SEASON PREVIEW

Macomb Area Conference Basketball

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SEASON PREVIEW

MAC: BOYS BASKETBALL 2008-09

Welcome to the MAC Insider Boys Basketball Preview 2008-09 Home Page.

Click on the division name (color) above the team whose preview you'd like to see

2008-09 Alignment

MAC RED

Chippewa Valley

Dakota

Eisenhower

Ford II

L’Anse Creuse

L’Anse Creuse North

Romeo

MAC WHITE

Cousino

Grosse Pointe North

Grosse Pointe South

Port Huron Northern

Roseville

Stevenson

Utica

MAC BLUE

Anchor Bay

East Detroit

Fitzgerald

Fraser

Madison

Port Huron

South Lake

MAC GOLD

Lincoln

Marysville

Mott

Mount Clemens

New Haven

St. Clair

Sterling Heights

MAC SILVER

Center Line

Clawson

Clintondale

Lake Shore

Lakeview

Lamphere

Marine City

Woods-Tower

Corey Petros, Eisenhower

Willie Cruz trapped by Romeo's Nate Saliga and Ryan Thomas

TOP RETURNING SCORERS

Player Name, School PPG

Willie Cruz, LC 20.2

Brandon Gouch, Rose 18.6

Mike Hollingsworth, UHS 15.2

Matt Balkema, WCHS 13.8

James Bethea, CHS 13.4

C.J. Olanyian, Mott 13.3

Matt Carden, FHS 12.9

Anthony Williams, WLHS 12.8

John Essenmacher, CL 11.7

Dominque Pointer, Rose 11.2

Chad Allemon, MCHS 10.2

Chris Wouters, FHS 10.1

Mike Puzzuoli, SHS 9.8

John Paterson, WWT 9.7

Jarvis Wise, GPS 9.5

Nate Saliga, RHS 9.2

Jake Dewey, MCHS 8.9

Evan Walker, DHS 8.8

Joey Asbury, Mott 8.6

Nate Saliga, Romeo

The Future of The Site

MAC Insider Staff Writers

Entering its fourth full season of operation the MAC Insider website is now under partial new management, we will continue to have the same focus on bringing a positive and insightful perspective to the players, parents and fans of the conference. With the current social and economic state of the region it’s becoming harder and harder to find people to commit time and energy to maintain the site and accumulating the information necessary to do so. More then ever we need the help of you the fans and users of our site. Keep emailing us scores and stats whenever you can, we hope to add small outside written articles and blurbs about teams and games so please take the time to share your knowledge and passion with the rest of our network as much as possible.

The site has always been driven by the fans and supporters of the game. We are proud to present the athletes and academic institutions in a positive light highlighting all that is good about the game. We plan to continue with this purpose. Still we pride ourselves on being fair and accurate in our accounts and representations of the teams and contests. Thus it's important to hear the story form the winning, losing and neutral perspective. We get a lot of emails from winning team’s players, coaches and fans but few otherwise.

Finally coaches, we need your help too. Many of you have already reached out and have helped expand our coverage. We are pleased to receive positive feedback and reaction to the site and very glad to hear some of you use it to help prepare for games and follow your conference. Our only request is that those of you who can and wish to, make time to send us whatever information, stats etc. you feel would help us better represent the athletes and schools we enjoy highlighting.

Thanks again to all those who have helped so far and all those who will continue or start to in the future. This is your site and we're happy to maintain it.

