OAA Boys Basketball Update

Written Friday January 25th, 2013 at 11:05 PM

As the first half of league play winds down, a lot of races are going on. A lot yet to be decided, still a lot of basketball to be played. As these teams prepare to continue their respective journeys, let us look at back at the current states of the OAA.

OAA Blue: It looks like that the Blue was a four team race that has been now cut down to two at the moment. Lake Orion and Farmington Hills Harrison remain undefeated in league play with both teams set to play each other on Tuesday.

Lake Orion is getting it done with its depth and strong leadership from Chaz Miller and John McCarty. The Dragons have been getting it done shooting and going inside led by Nate Marcum and David Henry, also great guard play from both Damonte Kruse and Zach Greene. With the combination of the starters and their deep bench, can’t see anyone competing with them.

Harrison on the other hand is a guard oriented team lead by Dorian Fields, sharpshooter DJ Freeman, and center John Rexroth. Harrison shot 13 three pointers (eight from Freeman) to upset Lahser 72-68 at Lahser on Tuesday night and held serve at home against Seaholm on Friday night winning 55-51. The Hawks also played North Farmington tough on the road and lost a tough 61-58 battle to the Raiders on Tuesday night. Harrison already has 10 wins this season.

Bloomfield Hills Lahser and Birmingham Seaholm both have had losses to both Lake Orion and Harrison and seem to be playing for third and fourth place respectively. Both have a chance to knock the other out of the league race on Friday at Seaholm. It will be exciting to see Lahser’s big man Yante Maten goes up against Seaholm’s big man Paris Bass. Both men are looking for strong games for their respective clubs. It will come down to whose supporting cast is better.

Pick: Despite the fact that Lake Orion has to go on the road and face the rest of the league, I believe Lake Orion will win the league. There is just so much depth for any team to compete with them. It will take a strong effort from any team who plays them.

OAA Red: It looks like it is a three team race between Clarkston, Southfield, and North Farmington with Clarkston leading the way for the moment. The Wolves are built for the long run led by Jordan Dasuqi, Press Kampe, and sharpshooter Nick Owens. Clarkston also has one of the best coaches in the business in Dan Fife. The Wolves are not the greatest in the paint and on most nights and relies on the three point shot. They have shooters but what happens when there shots don’t fall? Ask Adams and Troy that same question.

Pick: Expect both Southfield and North Farmington to challenge Clarkston. The problem is both those games when they do play the Wolves will be in front of the Jungle also Clarkston is getting healthier and this could be one of their deeper teams they have had in a while.

OAA White: This has essentially become a two team race between Rochester and Rochester Adams.

It is not surprising that Rochester is one of the contenders this season. The Falcons are led by Kentucky bound James Young is putting up monstrous numbers including a near quadruple double in a win against Avondale. Young continues to have a dominating year for Big Blue since coming over from Troy. Also seniors Ahman Camaj and Manny Mendoza have also had big impacts for the Falcons inside as well.

The surprise team has been Rochester Adams. Adams is currently undefeated and is led by junior guard Akhemji Williams and senior forward Zack Littleson and timely three point shooting has helped the Highlanders have an undefeated season and post impressive wins over Clarkston, Lake Orion, and Rochester.

Pick: Rochester and Adams do meet again at Adams to close out the season but both the Highlanders and Falcons also have to go to Oak Park as well. The Knights are not a bad team and has an outside shot of winning the league depending on them beating both Rochester and Adams and getting some help in the process. Oak Park could also decide if they are not in the league race who wins between Rochester and Adams. The league is not the greatest with Athens being young, Ferndale relying on shooting, and Avondale is very young. I do like Adams to come out of the league because they have the guard play that can do damage and the bigs with Ben Limb and Littleson controling the boards..

OAA Gold: Outside of Hazel Park, this is anyone’s ballgame when it comes to the Gold. Stoney Creek, Oxford, Groves, Royal Oak, and Andover are serious threats in the league. The Cougars were expected to win the division but is having a tough time handling teams like Andover and Oxford and had to comeback to beat Royal Oak.

Andover who posted an impressive victory at Lake Orion has been inconsistent at best, losing to Royal Oak did not help the Barons cause but beating Stoney Creek at home does.

Oxford has not been that impressive despite being very young. Losses to Groves and Stoney Creek don’t help things.

Groves is decent at best but did get a huge road win at Oxford. It could make a very interesting race in the Gold.

Pick: It is anyone’s ballgame but observing the Gold, I think when the Barons travel to Stoney Creek will decide the winner of the Gold. Andover has great guard play and can control tempo when it has to. I'm going with the Barons by one game over the Cougars.       

OAA Boys Basketball Update

Written Wednesday January 2nd, 2013 at 5:23 PM.

Happy New Year folks, hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year and here are the rankings.

