Inkster is truly a playoff team but they have one of toughest schedules in the state and falling to 0-2 is a deep whole to dig out of.  Expect to see Inkster play with some urgency.

NGS PICK: Inkster 30-27

9. Howell at Plymouth

Contenders or pretenders for Howell?  They beat up on a rebuilding Stevenson last week but a win at Plymouth would be impressive.

NGS PICK: Madison 18-14

8. Farmington at Rochester Adams

Adams is the obvious favorite especially after beating up on Clarkston last week.  But Farmington’s QB Matt Carven is a gamer and something tells me he’ll come up big in this one.

NGS PICK: Farmington 31-28

7. Flint Beecher at Goodrich

These are the two favorites to win the GAC-red and both were impressive in week 1 wins.  But like Flint Northwestern found out- too much Antuan Burks for Beecher.

NGS PICK: Beecher 28-21

6. Rockford at Holt

I thought Holt had a chance to be real good this season but Sexton put it on them last week.  Can bounce back with their own upset win over the mighty Rams? My answer is they’ll play them tough but come up just short in a tight one.

NGS PICK: Rockford 21-20

5. Detroit Central at Detroit Cass Tech

Central feels they are as good as any team in the PSL and here is their chance to prove it.  Both teams can score as they put up big numbers in week 1 wins.

NGS PICK: Cass 30-22

4. Detroit Catholic Central at Hudsonville

These east vs. west bragging rights game are getting more and more serious.  Hudsonville is legit but the defending State Champs reloaded.  Forget yards, every inch is going to be hard to gain with these tough nosed defenses.

NGS PICK: Catholic Central 17-10

3. Southfield at Farmington Hills Harrison

Southfield ended Harrison’s season last year in the playoffs so the Hawks will be out for revenge with a more experienced squad.  If Harrison wants the win they’ll need to slow down Southfield back Da’von Robinson.

NGS PICK: Harrison 24-21

2. Highland Park at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s

Highland Park has the skill players to play with O-Lake….they proved that last year.  But too big of a day for the Eaglets as they bless their field with lights for their first ever night game.

NGS PICK: St. Mary’s 27-20

1. Grand Blanc at Canton

Two high powered run attacks even though they come at you with different styles.  Canton brings a full house backfield while G-Blanc prefers to spread it out.  QB Ryan Morley’s experience will be key factor for Grand Blanc.

NGS PICK: Grand Blanc 38-35

Catholic bragging rights in Mid-Michigan.  Both teams are looking to bounce back after a down year, Powers still made the playoffs with a 5-4 record and Nouvel missed the post season for only the 3^rd time in school history.  Nouvel is prepared to pass the ball like usual and will need to as Power’s 6-3/ 280 pound D-tackle Danny O’Brien will cause havoc on the line.  Nouvel will have more depth and that’ll produce the win.

NGS PICK: Nouvel C.C. 34-28

9. Flint Beecher vs. Flint Northwestern

You know what you get out of Beecher with Coach Courtney Hawkins stressing discipline and fundamentals.  Can another former pro in Andre Rison implement the same mentality in his 1^st season and help Northwestern get over the hump and become a playoff team after going 5-4 last season?  These teams are very familiar with each other and both want bragging rights.  Difference maker will be 3 year starter junior QB Antuan Burks of Beecher.

NGS PICK: Beecher 22-18

8. Carman-Ainsworth at Grand Blanc

It’s the clash of former Big 9 rivals.  Plenty of D1 talent will be on the field and that includes Grand Blanc gun slinger Ryan Morley.   Morley has produced since his freshman season as the starter but now he has a chip on his shoulder.  Notre Dame commit RB Justice Hayes is big time and gives the Bobcats too much fire power in the backfield.  Look for Jordan Fields to slow down Carman’s big play weapon Shane Barron.

NGS PICK: Grand Blanc 35-17

7. Muskegon Heights vs. Muskegon Oakridge

Both teams expect to be good this year thanks to their senior quarterbacks Willie Snead IV (Heights) and Jamie Potts (Oakridge).  Snead is duel threat and returns after throwing for 3,000 and running for another 1,000 while leading Heights to a semi-final loss to eventual State Champs Jackson Lumen Christi during his junior year. Potts is more of a pocket passer but is just as effective.

NGS PICK: Heights 27-21

6. Davison at Rockford

Davison gets back Jake Thompson who went down last year with an injury but the senior quarterback is going to have a hard time getting comfortable facing a Ram front 7 that will rarely bend let alone break.  On the other side of the ball Rockford’s run game has been one of the state’s best in recent years and don’t expect to see that change as Rockford is as deep as ever.

NGS PICK: Rockford 31-14

5. Dearborn Fordson at Detroit Catholic Central

Fordson will be a playoff team and will have a solid season but the Tractors won’t get on track until week 2.  Catholic Central, the defending Champs, lost a lot due to graduation but the system and tradition hasn’t gone anywhere.  The Shamrock defense will lead the way until the offense can grow up.

NGS PICK: C.C. 27-13

4. Holt at Lansing Sexton

I think Holt has a chance to be one of the elite teams in the state this year.  On offense 6-6/260 pound and CMU commit Kenny Rogers will lead the way.  The Rams will rely on a physical defensive front 7.  They return their complete D-line as well as MLB Mike Smith who led the teams in tackles as a junior.  The Ram front seven will rise to the challenge against Sexton’s leading rusher Onaje Miller, who has committed to Michigan State and racked up 26 TD’s a year ago.

