Most people don't know about Birmingham Seaholm's Mike DeGeeter and Austin Roth.

They should. And will soon.

DeGeeter is the Maples boys basketball team's new head coach. Roth is DeGeeter's best player and currently Oakland County's leading scorer.

A fiery senior guard with a relentless attitude and a penchant for the big play, Roth pumped in 29 Thursday in Seaholm's upset at home over Oxford. He had a 31-spot back on Tuesday versus Birmingham Brother Rice and is as gifted and determined as an offensive hoop stud as there is in Metro Detroit.

DeGeeter,Seaholm's old JV coach, is doing one of the OC's most impressive jobs on the bench this year. The Maples are 7-4, 2-0 in the OAA Blue.

 

The cornfields were hollering his name and he was fast to answer the call. FH Harrison senior football star Mike Ojemudia is now a Hawkeye. The tenacious and versatile linebacker committed to the University of Iowa Wednesday night. Last fall, he corralled 110 tackles and 10 sacks in helping spearhead HAWKSNATION into the final four. Iowa - 7-6 in 2014 - has been a big fan of the Oakland County recruiting landscape lately. Birmingham Brother Rice-alum Kevonte Martin-Manley is departing the school its all-time leading receiver. The Hawkeyes snatched Birmingham DCD all-state quarterback Tyler Wiegers for their recruiting class last winter.

Southfield's top two offensive linemen, Marques Grimes and Calvin Graves, hooked up with college programs over the weekend, as Grimes committed to Ohio and Graves committed to Grand Valley State. The Bluejays workhorse of a starting running back, Adrian Carter, pledged to play his college ball at Ferris State. CAN U SAY BALLERS AND SHOT CALLERS?

Also making a college connection with Ferris State is Farmington defensive lineman Courteous Preston. Burney SEZ: Grand larceny, this is a straight out steal!!

Saginaw Valley State came into the OC and snared some top-notch pigskin talent.

Clarkston offensive linemen Adam Matich and Alex Snyder and FH Harrison linebacker Justin Whitted all committed to the Cardinals in the last week....plain and simple, winners, sir-grind-a-lots, character kids....aka all the right moves!

Oxford quarterback-defensive back Glacier Wallington decided to head north to continue his college career and has committed to Michigan Tech. The ICE MAN HEADEATH TO THE UP......watch out my man G-Wall is about to up the wind-chill in the already frozen-tundra of UPPERVILLE 

FH Harrison linebacker Iwari Smith is bound for the Badlands and committed to North Dakota.....pretty appropriate considering Iwari is a pure WARRIOR sideline to sideline and is an all-out BAD MAN in between the lines...Take it 2 tha bank!! 

WL Central offensive lineman Cody Patterson is gearing up for grid life in the GLIAC and committed to Northwood....Nothing but blood, sweat and tears....dogged work ethic, leader, lynchpin in the trenches

From the "Uncoupling Dept.," Oak Park linebacker Junior McMullen de-committed from Western Michigan and Southfield secondary stud Ja'Mar Antwine de-committed from Central Michigan

 

OC Top 10

1 Clarkston – Tabin "T-Raw" Throgmorton is like a local high school version of an old-school Tayshaun Prince….so long, such a sweet touch

2 North Farmington – The Q Factor aka Raiders senior forward Anthony Qasawa is the REAL DEAL HOLYFIELD!!....can drop a 25-spot in the blink of an eye

3 WL Western – Daryl Porter is a underrated playmaker……..please make a note!!

4 West Bloomfield – TEAM DENHA is very, very dangerous…..I'm talking Mel Gibson and Danny Glover lethality…..a bunch of lethal weapons these young men are

5 Birmingham Brother Rice – Lots of MAD GUNNERS on the perimeter for BIG ORANGE this winter….bombs away, boyz!!

6 Stoney Creek – When you face the SC Cougars in 2015, you're up a creek without a paddle….point blank…..aka you got ride rough to beat TEAM NORGROVE this year

7 RH Adams – There is ZERO little in Highlander junior Spencer Littleson's game….is that irony or what?

8 Oak Park – Not sure what to make of what is transpiring in the Knights bball program right now, got to see how this all shakes out

9 (tie) Oxford – Super Soph Jamal Thomas is a star-in-the-making at floor general for TEAM HENNING

9 (tie) WL Central – I have a bowl of Special K at breakfast every day in honor of Vikings hoopster Walter Kelser

10 Holly – Flint CA-transfer Ian Hodges is ready to blowup like a stick of dynamite and help make up for the loss of Kyle Woodruff

 

Everyone's thoughts and prayers should be with Berkley boys hoopster Jonathan Radner this weekend.

