Oak Park could be one of the biggest surprises on the local prep boys basketball scene this year returning the majority of last season's team that finished strong and made waves in the tournament.

The Knights have depth, experience, leadership and lots of athleticism and playmaking on the perimeter.

Second-year head coach Alonso Littlejohn has the program headed in the right direction.

"We're making big strides every time we hit the court," the longtime sideline general said. "We've improved vastly since the middle of last year and the best thing about this group of players is that they're eager to keep pushing forward and they're ready to put in the work to do it."

Many pundits have Oak Park pegged as the darkhorse in the race for the OAA White title.

There's good reason.

Led by a crew of 10 rock-em-sock-em seniors, the Knights can hurt opponents all throughout its vast rotation.

Charles Mason, Brian Williams and Kenny Lockhart, a trifecta of talented and tough-minded wings will form the core of the Oak Park hardwood attack.

Mason is the Knights' motor and the offense will go through him. He has a chance at making first-team all-league.

Williams is the squad's emotional leader and a finisher in the half-court set or on the fastbreak and Lockhart is a slasher-shooter combo with a nose for the bottom of the net.

Fellow seniors Storm Hudson, Josh Friday, Stephon Williams, Antoine Jones, James Hughes, Davion Hayes and Tyler Brown, as well as juniors Demetrius Gassaway, De Mariea Freeman, Antonio Davis and Demarcus Wilson will all see time on the floor for Oak Park this year.

Jones is the team's top post threat and Hudson is the Knights' most accurate 3-point assassin. Any number of Knights' guards have a chance to have breakout campaigns in the backcourt.

Brian Williams (WR), Hudson (S) and Friday (WR) all starred on the Knights league and district-champion football team back in the fall.

Last year, Oak Park went 10-12, pulling an upset of Southfield-Lathrup in the districts.