Keeping it Simple

Since I’m still new to the world of blogging, I thought we’d keep it simple this time around, going over the basketball conference I’ve been able to keep a close eye on over the past two seasons. I’ll take a look at some of the top boys teams from Oakland County that reside in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association.

Novi

Even though they suffered their first loss of the season last week to Livonia Stevenson, the Wildcats remain one of the teams to beat in the KLAA. Behind standout senior Samer Ozeir’s 19 points and 12 rebounds per game, Novi has stormed out to a 9-1 start. The Wildcats are easily one of, if not the best rebounding team in the conference because of their unmatched size with 6-8 Ozeir, 6-7 Chris Milon and 6-5 Rob Laney averaging almost 30 rebounds per contest between the three of them. The Wildcats have won in a number of ways en route to eight of their nine wins coming by double digits.

Walled Lake Central

Lately, there hasn’t been a hotter team in the KLAA than the 9-2 Walled Lake Central Vikings, shedding the thought that this may be a rebuilding year for head coach Denny Butcher and company. Instead, it’s been the exact opposite as Central hasn’t missed a beat after suffering two tough losses to Novi and Milford, the Vikings have run off six straight wins and starting off their division play with a 5-0 mark. Thanks to the emergence of seniors Adam Coric and Hayden Coe, Central has found their touch offensively. Since their last loss to Milford, where the Vikings only mustered 24 points and shot just 23 percent from the floor, Central has outscored their opponents by 61 points during their six game win streak.

Waterford Mott

Right behind the Vikings in the North division is Waterford Mott, a team that has been flying under the radar as of late. The Corsairs have overcome a slow start this season plagued by turnovers and mistakes because of their inexperience and have found consistency, thanks in part to junior standout Chris Dewberry averaging 18 points per game winning 4 of their last 6.

Waterford Kettering

The Captains have struggled to find their groove as of late on offense, failing to reach 35 points in two of their past three games, but Kettering has been able to hold their own defensively. If the Captains can find the offensive form they were in at the beginning of the season, they could be a force to be reckoned with as the season winds down.

Lakeland

Now that the Eagles have started to cut down on their turnovers, they can get down to business as they look to push their way back to the top of the North division. With a senior laden back court and the hard nosed style they’re known for, head coach Bob Brugger’s crew should make some noise in the division before all is said and done.