Radner, a spirited senior guard and Oakland County's leading scorer last year, lost his dad to a sudden heart attack on Friday night.

Mr. Radner was the best. He never missed a second of watching his son play or encouraging and supporting him in his endeavors whether on or off the basketball court. He was the kind of dad that was always positive and always there with a pat on the back and a kiss on the cheek no matter win, defeat or his son's individual performance.

I got a chance to know Mr. R the last few years and he was a super guy and an even better father. My heart aches with pain for Jonathan and his family. The loss is monumental.

Your pops will be dearly missed 'J.' He loved you so much and it showed every second I saw him watch you. He'd beam with pride so bright it was practically blinding.

No doubt he will be doing the same from above from now on. RIP!!!

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep is a feel-good story on the boys basketball court this winter.

The Fighting Irish are a surprising 8-1 with no superstars, just a bunch of rock-solid SIR-GRIND-A-LOT SPECIALS. And boy are they putting the FIGHT in Fighting Irish with their collective play!

Super soph Tariq Derrickson drilled a game-winning buzzer-beater Tuesday to top AA Gabriel Richard. He's on the verge of eclipsing SWAGGER LEVEL FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND TRILLION and he's only in the tenth grade! Seriously, this is a PRIMETIME PLAYA taking flight before our eyes here.

Former CMU point guard Whitney Robinson is doing an amazing job on the bench and is a true up-and-comer in the profession for sure.

Zach Shango and Pat Bridges are a pair of snipers from beyond the arc. Shango had 5 triples Tuesday night and is developing into a walking, talking ATM kiosk with his performance in the clutch, lately.

NDP squares off with Detroit Loyola in their next game with first-place in the CHSL AA on the line.

 

The Holly Bronchos, the defending champs and first-place boys hoop squad in the Flint Metro League, were delivered a staggering blow to the heart of their rotation this week.

Junior sniper Kyle Woodruff, one of the top long-range bombers in the state who had been flashing a much-improved all-around skill set on the floor this season, was lost for the rest of the year with a broken collar bone.

Woodruff, a college-recruit and starter in the Bronchos backcourt since he was a fab frosh in 2013, suffered the injury at practice Wednesday. He had 16 points in Holly's 85-70 upending of Clio back on Friday night.

Holly is 7-2, sporting a perfect 6-0 mark in league action.

Five For Fighting – Top outings in the Clarkston-Oak Park instant classic of a boys cage clash

1 Drew Myers (Clarkston) – Steady Rock D going all STEADY ROCK D....15 points, 8 dimes, game-winning 'J,' game-clinching steal and fts....is this kid a MEGA BALLER or what?

2 Kelvon Fuller (Oak Park) – Beast Mode: ACHIEVED.....total domination up front (22 pts, 18 boards, 1 bring-the-house down slam dunk) 

3 Merrick Canada (Clarkston) – Ice Cold demeanor, Scorching Hot delivery....can you say buzzer-beating onions?

4 Foster Loyer (Clarkston) – Maybe the most fundamentally-sound Fab Frosh point guard Burney has ever laid eyes on…..Yeah, I said it!!...14 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds

5 Rodney Scales (Oak Park) – Back to his old tricks....picked up where he left off last winter with an efficient 15 pt-10-board effort.....just wait 'til Rock'n Rodney gets his sea legs.....yeah, that's about to happen!