Dominique Pointer, Roseville

Building a Team: Our Preseason All-MAC starting five

MAC Insider Staff Writers

When a conference graduates 39 of its 50 All-conference team selections as the MAC did in 2008 it’s hard for everyone from the average fan to opposing coaches to know which players will be key for their teams. So with all this uncertainty, when selecting our starting five amongst this years preseason all-conference nominations we placed an emphasis on the most certain things in basketball. Experience and proven production. Of those nominees perhaps no one better personifies those qualities then Willie Cruz of L’Anse Creuse. He is the conference’s top returning scorer and the only player with two consecutive double digit scoring campaigns under his belt on our team. Cruz, at 6’3” and around 200 pounds of solid physique can play any of the five positions on the floor and is capable of guarding them all as well. Besides the scoring, he is a ferocious rebounder and a willing passer and playmaker, he will more then any other player this season determine the fate of his team. Another third year contributor and athletic scoring machine is Utica’s Mike Hollingsworth. His body and his game have grown dramatically from the time he first appeared on Varsity for the Chieftains early in his sophomore season. With the loss of 95% of their scoring excluding him, Hollingsworth will be the focal point of every defense that faces him this year. But like Cruz Hollingsworth is more then just a scorer, his play in the passing lanes and athleticism going to the glass make him almost unstoppable over the course of a full game. Joining the two seniors and rotating at the 2 through 4 positions in third year junior Brandon Gouch of Roseville. At a long, lean athletic 6’3” with the ability to and experience of playing all five positions Gouch provides another playmaker for the group on both ends of the floor. After leading his team in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals as a freshman Gouch got some help from an improved supporting cast, raised his numbers in every category and most importantly led the Panthers to a share of the MAC Blue title after finishing last the previous year. With an interchangeable group of 6’2 -6’3” wings\forwards the team needs some traditional size to protect the paint. Enter the class of ‘09’s first division one commit, 6’10” Matt Balkema of Cousino. One of last season’s most improved players; after averaging nearly a double -double as junior, the future Eastern Michigan Eagle is looking to put up huge numbers in the pivot as a senior. Soft shooting touch from the outside and improved coordination and footwork give him the potential to utilize his height and be a nearly unstoppable offensive player this year. Foul trouble is the only way to neutralize his size and strength on the defensive end. With all these weapons all over the court the only thing missing is someone to get the ball to them. We can think of no one better then the conferences most experienced and proven point guard. Grosse Pointe South junior and three year starter Jarvis Wise. Starting from the first game of his freshman season, Wise is excellent at managing a team and distributing the ball which would be his primary role on our team, but as he has matured with the Blue Devils he has continued to take a more aggressive role on the offensive end averaging 11.5 a game in the second half of last season. His quickness, ball handling and decision making could help make Grosse Pointe South a major factor the next two years and make him the perfect fit to round out our starting five for the 2008-09 season.

