Blogs > Burney's Bytes

Burney's Bytes will focus primarily on the local preps sports scene, but will also touch on some college and pro athletics, mostly in regards to athletes who hail and have played high school sports in Oakland County. My goal for the blog is to be conversational and anecdotal, a more relaxed and free formal take on high school athletics than you see in regular game day coverage.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Bonus Bytes - Random Thoughts

With so many familiar names on its roster, it wouldn't be that hard to mistake this season's Pontiac Notre Dame Prep boys hoops team – coming off a win in its own holiday tournament – with the '07 and '08 on-court editions of the Fighting Irish. Shout outs to the Dulapa and De Martis families, Burney says you have good genes and do the program proud with the outstanding young men you have produced.
Will North Farmington's Kyle Vinales make it three straight 40-point outbursts Tuesday tonight on the road against AH Avondale? I say, yes! KV…A.K.A "The Natural" A.K.A Kay-Veezie tickles the twine for 42 in a narrow-Raiders win in OT against the pesky 'Jackets.
Keep your eye on first year-head coach Tom Staton's new and improved Ferndale Eagles this winter. These guys looked primed to make a run at the OAA-Blue title and they served notice to the conference as such with a 25-point clobbering of league-favorite Bloomfield Hills Lahser in the days leading up to Christmas Break. The Eagles have a hella nice backcourt in point guard Jody Hill and shooting guard Shawn Amiker and retain excellent athleticism and defense from such players as Rex Jenkins, Antonio Combs, Gerald Gandy, Jordan Guinn, DeAndre Williams. Creeping in the shadows is Staton's "secret weapon", transfer Donovan Reynolds, a super-quick and mega-court smart combo guard that will most likely move into Ferndale's starting line-up when he becomes eligible in the very near future.  
It looks like perennial malcontent and former county hoops stud, Alex Legion will end up down in Florida with Isaiah Thomas at FIU after transferring from Big Ten power-Illinois last week. This will be the one time DCD star's third college program in the last four years. Before averaging a meager 2.5 points per game as a Fighting Illini, Legion petered out in the Blue Grass State at Kentucky. Legion made waves on and off the court in his days hooping in Oakland County. On the court, he was an all-state performer. Off the court, he butted heads with Yellowjackets head coach Kurt Keener (a man who has ironically built a reputation for himself over the past three decades as the ultimate "players coach") and a good chunk of his teammates. In an almost unheard move, following a loss in the post-season a few years back, Legion blasted Keener to the press before skipping town to finish his prep playing career at D1-factory, Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. I'll be interested to see how Legion will do down in Zeke Country. So far since leaving the state as a heralded-recruit after his junior season in high school, Legion's career has been underwhelming to say the least. I wish him well and hope he can turn it around and finish his college career strong

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