 

Some local football recruiting news & notes:

West Bloomfield all-state defensive lineman Eddy Wilson traded up to D1 and the Big Ten, de-committing from Bowling Green University and committed to Purdue STEADY EDDIE might have been the most disruptive force at the point of attack in the whole area in 2014. He led the Lakeshow to astounding heights (first playoff win in school history) and has a trajectory in the pigskin trade that is gearing toward the moon

Southfield star defensive end Charles Harris snagged a DI scholarship, too, accepting an offer from the University of Buffalo after a senior season where he exploded for 12 sacks and an amazing 27 tackles-for-loss on a 'Jays club that collected league, district and regional titles on their way to the Division 2 final four

Orchard Lake St. Mary's defensive lineman Josh Dabney was a first-team all-state selection for the defending Division 3 state champs and ushered in the New Year by choosing to continue his career on the gridiron at Northwood University.

Grand Valley State picked up a pair of OC play-making wide receivers in Farmington's Omari Mitchell and Birmingham Seaholm's Austin Paritee. What a great 2-for-1 OC special....these guys are SIR-GRIND-A-LOT Specials stretching the field....That's a Burney-Certified Guarantee!!

Auburn Hills Avondale split end Jalen Saunders is heading to the GLIAC as well, committing to Northern Michigan. Saunders is a big target (6-4), has soft hands and is a force to be reckoned with in the red zone

Fresh off helping spark his Birmingham DCD squad into the Division 4 state semifinals in the fall, 'Jackets safety-linebacker Joe Bergin has agreed to take a preferred walk-on spot at Northwestern

Southfield Mr. Do Everything Ja'Mar Antwine is back on the market. The versatile 5-foot-10 "Snoop" Antwine, who can play cornerback, wide receiver, running back and is a game-changer returning kicks and punts on special teams, recently de-committed from Central Michigan

Jim Harbaugh debuted in the OC this past week. We needed to feel a little of that national buzz, too.

Harbaugh, UofM's new football coach, made the rounds in the area, taking visits to Farmington Hills Harrison, Orchard Lake St. Mary's and Novi Detroit Catholic Central to do face-to-face intros with the current OC gridiron Mt. Rushmore (Herrington, Porritt and Mach).

Man, is this going to do wonders for the Maize & Blue recruiting game or what?

Before departing back for the A-Squared, Harbaugh extended an offer to Harrison DE Kahlid Kareem, arguably the No. 1 player in the county for the upcoming 2015 campaign.

Burney likes him some Novi Wildcats frontcourt, as in the M&N Express. I’m speaking of Max Yanke and Naji Ozier. These two are BALLING OUT OF CONTROL!! The ‘Cats are 6-2 and turning heads. We’re talking major-league whiplash, here folks! Yanke and Ozier both registered double-doubles in Novi’s 62-54 victory at home over Northville Friday night. NASTY NAJI posted 18 points and 10 boards, while MAD MAX went insane going for 22 points and 12 rebounds. Don’t sleep on these MEGA HOOPSTERS from the KLAA, they’ve got enough JUICE in their respective games to light up all of Novi. Now, that’s ELECTRIC!!

Still no Billy. Patience Raidersnation, patience.

North Farmington boys basketball transfer Billy Thomas hasn't hit the court yet for the Raiders hoop squad and it looks as if it will be a little while longer until we see the hot-shooting Thomas in his new Brown & Gold digs.

Thomas is a Division I-college recruit. He started in the backcourt at the 2-spot for Detroit U-D Jesuit last winter, helping lead the Cubbies to a Catholic League crown and an appearance in the Class A final four.

The 6-foot-1 sniper was at a prep school in Virginia until last week. His moving back in with his parents in the Farmington Hills School District and enrolling at North Farmington raised eyebrows and enacted an MHSAA investigation prompted by complaints. "Bombardier Billy" is in the process of getting his transcripts in order and could be in uniform by next week. North Farmington is currently undefeated at 8-0.

