Trans-Detroit

With only one week left in the prep bball regular season, the runaway "Transfer Train" that has been blowing through town at a brisk pace as of late has yet to come to a halt. Last week, Burney reported that Joe "The Show" Baker decided to make the switch from Clawson back to Southfield-Lathrup, where he played varsity as a freshman two seasons ago. Following in Baker's footsteps, small school super-soph, Justin Barrows from AH Oakland Christian packed up and left the Lancers hoop program recently, enrolling at Orchard Lake St. Mary's. If you follow this blog, I'm certain you already know my opinion on this subject, so I won't go on another rant like I did last week when I reported about Baker's departure from "Claw-ville." Instead, I thought I'd breakdown the most influential and interesting transfers throughout my time following the Metro Detroit Prep scene.

Mill "The Thrill" Coleman, Farmington Hills Harrison football – Coleman played his freshman year at Albion in the western part of the state before coming over to Harrison and completing one of the best, if not THE best, high school QB careers in Oakland County history. Mill "The Thrill" quarterbacked the Hawks to two state championships while earning All-American honors. He was a latter-day prep version of Michael Vick when Vick was at his best. He had a very respectable college career as a "jack of all trades" type at Michigan State.

Angelo Taylor, Clarkston basketball – Taylor made a huge stir when he left Pontiac Northern in the summer of 1997 and enrolled at arch-rival Clarkston. Despite popular belief, Taylor's family actually moved to Clarkston so Angelo, a three year varsity performer and 6-5 manchild of a athlete for the Huskies, could finish out his HS career under legendary head coach, Dan Fife. Brought onto the team to help push the Dane Fife-led Wolves over the hump and into the 1998 Class A Final Four, Taylor (averaged double-double) and Fife (won Mr. Basketball and earned a scholarship to Indiana) both had superb senior seasons but in the end didn't end up making the trip to the Breslin Center. The Wolves wound up losing to Antonio Gates (NFL all-pro tight end) and his Detroit Central squad in the Elite Eight.

Winifred Walton & Todd Burgan, Detroit Pershing basketball – Both Walton and Burgan started their respective all-state prep careers at small school juggernaut Detroit East Catholic before going onto reach great heights with the Doughboys in the PSL. As a freshman at East Catholic, Walton took his team to the Class D quarterfinals before being upset by Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, a team captained by current Lakes girls assistant coach, Paul Robak. Walton won the 1996 Mr. Basketball Award and led the Doughboys to the Class A state championship game as a junior- his Pershing squad was upset by Mateen Cleaves, Antonio Smith and Flint Northern. Averaging 27 points and 13 rebounds per game as a senior (where the Doughboys were upset at the buzzer by the upstart Southfield-Lathrup Chargers in the Quarters), he signed with Syracuse but ended up at Fresno State. Burgan made the jump to the Doughboys after his sophomore season and helped lead Pershing to back-to-back state titles in 1992 and 1993. The 6-6 lefty ended up at Syracuse and was a three year starter for the Orangeman, including on the 1996 team that went to the NCAA Final Four.

Drew Jackson, Bloomfield Hills Lahser football – Jackson, a stocky and strong-armed quarterback, came to Lahser from East Lansing for only his senior season, but what a season it was. In 2008, with Jackson playing great under center, the Knights advanced all the way to the Division 3 Final Four. Jackson and the Knights had Michigan-bound Devin Gardner and Inkster on the ropes. His TD pass in the early part of the fourth quarter gave Lahser a lead. However, Gardner was too good in the end and led Inkster back for the win.

Ryan Mack, Birmingham Seaholm soccer – Mack is one of the most prolific soccer players to ever play in Oakland County. The fleet-footed and net-hungry scoring machine didn't start his prep career with the Maples though. Before donning the Maroon and White, Mack played crosstown at Birmingham Groves. Named Mr. Soccer as a senior in 1998 as well as earning  high school All-American honors, he went onto play college ball at Indiana University where he won two NCAA national championships. In 2003, he was drafted into the MLS in the third round by the Chicago Fire. Since his drafting, Mack has bounced around the MLS as well as several other professional leagues.

Marcus Kennedy, Troy basketball – This dominant big man started his prep hoops career at now-defunct Troy Zion Christian. As a sophomore, Kennedy led Zion to the Class D quarterfinals. Then he transferred to Troy for his junior and senior years and took the Colts into the regionals at the Class A level. Kennedy played his college ball at Eastern Michigan where he was an all-conference selection and helped lead the then-Hurons to the 1991 MAC championsip and the 1991 NCAA Sweet Sixteen. He was drafted into the NBA by the Portland Trailblazers.

Brandon Cassisse, OL St. Mary's basketball – A gritty, smooth-stroking guard who made the switch from Walled Lake Central to OL St. Mary's to close out his playing career. He was awesome as an Eaglet and earned a scholarship to Oakland University. With the Golden Grizzlies, Cassisse was the leading scorer for the team against UNC in the team's first round NCAA game in 2005, tallying 17 points.

Garon Oseff, West Bloomfield basketball and football – Oseff was a big load, whether in the trenches on the football field or in the paint on the basketball floor. He played two years of varsity ball in both sports at Walled Lake Western, but finished out his prep playing career at West Bloomfield. Starting at center for the Lakers bball team, he helped lead the WB to a Class A district championship in 1997. In college he played football as an offensive lineman in the Big Ten at Indiana University.

Da' Shonte Riley, Birmingham Detroit Country Day basketball – Came over from Cass Tech as a sophomore and he made an immediate impact. His rangy and energetic play in the post was a major reason the 'Jackets took home the 2007 Class B state crown. The 6-11 swat-machine is currently a freshman at Syracuse.

David Bowens, Daryl Adams, Dion Sims OL St. Mary's basketball and football – The Eaglets parade of "Triple D's" were all transplants but each left their most indelible mark on the prep scene at St. Mary's. Sims, now on the verge of busting out at Michigan St, came to OLSM by way of UofD-Jesuit and was a monster whatever sport he played. He was a dominant WR/TE for the Eaglets 2007 state finalist football squad and he tore up the court as a high-scoring forward on two very successful Eaglet hoop teams. Bowens and Adams both came over from Pontiac Central and were standouts on both the hardwood and the gridiron too. As juniors, they helped lead the Eaglets to the Class C state final game and lost at the buzzer. As seniors, they helped lead the St. Mary's to a Division 3 football state championship. Bowens (Michigan/W. Illinois) is currently in the midst of a decade-long career in the NFL as a defensive lineman. Adams played college football at Wayne State as a wide receiver.

Tom Staton, Clarkston basketball – Almost as good as his dad and that's saying a lot. Staton, an athletic 6-6 point guard, played the "Rasheed Wallace" role in getting the proverbial monkey off the Wolves back….alas advancing them into the Class Final Four in 2009 for the first time since the Tim McCormick-era. Once Staton shed his Ferndale digs and traded them in for the Maize and Blue of C-Town as a junior it was, as they say, "On like Donkey Kong." Now at small D1 Gardner-Webb, you could end up hearing quite a bit about this kid at the next level.

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