Boys Basketball District Preview

CLASS A
Swartz Creek District
Teams: Swartz Creek, Clarkston, Holly, Grand Blanc, Fenton, Ortonville Brandon
Breakdown: Clarkston should have no trouble in this district with its nearly unblemished record this season. The only team that could prove to be a test for Clarkston is Fenton who had a very impressive regulars season which included a Flint Metro League title.
Winner: Clarkston


Novi Detroit Catholic Central District
Teams: Canton, Northville, Novi, Novi Detroit Catholic Central, Plymouth, Salem, South Lyon
Breakdown: Catholic Central has been playing some of its basketball as of late, including a CHSL title game upset of Warren De La Salle. Don’t sleep on KLAA Association champion Plymouth Salem or a dangerous 15-5 Plymouth Canton team in this district either.
Winner: Catholic Central


Southfield District
Teams: Berkley, Detroit Henry Ford, Oak Park, Royal Oak, Southfield, Southfield-Lathrup
Breakdown: This district will without a doubt come down to Detroit Henry Ford and Southfield-Lathrup and it’s too bad that we can’t see the two teams in the district final, because they face off right out of the gates on Monday. I’ll give the edge to the team with the best player on the floor and that is Jon-Jon Williams.
Winner: Southfield-Lathrup


Orchard Lake Saint Mary’s District
Teams: Walled Lake Western, North Farmington, Orchard Lake Saint Mary’s, Farmington Hills Harrison, West Bloomfield, Farmington
Breakdown: North Farmington has been overlooked for the majority of the season, but once the playoffs get underway, the Raiders won’t be under the radar any longer. The Raiders will have their hands full with Walled Lake Western in the opener and Saint Mary’s on Wednesday, but North Farmington should come out on top.
Winner: North Farmington


Lakeland District
Teams: Lakeland, Walled Lake Northern, Walled Lake Central, Milford, Hartland, Howell
Breakdown: This district should come down to Central or Milford, Milford has been one of the top defensive teams in Oakland County all season long, but the Vikings have the edge because of some top-notch front-court play with Chuck Taylor and Tai Abiola.
Winner: Walled Lake Central


Birmingham Seaholm District
Teams: Birmingham Seaholm, Bloomfield Hills Lahser, Bloomfield Hills Andover, Birmingham Groves, Birmingham Brother Rice
Breakdown: Lahser’s dynamic sophomore duo of Yante Maten and Armand Cartwright are as good as it gets in the class of  2014 and after securing an OAA gold title, it’s apparent that the district title is the Knight’s to lose and this team is only going to get better.
Winner: Lahser


Troy Athens District
Teams: Troy Athens, Troy, Pontiac, Waterford  Kettering, Waterford Mott
Breakdown: Pontiac has a reputation of being one of the dominant teams in Oakland County in district play, and while the Phoenix will have a tough road in one of the top districts in the state. Troy and junior sensation James Young will without a doubt be the biggest challenge to Pontiac, but once again Pontiac will come out with a district title on Friday.
Winner: Pontiac


Rochester Adams District
Teams: Rochester Adams, Rochester, Lake Orion, Stoney Creek, Oxford
Breakdown: Monday could end up having the game that decides the winner as Rochester faces Rochester Adams. Rochester should be considered the favorite here, with Taylor Perry and Paris Pereira, but something tells me that Rochester Adams is primed to pull off the upset. Akhemji Williams will come up big in the clutch.
Winner: Rochester Adams


CLASS B
Ferndale District
Teams: Ferndale, Ferndale University, Highland Park, Detroit CMA, Detroit Old Redord, Livonia Clarenceville, Hamtramck
Breakdown: Ferndale’s “Big 3” of Nate Stepney, Jordan Ellis and Jacob Dotson should have no trouble at all in bringing home a district title for the Eagles in what looks like a very easy district, but neighbor Ferndale University could pose a bit of a challenge to the Eagles.
Winner: Ferndale


Warren Lincoln District
Teams: Warren Lincoln, Birmingham Detroit Country Day, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook, Madison Heights Lamphere, Clawson, Centrer Line, Hazel Park
Breakdown: As always, being in the same district as Country Day is never a good sign. The Yellowjackets might have the best shot of any Oakland County team at making it back to the Breslin.
Winner: Country Day


Imlay City District
Teams: Imlay City, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Almont, Armada, Macomb Lutheran North
Breakdown: Notre Dame Prep has improved in the second half of the season, and with Kellen McCormick and Co., the Fighting Irish will head back to the regional round.
Winner: Notre Dame Prep

Mt. Clemens District
Teams: Mt. Clemens, Madison Heights Madison, Detroit Winnans, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, Hamtramck Frontier International, Warren Michigan Collegiate
Breakdown: There isn’t a more explosive offensive team around than Madison as the Eagles have shown te ability to put up 100 points on any night and it wouldn’t be a surprise to many if they put up 100 at some point this week.
Winner: Madison Heights Madison


Madison Heights Bishop Foley District
Teams: Bishop Foley, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, Southfield Bradford, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest, Royal Oak Shrine
Breakdown: This one is tricky, Bishop Foley is the favorite to win the district, but Southfield Bradford is very capable of picking up a district title as well. Corey Green and Max Aleshire are capable of putting up some big numbers at any time, and that’s why I’ll give them the slight edge. But don’t sleep on Bradford.
Winner: Bishop Foley

CLASS D
Birmingham Roeper District
Teams: Roeper, Detroit City, Southfield Christian, Novi Franklin Road Christian
Breakdown: This district is Southfield Christian’s to lose, the Eagles are too deep for any other team in this district to handle. It would have to take a huge upset for Southfield Christian to not move on to regionals.
Winner: Southfield Christian

Clarkston Everest Collegiate District
Teams: Everest Collegiate, WOLL, New Haven Merrit, Cardinal Mooney, Auburn Hills Christian, West Bloomfield Jewish Academy
Breakdown: It’s tough to beat a team three times in a row, but it looks like that’s what WOLL will have to do in order to win a District title if Clarkston Everest Collegiate can sneak past 13-5 New Haven Merrit, which I believe they will do. In the finals it will come down to Everest and WOLL and the game might not be decided until the final seconds.
Winner: WOLL