OC Top 10

1 Clarkston – Really, really good………really, really deep

2 North Farmington – We want Billy, We want Billy, We want Billy!!

3 WL Western – Daryl Porter is a BOSS and a HOSS….please make note!!

4 Oak Park – Watch out for "sleeper stud" Trevon Gardner….remember who told you

5 West Bloomfield – I drink Laker-Aide, it's better than Gator-Aid!!

6 Birmingham Brother Rice – Just might challenge for the Catholic League crown….who would of thought?

7 Stoney Creek – 'Da Creek is 'Da Bomb….as usual!!

8 RH Adams – You can't stop Joey "Zsa Zsa" Ziniti, you can only hope to contain him…and even that is pretty darn difficult to do (Just ask Oak Park)

9 (tie) Southfield – Will have to weather the storm until superstar sophomore point guard Amuri Hardy is back in 6 weeks

9 (tie) WL Central – Team Spolsky is in SIZZLE MODE, similar to BEAST MODE only with a few more doses of hot sauce

10 Oxford – Mason Vires is the most improved player in the OC!!

FIVE FOR FIGHTING – Top FIVE efforts on the bench in the OC boys cage scene

1 Ed Shaffer (Birmingham Brother Rice) – All Burney can say is WOW!!.....Rice is ROARING!!

2 Steve Norgrove (Stoney Creek) – Man, is TEAM NORGROVE turning heads or what? These guys are a bunch of PTPer's aka PRIME TIME PLAYAZ!!

3 Tim Morton (AH Avondale) – I don't know if there's a coach around getting more out of their team right now…. The 'Jackets are one of the hardest-working, most high-energy hoop crews around

4 Chip Lutz (WL Western) – Could be the No. 1 squad in the whole KLAA…..TEAM Chipper is putting opposing clubs through the proverbial wood-chipper with their outstanding play so far

5 Mike Massucci (Royal Oak) – Will compete for a league title…..Take It 2 THA Bank!!

FIVE FOR FIGHTING – Best OC slam dunk specialists

1 Khari Fanning (Southfield) – All hail the JAM KING!!.....just mad hops, his dunk arsenal belongs on Sportscenter

2 Kelvon Fuller (Oak Park) – Pure power…..'NUFF SAID!!

3 Jeron (Buddha) Rogers (North Farmington) – Genuine high-flyer, plain NASTY when attacking the rim

4 Trishton Jackson (West Bloomfield) – AIR FORCE ONE in the backcourt, style, strength & verticality,  they call'em Action Jackson for a reason

5 (tie) Josh Simms (Holly) – No. 1 small-guy SLAMMER JAMMER in the area, as soon as he takes flight it's ALL OVER

5 (tie) Marcus Bailey (WL Western) - Backboards are literally afraid of this guy, they shutter whenever he walks in the gym...Thats's a Burney Certified Fact!!    

Cass Avenue be prepared.

The Tank will be tearing up your terrain very soon, as Walled Lake Western senior football star Marcus "The Tank" Bailey committed to play his college pigskin in downtown Detroit at Wayne State University (located on Cass Avenue) this week.

Bailey is a 6-foot-4 workhorse wide receiver who is as money in the red zone exploiting smaller defensive backs as a freaking ATM. He recorded 8 TD grabs in 2014.

Oh, yeah, he's also maybe the best power forward on the basketball floor in the whole KLAA.

This kid is the definition of RELENTLESS whether on the hardwood or the gridiron. And he's a great young man, with composure, class and a ton of heart and tenacity.

Burney knows he'll be mowing down the competition at the college level just like he did as a prepster.

Tank Bailey is such a BALLER he bleeds leather instead of blood…..And that's a FACT

The speeding freight train of a boys cage crew known as the  2015 North Farmington Raiders have added yet another gear, one more weapon for the TEAM NOGO arsenal.

Billy Thomas enrolled in school on Tuesday.

Thomas is a 6-foot-1 sniper who played at Detroit U-D Jesuit as a freshman and sophomore, starting last season on a Cubs club that made a run into the Class A final four at the Breslin Center. He spent first-semester at a prep school in Lynchburg, Virginia.

North Farmington is already one of the deepest squads in the area and throwing Thomas into the mix could put them over the edge into the BRESLIN STRATOSPHERE.