OAA Boys Basketball Top 10 Rankings:

1. Southfield

2. Seaholm

3. Adams

4. Andover

5. Lake Orion

6. Troy

7. Lahser

8. Rochester

9. Oak Park

10. Pontiac

Red Update:

The Red has been an interesting so far this season but one surprise is that Clarkston is 3-2 in the new season. Southfield, North Farmington, and Pontiac will be contenders as well as the Wolves for the title. The surprise has been Troy and they could sneak in the back door with the title themselves if they keep winning. Southfield Lathrup has been struggling and West Bloomfield has fallen back to the pack a little bit.

So far there the only unbeaten team in the Red and that is Southfield. The Blue Jays are 8-0 for the first time in 30 years and is 2-0 in the Red. Southfield is a very dangerous team coming towards 2013 with their core and blend of youth and experience, expect the Blue Jays to be right in it all year long.

The surprise has been the Troy Colts who lost their star player James Young to Rochester before the season started, The Colts had knocked off Clarkston and currently is 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Red, if Gary Fralick isn’t Oakland County Coach of the Year than I don’t know who would be worthy with the circumstances that he had to go through.

Jordan Duquai has returned for Clarkston but the Wolves have been in the mist of a two game losing streak, including a loss to Troy in the league. Clarkston stands at 3-2 overall and have lost three of their last six games since the last second buzzer beating double overtime loss to Fenton in the district finals a year ago.

North Farmington is starting to become the sleeper in the Red with two upcoming stars in Jeron Rogers and Caleb Hogans. Hogans had 37 points against Farmington while Rogers had 33 points and 13 rebounds against West Bloomfield. The Raiders could be scary come tournament time with these two players playing well for Todd Negoation’s crew.

Pontiac has also quietly made some strides under Robert Rogers. The Phoenix can score, just ask Schoolcraft when they put up 90 points on them, led by Dijon Cogdell had 27 points, six assists, and three steals, Jarod Jones had 17 points in that game. Pontiac has also played a difficult schedule in Detroit Country Day and Southfield. The Phoenix will be a force to be a recon with in 2013 especially in the Red.

Southfield Lathrup’s record isn’t the greatest but Jonathan Williams hasn’t been the problem for the Chargers. Southfield Lathrup is young but they will get better during the season.

West Bloomfield like Southfield Lathrup is very young and has played a brutal schedule so far in the season. They had to play Waterford Mott and Rochester. The Lakers do have Brandon Cole and Malik Humes who will lead the way for the Lakers this season.

White Update:

Looks like the White could reside in Rochester or Oak Park with three teams in the thick of it. Rochester Adams just knocked off Clarkston on the road while Rochester won its Holiday Classic and Oak Park has won three in a row. Ferndale is the only winless team while Troy Athens has lost three in a row since the win over Troy. Avondale has been hovering around 500 with its record.

Rochester Adams is a battle tested experienced team this season. Last season the Highlanders lost to Rochester in double overtime and would like to get some revenge for that game. Adams has wins over Clarkston and Utica Eisenhower so far this season. The Highlanders are one of the leagues best defensive teams led by Ahemji Williams, Ben Limb, and Zach Littleton allowing only 46 points per game for John Hall’s crew and have a 4-0 record to prove it. Rochester Adams will be a team to keep an eye on as we head into the district round.

Rochester lost Paris Pereira and Taylor Perry to graduation but they gained James Young from Troy. Young’s impact along with the emergence of Manny Mendoza and Amaji Camaj has put the Falcons back on track to win its first district title since 1998. Last season everything was there for Rochester until they ran into Lake Orion where they lost to the Dragons in the postseason. This season the Falcons are 5-1 with their only loss coming to Highland Park Chandler Academy (58-52: Roundball Classic.) Rochester will be a team to watch come playoff time and could win that district title it has long waited.

The up and down season at Troy Athens is continuing this season. Last season the Red Hawks lost a lot of talent and has relayed upon three sophomores and two freshmen to carry the load. Troy Athens only win so far was over their arch rival Troy on a last second shot to beat the Colts. Ever since that game the Red Hawks have not been the same since. If Troy Athens wants to contend in the White they must do well defensibly and continue their reputation as the three point happies.

Oak Park has had emotional issues with their coach Al Littlejohn (ala Coach Alonzo) as he recovers from back surgery. The Knights however have turned a 0-2 start to a 3-2 record so far thanks to wins over Southfield Lathrup and Ypsilanti Lincoln. Oak Park is led by both Stephan Williams and Brian Williams. The Knights have turned it around with it’s defense, they have only allowed 48 points per game which is second in the White so far this season and they received more good news as Littlejohn will return to the bench in 2013.

Ferndale so far has had an issue of closing out games in some but also issues starting them as well but they almost came back to knock off Troy, outscored the Colts 27-13 in the fourth quarter in that game. The Eagles are led by Aaron Rice. Rice had 14 points against the Colts. The key for Ferndale is can they put a complete game together, they are not deep but if they do then they could be a spoiler to someone’s dreams this season.

Avondale has been a 500 team so far statistic wise. The Yellow Jackets have outscored opponents but the record shows 2-3. If the Yellow Jackets this season want to go up they have to start playing better than they are worth. They have some nice wins over Notre Dame Prep and Ferndale University but losses to Inkster, Southfield, and Pontiac don’t cut it plus the district they are in is absolute brutal.

