for West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills.
UPDATED THOUGHTS PART II: According to GoosePoop this is the toughest district in Division One and for good reason. The winners from the first day will meet the Catholic League in the district semifinals. It's really hard for me to trust Orchard Lake St. Marys in this district even though they have Trey McKinney but the distractions have really impacted this team even though they will deny it but it really has. The Eaglets could be looking at a very tough matchup with West Bloomfield or Bloomfield Hills in the district semifinals. The Lakers and Blackhawks are no strangers to one another and should be a tense drama on opening night. On the other side of the bracket, it's a another rivalry game between Groves and Seaholm. The Falcons beat the Maples in the regular season and it's always tense when these two rivals play each other. That winner gets the Catholic League Champions Birmingham Brother Rice. This district is anyone's for the taking.
District 28 @ Sterling Heights Stevenson (Winner heads to Troy to play District 26)
Utica Ford II vs Utica
Utica Ford II/Utica vs TROY
Sterling Heights Stevenson vs TROY ATHENS
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Zach Penoza-Troy
EARLY THOUGHTS: This is a very interesting district in Macomb County. Troy is the early favorite in this district and has had a strong season thus far. The Colts have Darius Whiteside, Jon Whiteside, Zach Penoza, Chase Kupier, Nate Liberty, Carter Cusmano, Kyle Parker, Bryce Parker, and Mason Parker for Coach Gary Fralick. Troy Athens should be very interesting. They have been on a roll as of late and in the thick of the Blue standings. The Red Hawks has Doug Mersier, Evan Colquhoun, Alex Proefkee, Kyree Harper, Emmanuel Robinson, and Brogan Withun for Coach Dave Scott. Sterling Heights Stevenson has a ton of proven experience and home court. The Titans have Austin Akrawi, Mariano Manciel, Sam Kashat, Mazino Amuwha, Caynon Love, Darrin Bobbitt, Zach Alinfogan, Victor Campbell, Alex Moratalla, Daron Bobbitt, Joseph Malak, and Luke Sesi for Coach Ryan Joseph. Utica really struggled last season but they have really improved and have won eight of their last nine games. The Chieftains have Logan Davis, Mason Brodi, Trent McFarland, Sebastian Soriano, Jack Malone, Nick Bosilkovski, Nathan Silver and Austin Lemerise for Coach David Hinke. Utica Ford II is much improved despite the struggling record this season. The Falcons have Dakari Rogers, Aaron Johnson, Diego Harden, Carson Strumn, Eli Miller, Gavin Gugliemetti, and Maid Kurjakovic for former West Bloomfield coach Jeremy Dehna. Troy should be the favorite but Utica, Sterling Heights Stevenson, and Troy Athens should have strong says.
UPDATED THOUGHTS PART II: This is a very interesting district when it comes to both Troy schools. The Colts could have a very interesting time with Utica in the district semifinals pending if they can get by Utica Ford II whom they dominated in the regular season. Troy has a ton of proven experience but Darius Whiteside has been injured and hasn't played in a while but the Colts have managed very well without him thanks to Mason Parker, Carter Cusmano, Zach Penoza, Chase Kuiper, and Darius brother Jon Whiteside. On the other side of the bracket, it's a very interesting matchup between Troy Athens and Sterling Heights Stevenson. The Titans have really struggled since the New Year which has been very odd but the matchup between Brogan Withun and Joseph Malak will be very interesting to watch inside in that game. It's also at home for Sterling Heights Stevenson as well. The Red Hawks will have their hands full in that game. I think Troy is the best team in this district but they need to be extra careful of Utica in the district semifinals and if can win that game then they could see either Troy Athens or Sterling Heights Stevenson in the district finals which they match up very well with.