PRESEASON ALL MAC ELITE

Matt Balkema Cousino 6’10” SR Center

James Bethea Clintondale 6’4” SR Forward

Willie Cruz L’Anse Creuse 6’3” SR Wing

Brandon Gouch Roseville 6’3” JR Wing

Mike Hollingsworth Utica 6’2” SR Wing

C.J. Olaynian Mott 6’6” JR Forward

Montez Richardson East Detroit 6’3” SR Forward

Anthony Williams Lincoln 6’3” SR Wing

Jarvis Wise Grosse Pointe South 5’11” JR Guard

PRESEASON ALL MAC SELECT

Dragan Bijelic Eisenhower 6’5” SR Wing

Matt Carden Fraser 6’6” SR Center

Lance Cusac Port Huron Northern 6’5” SR Forward

John Essenmacher Center Line 6’5” SR Wing

Kasey Grishaj Ford II 6’1” SR Guard

Corey Petros Eisenhower 6’9” JR Center

Dominique Pointer Roseville 6’6” JR Forward

Mike Puzzuoli Stevenson 6’3” JR Wing

Ricky Roth Romeo 5’6” SR Guard

Nate Saliga Romeo 6’7” SR Center

Jesse Schineke L’Anse Creuse North 6’6” JR Center

Evan Walker Dakota 6’5” JR Forward

Darrin Willis Grosse Pointe North 5’10” SR Guard

Chris Wouters Fraser 6’2” SR Wing

PRESEASON ALL MAC HONORABLE MENTION

Denzel Adams Clintondale 6’4” SR Center

Chad Allemon Marine City 5’10” SR Guard

Joey Asbury Mott 6’7” JR Center

Matt Blunden Grosse Pointe North 6’6” SR Center

Will Bowles South Lake 6’6” JR Center

Paul Bramos Grosse Pointe North 6’3” SR Wing

JB Brogan L’Anse Creuse North 6’4” SR Forward

Kyle Capps Mt. Clemens 6’4” JR Forward

Arthur Coppola Lake Shore 5’11” SR Guard

Trey Curley Marysville 5’8” SR Guard

Ken Enoex Fitzgerald 6’5” SR Forward

David Foster Port Huron 6’4” JR Forward

AJ Magee St. Clair 6’2” SR Forward

Kyle Maxwell Romeo 6'5" SR Forward

RT Merrit Madison 6’0” JR Wing

John Patterson Woods-Tower 6’3” SR Forward

Leonard Perry Mt. Clemens 6’5” JR Forward

Travis Reid Port Huron Northern 6’1” JR Guard

Joel Seddon St. Clair 6’0” SO Wing

Eric Sherrod Center Line 6’3” SR Forward

Ryan Spicuzzi Dakota 5’11” JR Guard

John Talos East Detroit 6’5” SR Forward

Ryan Thomas Romeo 5’9” JR Guard

Ryan Tomayko Eisenhower 6’3” SR Wing

Traye Williams Roseville 5’10” SO Guard

Charles Wilson Fitzgerald 6’3” SR Forward

Starting Five: 5 Things to Watch in 2008-09

MAC Insider Staff Writers

The Graduation of over 80% of the conferences all-league selcetions, divisional realignment and the adition of a 36th team have shaken up the MAC and given a whole new and exciting look and feel for the upcoming season. Here's a quick look at somes of the names, numbers and nuances we think are worth watching as an ambigious season of hoops unfolds in and around Macomb County.

1. Emergence of New Stars – The Classes of 2007 and 2008 were some of the deepest in recent memory; last season saw the graduation of 14 multiyear all-league selections. This season will provide an opportunity for new names and faces to emerge from the crowd. Just eight total all-league players return this season in the entire conference. Only Willie Cruz, Matt Balkema and Mike Hollingsworth return averages of 10 points per game or greater to the MAC’s red and white divisions, in the entire conference only Roseville and Warren Mott return multiple double-digit scorers to their line-up. Several post players, Eisenhower’s Corey Petros (6’9”), Romeo’s Nate Saliga (6’7”), Fraser’s Matt Carden (6’6”) and Port Huron Northern’s Lance Cusac (6’5”) as well as Balkema (6’9”), South Lake’s Will Bowles (6’6”) and Mott’s C.J. Olanyian (6’6”) are all their teams top returning scorers and could become dominant interior players. Guard play is always a key and experienced starters at the point are usually very successful in their senior seasons. Kasey Grishaj of Ford, Ricky Roth of Romeo, Darrin Willis of Grosse Pointe North, Arthur Coppola of Lake Shore and Trey Curley of Marysville all meet the criteria having significant varsity experience coming into their final years. Anyone of them could be the key to their team emerging as a contender within their league and district.

2. New Rivalry Rich MAC Red – The MAC Red dropped Utica and Grosse Pointe North and added last seasons MAC White Co-Champs Ford II and L’Anse Creuse North. In addition to having the seven most successful Class A programs over the past three seasons, the Red now has three sets of in-district rivals (Dakota\Chippewa, Ford\Eisenhower and LC\LCN) and the three-time defending champion Romeo who everyone will be gunning for. Among these programs there are the last seven MAC Red and White division champions and all but four of those titles are represented since 2000. The strength of almost every team in the Red will be their depth. That’s what separates these programs from the rest; their ability to compete year in and year out regardless of injuries or inconsistent play. Despite the lack of proven star power going into the season this will again be the best and most competitive league top to bottom in the conference.

