With the start of practice kicking off for the boys high school hoops season on Monday, I thought I'd breakdown what I'm most looking forward to this winter from the local prep bball scene

Kurt Keener, Amir Williams and crew over at Birmingham DCD making a run for their second straight state title and doing it in style with another experienced and talented group!

The North Oakland County sniper brigade consisting of AAU teammates Josh Fugate (Holly) and Nick Tatu (Clarkston) burying 3-pointers with pinpoint accuracy for their respective regular-season squads

Southfield's "Big Three" of Carlton "Captain Amazing" Brundidge, Desmond "Pee Wee" Barnes and Patrick "The Money Man" Onwenu leading the Bluejays back to the Class A final four (the school's first back-to-back final four runs since the early-1980s and the Mike McCaskill era)

Joe "The Show" Baker playing in his new Ferndale Eagle digs, taking passes on the break from crafty point guard Anthony Rice and finishing at the rim with authority....Baker's arrival into Eagleville immediately lessons the blow of losing all-conference stars Shawn Amiker and Jody Hill to graduation from last year's league championship team

Shawn Conway of Birmingham Seaholm living up to his rep as the best slam dunk master in the county in his final year on the high school hardwood before starting his football career at UofM next fall…….quick side prediction: Timberwolves center Kevin Love recently went for a 30-30 game in the NBA and I'm saying Conway is going to pull one off for himself this winter for the Maples

Troy's sophomore sensation James "The Chosen One" Young proving that he is the best 10^th grade hoops prospect in the state

Avondale's killer-quick and devastatingly effective backcourt of "Sugar Ray" Tillman and Tony "The Truth" Harris breaking so many ankles that the Yellowjackets administration should consider employing a full-time EMS unit to be on hand at all home games

Waterford Mott's new starting backcourt of junior Chris Dewberry and sophomore Khalil Malone taking the Metro Detroit area by storm with their prolific antics for head coach Derek Wiley

Kyle Cooper and Shea Kettner leading the CC Shamrocks back to Calihan Hall and the CHSL finals in March

Seeing football studs like Terrell Porter (Berkley), Keon Collier (Groves), Devin Church (Brother Rice) and the Annese brothers (RH Adams) taking their dynamic athletic ability to the basketball court for the first time in a while

All the progress head coach Pete Mantyla and his FH Harrison hoops program is sure to continue experiencing after a surprising year last season…Can't wait to see Devin "The FUNCHISE" Funchess get on the bball court this year and start tearing up rims like he's been doing d-backs on the football field recently

Seniors Allen Robinson, Darrell Freeman and Shaun Covington leading the OLSM cage squad back to its traditional winning ways coming off an uncharacteristic down year

Seeing how new sidelines generals Lee Bailey sr (WL Western), David McGlowan (Berkley), Jeremy Denha (West Bloomfield)do in their first year on the job

Seeing Lakeland coach Bill Brugger back in the old Blue and White where he belongs!!!.....watching him coach in orange and black last year at Brighton just didnt seem right

 

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