Fresh on the heels of Tuesday's 66-50 toppling of Troy, TEAM NOGO is a perfect 6-0 on the campaign.

Billy the Bombardier averaged 14 points a night in 2014 and joins a RaidersNation backcourt that sports fellow standout juniors like Jacob Joubert and Josh (Baby Hoags) Hogans. Joubert is the son of MHSAA legend and former All-Big Ten performer Antoine Joubert (Detroit Southwestern/UofM) and poured in a season-high 23 points on Tuesday against Troy. Hoagans, the baby brother of one-time North Farmington backcourt studs Robert and Caleb Hoagans, is shooting close to 70 percent from 3-point distance coming off the bench as the Raiders' sixth-man.

The Thomas family has always lived in the Farmington Hills School District so Thomas could be in uniform Friday night when North Farmington faces Pontiac in an OAA crossover at home.

 

The girls basketball landscape in Oakland County is filled with lethal weapons on the wing.

Let's grab a gander at the cream of the crop:

1 Taylor Jones (FH Mercy) – Pure scorer, gym rat, all heart and hustle, tough as nails, genuine workhorse, a warrior's spirit

2 Destiny Pitts (Birmingham DCD) – Point blank a Diaper Dandy Darling, tenth-grade terror with high-DI prospect imprinted on her person like a tattoo, killer instinct on the court, on the verge of blossoming into a superstar

3 Jessica Murphy (Oxford) – A perfect combination of smooth, steady, gritty, gutty & clutch, as quick a release on her 'J' as any I've seen in a while

4 (tie) Brittany Gray (Birmingham Marian) – Fundamentally-sound, a winner in every way, just darn good in a lot of different areas of the game, has improved significantly every year

4 (tie) Kara Holinski (Birmingham Marian) – Maybe the most underrated player in all of Metro Detroit, a quiet assassin, the definition of a leader, the proverbial straw that stirs the drink for the best team in the state

5 Lauren Tewes (Waterford Kettering) – Lady Grind-A-Lot Special, can hurt defenses from deep or taking it to the rack, primetime player plain & simple

The OC Offseason Baseball Player Power Index

1 Nick Plummer (Birmingham Brother Rice Sr. OF) – Total 5-tool stud, future first-round MLB Draft pick.. Signed w/Kentucky

2 Karl Kauffmann (Birmingham Brother Rice Jr. P) – High-velocity arm, crafty and a complete Warrior in every sense of the word...Committed to Michigan 

3 Chandler Sedat (West Bloomfield Sr. P) – Simply put a LAKESHOW Legend chucking the pill, we're dealing with one of THE WB's all-time great hurlers here!!!....Signed w/ Indiana

4 Alex Darden (North Farmington Jr. P) – Thunderous lefty on the mound, mega- workhorse with a bulldog mentality toeing the slab...Committed to Cincinnati

5 Eric Gilgenbach (Stoney Creek Sr. 3B) – Sports a swagger level that's through the roof, quick stick, nice glove, the consummate leader....Signed with Notre Dame

6 Nate Grys (MH Bishop Foley Sr. OF) – Natural batsmen with big-play ability oozes from his pores....just check his hand for all those rings....Signed with WMU  

7 Robbie Jones (West Bloomfield Sr. OF) – We've got a TNT Special patrolling the outfield at the WB….RJ is a dynamite centerfielder with web-magic antics in the field and explosive tendencies at the plate...Signed with Michigan St

8 Luke Shilling (Pontiac NDP Sr. P) – Just a BALLER and SHOT CALLER on the hill with a very intriguing upside at the next level....Signed with Illinois

9 Jake Stout (Rochester Sr. P) – Grade-A SIR-GRIND-A-LOT hurler with a nasty streak....Signed with Toledo

10 (tie) Joey Prechtel (RH Adams Jr. P) – The FURY will be unleashed on the bump in Highlandville these next couple years whenever Joey Ball Game takes the mound ....Committed to Toledo

10 (tie) Will Mullen (Pontiac NDP Sr. P) – Cue the OUTKAST…. So Fresh and So Clean when he's dealing....Signed with WMU

