Dreaming of Hardwood Heaven

Lately I've been dreaming of hardwood heaven – for Burney that specifically translates to the sure-to-be exhilarating 2009/2010 OC prep basketball campaign. With so many great players, great teams, and great match-ups, it's hard not to get jacked up for the tip off to the season, which for the girls starts up in two weeks and for the boys, three weeks.

A few things I'm extra excited about:

Ray McCallum, Ray McCallum, Ray McCallum!!!! I've said it before and I'll say it again, McCallum is the best prep point guard I've ever seen play.

Seeing Ray McCallum's former Country Day teammate , 6-8 big man Urban Bingham run the break in his new North Farmington uniform, take a feed from Kyle Vinales (Grand Valley State), and slam it home for the deuce.

The vicious inside-outside girls hoop tandems of Detroit Country Day's Madison Williams (C) and Troy Hambric (G), Waterford Our Lady of The Lakes Lauren Robak (G) and Alexis Doetch (C), and North Farmington's Lyndsey Booker (PG) and Jenna Bachrouche (F).

Watching the newly-formed Southfield backcourt of Carlton Brundidge and Pee Wee Barnes (a highly-touted transfer from Detroit Community) take the Blue Jays back to the promise land, while leaving a gaggle of opposing guards with broken ankles in their wake.

P.S. Brundidge, the state's top junior guard, WILL drop a 50 spot on the competition before the New Year. That's a Great Burnzini guarantee!

While we're on the subject of predictions for personal point tallies this upcoming winter, the Great Burnzini also guarantees that the aforementioned Lauren Robak of WOLL – the OC's female version of the high-voltage Brundidge – will go for 40+ before the season is out.

The new Pontiac Phoenix boys hoops squad which will combine last year's Northern crew of returning players, Dominique Shaw, Ant Adams, Jabari Martin, and James Odneal and an undefeated Central JV team to make the first year program more than formidable.

The many gravity defying dunks sure to be delivered by Seaholm junior forward Shawn Conway.

Quarterbacks turned point guards Tyler Scarlett (Clarkston), Ryan Dingman (Waterford Kettering), Joe Diamond (Walled Lake Central), Rob Feeman (Clawson), Ryan Horvath (Madison Heights Lamphere), Kevin Bolhuis (Stoney Creek), and Vince Salatino (FH Harrison).