Not many prep hoop squads in the area have made the leaps-and-bounds improvement on the hardwood that the boys basketball team at Walled Lake Northern has over the past few years under head coach Ron Thompson.

Buoyed and inspired by Thompson's leadership on the bench, the Knights have gone from nobodies to somebodies in the race for the Kensington Lakes Activities Association North Division.

This winter should be no different.

Primarily because Northern's cage attack is spearheaded by one of the best players in Oakland County in senior forward Gage Throgmorton, a 6-foot-6 offensive machine with a butter soft touch from beyond the arc and a winning attitude.

Freshman Tabin Throgmorton, Gage's little brother, is slated for significant minutes this season, too. Like his elder sibling, Tabin can bomb away from deep and find his way to the free throw line with a crafty offensive arsenal.

Heady senior Logan Wright will be the Knights' point guard and hard-nosed juniors Trent Landsaw and Brennan Williams will pace Northern in the post. Jake Ginster, an all-league football player who missed last season with an injury, will be a Mr. Do-it-all, for the Knights and could wind up being an X-factor in the rotation.

Sophomores Chris Cliff and Isaac Savage are expected to make sizeable contributions as well, both bringing athleticism and a high basketball IQ.

"We have a nice mix of players, guys that compliment each other well on the court," said Thompson of his season outlook. "Overall, they're a great group of shooters and they all know the game inside and out. Obviously, we have Gage, whose just a beast, but we've got balance and more than one guy that can hurt you if you let them."

Thompson and the Knights open the season next Tuesday against Northville.