Burney's 2015 OC Offseason Prep Football Player Power Index

1 Khalid Kareem (FH Harrison Sr. DE) – Most destructive pure pass-rush prodigy this area has seen in a long time, had 19 sacks in '14, owns almost 20 FBS scholarship offers

2 Josh Ross (OL St. Mary's Jr. LB) – Bone-crushing specimen sideline-to-sideline, intelligent, instinctive playmaker and leader, genuine winner and workhorse, on and off the field……one of the best linebacking prospects in the whole Midwest

3 Trishton Jackson (West Bloomfield Sr. QB) – His nickname is "Action Jackson" and he's the best dual-threat quarterback in Metro Detroit, hands down!!

4 Matt Falcon (Southfield Sr. RB) – Possesses all the tools to be a superstar both with the 'Jays at the HS level and whichever of the many FBS schools in college recruiting him that he ends up inking with next February…injury-plagued seasons as a soph and junior, have only produced flashes of brilliance that will be coming into full bloom this fall

5 Dez Fitzpatrick (Farmington Sr. WR) – Elite split end with game-changing skills and tenacious work ethic, outthinks and out-hustles the opposition, the ultimate student of the wide receiver position committed to Louisville

6 K.J. Hamler (OL St. Mary's Jr. WR) – Best slot receiver in Metro Detroit, bar none, can decimate defensive backs going deep or across the middle, maybe the No. 1 return-specialist in the OC as well

7 Emmanuel Jackson (Novi Sr. ATH) – The 'E' stands for ELECTRICITY…..he's simply electric whenever he's got the football….. this kid's got the JUICE to light up the whole westside of Oakland County…..his moves & cutbacks leave opposing tacklers in the dust…oh and he has sprinter-type wheels and breakaway burners

8 David Reese (Farmington Sr. LB) – Fast-rising, versatile talent who is imposing and relentless in tracking down ball-carriers, catchers and quarterbacks alike

9 Nolan Eriksen (Clarkston Sr. RB) – Speed-&-Power combo toting the rock for two-time defending D1 state champion C-Town,

10 Kyle Thomas (WL Western Sr. QB) – Stat-mongering signal-caller who is fierce, fleet-footed, smart, savvy, poised, precise and has PRIMETIME written all over his game

OC Top 10

1 Clarkston – Wolfpack junior power forward Jonah "Splat" Newblatt is taking his game to a whole other level this year, he's like a new-school version of Bad Boy Piston Ricky Mahorn in the paint for TEAM FIFE

2 North Farmington – Styling and profiling into the New Year…RAIDERSNATION in store for something special on the hardwood in '15….Take it 2 Tha Bank!!

3 Oak Park – About to be totally OFF-THE-CHAIN in OAKTOWN!!!

4 West Bloomfield – Trishton Jackson should consider changing his name to; First Name 'Greatest' Last name 'Ever', as in GOAT in WB hoops history before it's all said and done….YEAH I SAID IT!!!

5 WL Western – The West is the Best this year in the KLAA!!!

6 Southfield – Status of hot-sizzle sophomore point guard Amuri Hardy's knee (MRI results pending after injury suffered last week) will tell the tale if the 'Jays will be a serious contender this winter….Burney's crossing his fingers!!

7 WL Central – These 2015 Vikings are like a bunch of cashiers at the mall, they're gonna make you pay!!!

8 Birmingham DCD – 'Jackets can still sting, in case u didn't know (just ask Holly!)

9 (tie) Oxford – 'Cats senior SIR-GRIND-A-LOT (w/ mad skill, length and athleticism, too) Del Alexander lives at the corner of AWESOME and AMAZING, please make a note

9 (tie) Farmington – Cookie Monster, oh, Cookie Monster please bring me endless 3-bombs for the New Year……splash, splash, RK!!

10 (tie) Stoney Creek – J.P. Sinacola surprise SUPERSTAR for TEAM NORGROVE…...dude's got unlimited range!!

10 (tie) RH Adams – Way, way better than this current ranking!!