3. Wide Open League Races – In the past few seasons while we prepared our season previews there have been at least a couple of lay-ups when it came time to pick the divisional favorites. Romeo was the obvious front runner in the Red last season as was Madison in the Gold. In ’07 it seemed certain that Woods-Tower would run away with the Silver and they did. This season has no such lay-ups. The Red division is up in the air with a few possible favorites returning none of their top two scorers. The White losses it’s co-champs to the red and adds MAC Blue champ Roseville, which has emerged as the vogue preseason pick, to the mix. Still it’s anyone’s guess in the league with four of the MAC’s most well known commodities, Brandon Gouch, Jarvis Wise, Matt Balkema and Mike Hollingsworth. The Blue similarly losses it’s champ and gains two-time MAC gold champ Madison and the recently down Port Huron from the White. Fraser and East Detroit return talent and experience; Madison, Port Huron, South Lake and Fitzgerald have athletes galore it’s anyone’s guess. The Gold will not be won by Madison for the first time in three years and Mt. Clemens and Lincoln are salivating having come close the last two years. Meanwhile Mott is getting older and better with each game and St. Clair looks to be on the rise. Clintondale, Woods-Tower and Center Line are again strong in the gold and Lake Shore has shown signs of moving in the right direction the past few seasons. Last Roseville was picked for last place in the Blue and L’Anse Creuse for fifth in the Red, and that was in a predictable year.

4. Rise of Roseville and Madison to White and Blue – Two programs possibly heading in opposite directions both has jumped to the highest plateau in their programs history. Roseville, defending MAC Blue champion, is back in the MAC white for the first time since back-to-back last places finishes in 2001 and 2002 following their last MAC Blue title led by Paul Kurtz in 2000. This year’s team features a trio of young stars in the making. Brandon Gouch has been a star from day one as a freshman and averaged nearly 19 points last season. Dominique Pointer might play the highest above the rim of any MAC player and Traye Williams has shown outstanding poise as a freshman point guard starting for a league champ. The loss of steady shooting senior Eric Mack will hurt and the supporting cast needs to rally around the talented Panther nucleus. The Eagles of Madison meanwhile are in transition both in terms of coach and players. They graduated 10 seniors from last year’s roster who had two division titles and a 23-1 league mark to their credit. That group led by Briahn Smith, Mario Graham, DeAndre Johnson and so many more along with the likes of Robert McLaurin, Jameel Hodges and of course coach Canfield have helped Madison move from the Silver to the Blue in just six years. Now faced with a schedule packed with class A foes and the loss of so many veteran players, can Madison reload and compete for more league titles in the Blue.

5. Arrival of the Class of 2010 – There are lots of familiar names already from this years junior class: Brandon Gouch, C.J. Olanyian, Jesse Schineke and Jarvis Wise have all been starters from their freshman year. Mott’s David Poole and Joey Asbury joined Olanyian on varsity last season as sophomores as did Roseville’s Dominque Pointer. Stevenson’s Mike Puzzuoli, Eisenhower’s Corey Petros and the Dakota duo of Evan Walker and Ryan Spicuzzi all made impacts for their teams last season as did Madison’s R.T Meritt, Port Huron’s David Foster and South Lake’s Will Bowles. St. Clair’s backcourt duo of Mike Shirkey and Andrew Rossi has helped St. Clair take great strides over the summer and fellow sophomore contributors Romeo guard Ryan Thomas, L’Anse Creuse forward Herman Washington, Lakeview guard Matt Calleja and Anchor Bay’s Matt Robinet will all have expanded roles as juniors. Look for several teams to have at least two or three junior starters and thus a lot of teams that get better as the season goes on. This class of 2010 could be almost as good or even better then the 2008 class that made last year so special.

Willie Cruz, L'Asne Creuse

Mike Hollingsworth, Utica

Brandon Gouch, Roseville

Matt Balkema, Cousino

Jarvis Wise, Grosse Pointe South and Kasey Grishaj, Ford II

James Bethea, Clintondale

Jesse Schienke, L'Anse Creuse North

Matt Carden and Etienne Boyer, Fraser

C.J. Olaniyan, Mott

Ryan Spicuzzi, Dakota

Ricky Roth, Romeo

Herman Washington, L'Anse Creuse

Matt Calleja, Lakeview

Email questions, comments, feedback etc. to machoops@inbox.com

MAC BASKETBALL INSIDER