Picks - Friday's Top Games

Clarkston v. Oak Park – Sophomore sniper Nick Tatu could be turning into the next great C-Town long-range specialist before our very eyes. Both Kamieniecki get into double-digits in this one and the Wolves roll. The Knights, decimated by graduation and transfer and still adjusting to a new coaching staff, are scrappy and improving with each game. However, overcoming coach Fife's Clarkston Express, even if they are playing in the friendly-confines of its home gym, is just too tall of a task for Oak Park to achieve right now.

C-Town 74 Oak Park 61

Pontiac v. Southfield-Lathrup – With each team possessing a plethora of top rate-gunners, this game has old fashioned shoot-out written all over it. Everyone knows what they're going to get from Juwaan Moody and "Ant" Adams for Pontiac and Marble, Gilchrest, and Coleman for the Chargers, it's the role players who will decide this one. Transfers Anthony Lavallis and Jamal Barr come up big late and senior center, James Odneal's put-back in the final 10 seconds of the game help the Phoenix slip past a "still work in progress" Lathrup squad.

Pontiac 83, S-Lathrup 82  

Roseville v. Birmingham Detroit Country Day – You simply can't stop Yellowjackets junior center, Amir Williams (6-11, long, lean, and mean in the lane), you can only merely hope to contain him.

DCD 84 Roseville 64

Troy v. Berkley – Colts freshman James Young bananas…. B.A.N.A.N.A.S!!!! Enough said!

Troy 65 Berkley 58

Birmingham Roeper v. GPW University Liggett – Roughriders' senior point guard Ryan Zinser goes all RYAN ZINSER on the host-Knights. Starting forward Cole Stasek's traditional three point-play in the closing seconds of the ballgame allows Roeper to remain undefeated and leave the eastside victorious.

Roeper 68 Liggett 66

Birmingham Seaholm v. Troy Athens – With the kind of scoring outputs being delivered lately by the Maples very own, Richaud "The Pac-Man" Pack, it would be easy to mistake him for former Metro Detroit prep star and NBA Hall of Famer, George "The Iceman" Gervin.  The Pac-Man will once again do his best "Iceman" impression Friday night, torching the Red Hawks for 38 points and sending Seaholm home with another victory.

Seaholm 77 Troy Athens 63

Rochester Hills Adams v. Stoney Creek – Could easily end up being the best game of the night. The Cougars Jake Fortner is underrated and the backcourt of Kevin Bolhuis and Arie Elder have been keeping defenses honest with their playmaking ability since the beginning of the year. The home crowd will be in frenzy by night's end as The Creek win it on a Fortner 15-foot "J" at the buzzer. Go Cougars, keep the dream alive!

THA Creek 67 RH Adams 65

Southfield v. Auburn Hills Avondale – Two great backcourts will be going face-to-face in this one and it should be a doozey. Southfield's D1-combo of juniors Carlton "Captain Amazing" Brundidge and Pee Wee Barnes will get all they can handle and more when they match-up with Avondale's dandy-duo of Ray Tillman and Tony Harris. In the end Blue Jays big man, Pat Owenu, makes all the difference in the world, putting up a double-double of 16 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocked shots and leading Southfield to the road win.

Southfield 74 Avondale 69

North Farmington v West Bloomfield – "Up-Down" theory dictates that the WB should come out of this game with the 'W.' This one is going down to the wire for sure. K-Veezie (a.k.a. Kyle Vinales) drops another 40 spot, but Larry "Lil' Gran Mama" Johnson's two free throws with less than 3 seconds left in OT let the Lakers prevail and rebound from a dreadful performance on Tuesday night in a loss to Oak Park.

THA WB 83, N. Farmington 81 (OT)

Fenton v. Holly – Bronchos senior floor general, Jordan Fowler has found an aggressive streak in his offense that had back previously lacking and as a result has been playing out of his mind recently. Fowler stays toasty and Holly wins.

Holly 67 Fenton 59

South Lyon v. Novi – Samier Ozier is Christopher Columbus and the Lions are just the Pilgrims….at least on Friday night in the "Cat-House."

Novi 71 South Lyon 62

Lakeland v. Walled Lake Central – Joe Zubrikas has been residing at the corner of Awesome and Amazing, all season long. I don't see any U-Haul trucks on the horizon and the Eagles will pay the price for just having the gall to enter the Z-Man's neighborhood.

WL Central 71 Lakeland 63

Farmington v. Ferndale – Don't sleep on the Eagles underappreciated backcourt of Jody Hill and Shawn Amiker, these two are the Real Deal Holyfield. Fired up by a fiery pre-game speech by coach Staton, Ferndale comes out - you guessed it - , on fire and sends the Falcons packing early. Rex Jenkins brings the house down with a pair of second half "Rexclimation-point" slams that each reverberate all the way up the rafters. Do I hear, two in a row? I think so!

Ferndale 76 Farmington 64

FH Harrison v. Royal Oak – The Hawks "do-everything" swingman David Evans is a baller and shot-caller, both on the court and off!

Harrison 70 Royal Oak 60

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep v. RO Shrine – Bertrum Marks and Alex Cavazos each score 20 and Jack Wangler's 3-point bomb in the last minute pushes the Knights over the edge.

Shrine 68 NDP 65

Clawson v. Clintondale – Joe "The Show" Baker stays en fuego and the Trojans stay undefeated!

Clawson 75 Clintondale 67

BH Lahser v. Birmingham Groves – Josh Lyle and Jacob Hatchett unleash the fury all over the host-Falcons.

Lahser 81 Groves 72