Last winter, Ferndale's boys basketball team had a high-profile cast and lofty expectations, however due to some untimely injuries and lack of locker room chemistry, failed to make much of a mark.

In contrast, this season the Eagles will start the year under the radar, hoping to surprise people with their play and qualify as a genuine sleeper in the race for the OAA White Division crown.

Head coach Tom Staton, entering his third year on the bench, sees parallels to his 2010 squad that came out of nowhere to go undefeated in league play and raise an OAA Blue Division championship banner.

"We're going to be bigger, considerably more assertive and focused and hopefully much better than last year," Staton said. "I'm having a lot of fun with this group. I think we'll wind up sneaking up on teams like we did a couple years ago. There's definitely enough talent on this team to be a factor down the stretch."

Staton's Eagles will be balanced and deep. They will have size and scoring ability from a variety of contributors.

Senior tri-captains Jordan Ellis, Nate Stepney and Elliott Oldham will provide the leadership that failed to emerge last season. Ellis is a heady floor general who runs the offense with effectiveness and efficiency. The team's lone returning starter, Stepney is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard poised to be a featured part of Ferndale's assault and Oldham is a defensive specialist and grade-A scrapper.

Collin Johnson, a wide-bodied 6-foot-7 center, will be holding down the post for Staton until a pair of potential major impact transfers in Jacob Dotson and Jermaine King, become eligible second semester. Dotson is a spry 6-foot-6 senior who moved to the area with his family from Tennessee, where he was a prep star the last couple years. King is a 6-foot-8 sophomore with raw skill and explosive athletic ability.

Ricky Smith, a smart and savvy senior guard, will chip in as a leader and "glue guy," spelling Ellis and Stepney in the backcourt.

The Eagles' loaded youth movement will play a big role in Staton's plans for the 2012 campaign as well. Besides King, Ferndale has three other sensational sophomores in Rob Diez, Aaron Rice and Justin Kearney slated to earn minutes in this season's rotation. Diez is a smooth-shooting off-guard that could start, while Rice is the little brother of last year's starting point guard Anthony Rice and Justin Kearney, the younger brother of Brandon Kearney, an all-state selection the past three seasons at Detroit Southeastern and currently playing at Michigan State.

"We have some exciting new players in the mix and we'll be considerably more fundamentally sound than last season's team," Staton said. "These young men are hungry and energetic and really talented. All of us can't wait to get things started next week."

Ferndale opens the season at home against Southfield, a squad that is coming off back-to-back final four appearances.

When he was in high school, Staton was an all-state pick for the Eagles before going on to play his college ball in the Big 10 at the University of Michigan.