District 59 @ Hazel Park (Winner heads to Hazel Park to play District 57)
FERNDALE UNIVERSITY vs Hazel Park
FERNDALE UNIVERSITY/Hazel Park vs FERNDALE
Detroit Lincoln King Academy vs Detroit Old Redford
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Chris Williams-Ferndale
UPDATED THOUGHTS: This is a very interesting district but it’s starting to become very clear at the moment. Ferndale went to the Division Two State Semifinals the last two years and has a pretty strong team despite losing their two top players. Detroit Lincoln King Academy won 14 games last season but they are really struggling this season. Detroit Old Redford won 11 games last season and is rolling. Ferndale University is a sleeper in this district. They have had a bounce back year despite the 500 record. The Eagles have a ton of proven experience in Chris Kendrix, Semaj McGhee, Rasheed Jones, Semaj Clark, Cordae McAllister, Antione Owens, Pierce Sanders, Jonathan King, Zakaria Smith, Antione Owens, and Damir Orr for Coach Josh Nicks. Hazel Park is the weakest team in this district and they are having a really rough season. The Eagles have Cameron Reed, Chris Williams, Caleb Renfroe, Jayden Hardiman, Noah Blocker, Kendall Mays, Maurice Booth, and Trenton Ruth for Coach Juan Rickman. Ferndale is the early favorite in this district but Detroit Old Redford and Ferndale University could challenge if things go right for them.
UPDATED THOUGHTS PART II: This is a very interesting district as mentioned up top. Ferndale has really improved lately and looks to be heading into form. Ferndale University has been up and down lately but they could make some noise. The Eagles have a really interesting matchup with Hazel Park in the first round. The Vikings have struggled this season. It should be a very interesting pre-district game between the Eagles and Vikings with the winner seeing Ferndale in the district semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, Detroit Old Redford has had a good season but they haven't been tested as much. They have an interesting matchup with Detroit Lincoln King Academy. This district looks like this will be between Ferndale and Detroit Old Redford when looking at it on paper but that's why they play the game.
District 30 @ Grosse Pointe North (Winner heads to Macomb Dakota to play District 32)
Roseville vs St. Clair Shores Lakeview
Roseville/St. Clair Shores Lakeview vs Grosse Pointe South
Grosse Pointe North vs HARPER WOODS
PLAYER ON THE SPOT: Julian Young-Harper Woods
UPDATED THOUGHTS: This is a very interesting district that has four teams that won more than 10 games last season and each team has won at least eight games. Roseville won 13 games last season but is very low in the MPR which is very odd. The Panthers have Brian Hunter, Amonti Greene, AJ Scott, Todario Payne and Isiah Mays for Coach Greg Boler. Grosse Pointe North has played a really tough schedule. The Norsemen have proven experience in Adam Ayrault for Coach Andrew Ayrault. Grosse Pointe South has had a very good season and they have some wins over OAA teams. The Blue Devils have Donovan Moody, Noah Stiyer, Karter Richards, Tommy Maccagnone, Griffin Adams, Brady Kennedy, and Alex English for Coach Stephen Benard. St Clair Shores Lakeview is the lowest team in the MPR despite winning double digit games. The Huskies have Matthew Ritter, Austin Stockett, Keonte Woolf, Tyler Griffin, Charrone Gordon, Bryce Ong, Easton Demeulenarere, and Zavier Hassan for Coach John Carr. Harper Woods came up from Division Two this offseason. They control their own destiny in the Gold and is having a really strong season. The Pioneers have Julian Young, Stephone Buford, Isiah Lewis, and DeAndre Williams for Coach TuJuan Porter. This is a very tough district, it’s anyone’s district to take in Grosse Pointe.
UPDATED THOUGHTS PART II: This district is shaping up to be very interesting. I am curious to see how Grosse Pointe South responds after their stunning home loss to Utica Eisenhower in the Macomb Area Conference Championship game. The Blue Devils have a very interesting draw especially if they have to play St. Clair Shores Lakeview in the district semifinals but Roseville will not be an easy game for the Huskies. On the other side of the bracket it features Harper Woods against Grosse Pointe North. This should be a fun one in the district semifinals with two different styles going at it. This should be a fun district to watch to say the least.
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