Blue Update:

Perhaps one of the toughest divisions overall with a 20-11 record with its six teams is the Blue. The Knights, Dragons, and Maples will contend for the Blue crown but these three teams can also have long playoff runs like Lake Orion did last season when they came out of the Blue. Seaholm is currently undefeated while Lake Orion (5-1) and Lahser (3-1) each have a loss and another team to keep an eye on is Harrison who is also 4-2. Farmington and Berkley are having tough seasons so far but things can keep going up.

Lake Orion has started a brutal stretch of games where they need to be at their best if they want to contend. So far the Dragons are led by Chaz Miller and John McCarty but they do need balance if they want to get back to the promise land. Lake Orion has played Andover (loss) and Romeo (win) so far but with games against Detroit Country Day, Adams, and Clarkston is going to be tough then to start league play they get Seaholm at home. That’s a brutal stretch. The Dragons so far are scoring 68 points per game and allowing only 48 points per game.

Lahser just got Yante Maten back after not having him for their only loss to Clarkston. Maten has grown two inches and also has been a key to the Knights attack. Lahser also has balance with Khali Gracey and Armand Carthright along with others. The Knights will be a dangerous team to contend with this season. So far Lahser has scored 59 points per game and only allowing 49 points per game.

Seaholm this season has been living on the edge and has needed its superstar Paris Bass to save them at times. The Maples are the Blue only unbeaten team but have played a pretty decent schedule with Canton and Brother Rice as the team’s two toughest games so far but the schedule will get tougher with games against Warren Mott, Lake Orion, and Lahser in league play, it should be interesting and also the district is going to be tough as well. The Maples this season are scoring 57 points per game and allowing only 48 points per game.

The most improved team is Farmington Hills Harrison. The Hawks dropped down two divisions from the Red to the Blue. Harrison is led by AJ Freeman who had 14 points against Walled Lake Northern. The Hawks are averaging and allowing 59 points per game in each contest so far this season.

Farmington is a young team so far this season, just going through some ups and downs have struggled consistency. The Falcons gave the Andover game away when they were up nine in the third quarter and lost. They won in Beverly Hills on a last second shot and then had two blowout losses to Rochester and North Farmington and then split the Northville tourney. Farmington has averaged 43 points per game and has allowed 56 points per game, which has to change if the Falcons want to be competitive in the Blue.

Berkley like Farmington is also a young team led by Jonathan Render. Render had 27 points against Royal Oak but they had a rough L’Anse Creuse North Tourney, which they allowed 129 points, which is 65 points per game. The Bears so far have scored 55 points per game and have allowed 61 points per game.

Gold Update:

The Gold this season has been pretty bad with it’s 19-21 record but the biggest win for the Gold was Andover’s double overtime win at Lake Orion but Stoney Creek has also had some wins as well but the dark horse teams are Oxford, Groves, and Royal Oak. Hazel Park will likely be in the cellar this season.

Andover is now considered to be the favorite in the Gold with it’s start recently for coach Jeff Rubin. The Barons have wins over Farmington, Cranbrook Kingwood, Clawson, and Birmingham Roeper but its biggest win was when they went into Lake Orion and won in double overtime and then lost a heartbreaker to Ferndale University. Andover has a core of very good shooters who can score when they have the ball. The Barons averaged 70 points per game and allowed 59 points per game so far this season.

Stoney Creek was winless last season and there was no where to go up for Steve Norgrove’s crew. The Cougars got their first win of the season at Utica and haven’t looked back since. They have played Adams and Rochester during the season and had wins over Berkley and Utica Ford but a bad loss to Harrison hurt the Cougars and they have had to pick up the peaces. Stoney Creek has averaged 58 points per game and allowing 56 points per game.

Royal Oak has benefited from playing bad teams but at 5-3 any win is a bonus but losses to Warren Woods Tower and Berkley really want to make you scratch your head but so far the Ravens have used that experience to get some wins but they have a tough schedule on tap with games against Andover, Groves, Stoney Creek, and Oxford.

Oxford has played a brutal schedule with a young team at 1-4. The Wildcats had to play Lake Orion, Seaholm, and Adams and it doesn’t get better with games against Clarkston and Rochester. It’s not an easy slate for Paul Marfia’s crew but the schedule will help in the long term. Oxford this season has averaged 42 points per game and allowed 53 points per game.

Groves has somewhat of a disappointment this season for Scott Sheckell. The Falcons won over Redford Thurston but has losses to Blue foes Lahser, Lake Orion, Harrison, and Farmington. Groves has scored a lot of points at 56 points per game but has surrendered a lot of 63 points per game and their district is brutal that they host.

Hazel Park has another tough season but so far they are playing for pride with a 1-6 record. The Gold could give the Vikings some wins. They have been very competitive this season. They have lost a lot of close ball games in the process. The Vikings have scored 45 points per game and have surrendered 60 points per game.