NGS PICK: Holt 20-13

3. Rochester Adams at Clarkston

Two of the OAA’s best with all due to respect to Harrison.  Both teams are looking for inexperienced players to step up fast and with a game 1 match-up like this they’ll have to grow up real fast.  Clarkston does return six starters on a defense that went to the semis last year but they will need to find offensive production.

NGS PICK: Clarkston 17-14

2. Mt. Pleasant at Midland

Could the SVL title be decided in week 1?…most definitely as the early favorites of Mt. P and Midland face off.  But don’t give the winner the title just yet as the Valley might be the deepest it’s ever been top to bottom. Midland gets the nod here with a mammoth offensive line that will provide plenty of running room.

NGS PICK: Midland 28-21

1. Muskegon at Macomb Dakota

You couldn’t have asked for a better week 1 match-up as these two heavy weights are set to knock helmets.  Speed, size, skill, hard hitting…expect to see it all in this bout.  Now if these two met later in the season I’d probably go with Muskegon but nobody utilizes their summer and first two weeks of practice like the Dakota coaching staff does.   The Cougars will be a little bit sharper and that’ll allow them to get the win on the big stage.

NGS PICK: Dakota 38-35

“They were my top school but I just had to see for myself what the school and town looked like.  I liked everything while I was down there, everything felt right, so I went ahead and committed,” stated McCune.

McCune chose the Moutaineers over Baylor, Cincinnati, DePaul, Providence, and Rhode Island among others.  He said he really felt the love from West Virginia in July playing with Dorain’s Pride.  “They followed me around all through July so that meant a lot.  They really like my game.  They think I can be like another Devin Ebanks, but they said I shoot better,” joked McCune.

McCune is NGS’ #1 wing forward and #4 player in Michigan’s class of 2011.

McCune said there was no time table for his decision and when asked if it relieved any pressure going into his senior season McCune responded with, “All honest I like pressure so it doesn’t bother me.  But all I care about now is winning.  I’m not worried about any individual awards like Mr. Basketball or any of them.  Those individual accomplishments are nice but they are way down the list of things.  I want to leave Saginaw High feeling on top of the world,” said McCune.  This will be McCune’s fourth season logging minutes on the Trojan varsity team.

The July evaluation period for the NCAA can be a make it or break it month for high school recruits and Mathew has certainly taken advantage!

Mathew played his first game of the open period July 9^th at the King James Classic in Chicago, Illinois verse All-Iowa Attack.  In that game Matthew led his Team Detroit team to a win with a ga me high 27 points. He spent the rest of the month becoming one of Team Detroit’s most consistent scorers against the best competition on the country.

Mathew entered July focused and determined to show college coaches and scouts what he was made of.  What he showed them was that he possessed the skill set of a D-1 guard.  He excelled on both ends of the court while becoming a scoring demon for Team Detroit.  He was a sharp shooter from deep and showed he has the knack to score in the lane.

As of date the 6-3 combo guard, via Ann Arbor Huron, can proudly boast 10 offers.

In the last week Mathew has picked up offers from Colgate, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, FIU, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Manhattan, Prairie View, and Toledo.

Now the hard part starts….picking a school.

“I am wide open right now but I plan to cut my list down in the upcoming weeks.  I want to make a decision before the season starts but after I take all of my official visits,” states Mathew.

Mathew will start taking official visits in September.  “I don’t even know what schools I am going to visit officially.  In the next couple of weeks I am going to see which schools continue to show me the most love and that will help me decide what schools to visit,” explained Mathew.

Gibson made his choice a day after returning from a west coast AAU trip, with his Team Detroit team, which consisted of tournaments in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.  “I pretty much had my mind made up out west but I wanted to get home and talk to my Mom first before officially making a choice,” said Gibson.

Gibson won schools over not only with his basketball play, but also his academics and lovable attitude.  Gibson built a long list of schools that had offered or were highly interested.  “I looked at a lot of different colleges but Dayton just felt right.  Coach Gregory and his staff felt like family from the beginning.”

“It came down to Dayton, Duquesne, and USC.  All three schools said I was their top priority of the 2011 class.  But Dayton was always #1.  They were on me tough since they started recruiting me.  No matter what happened they were always there,” stated Gibson.

Gibson is excited to step on campus and play for Coach Gregory.  “He’s a players coach and I’m excited to be a Flyer.  Coach Gregory and Coach Mann followed me all through the month of July.  They were at every game I played.  That right there stood out the most to me,” explained Gibson.

With recruitment out of the way, like most seniors, Gibson can now focus on his senior season.  But Gibson has made it very clear the hard work has just starting.  Says Gibson, “The goal is a State Championship…Period!   As a team were going to put the hard work in and we’ll find out where it leads us!”

The talk of the day was the play of the 2013 trio of 6-8 Leo Edwards, 6-0 Monte Morris, and 6-0 Denzel Watts who all played up and paced the Team Detroit 16’s.  The trio helped Team D pull off two playoff wins.   Team D was tied up against Parallel 45 in a semi-final game but the group of youngsters went on an 11-2 run at the five minute mark to seal the win.  Also playing well for Team D was Beecher 2012 combo guard Antuan Burks.  Burks was able to split Parallel’s 2-3 zone to rack up a game high 17 points.

Team Detroit will now play Dorian’s Pride 16-u team in the Championship Thursday morning at 11:15.

Ann Arbor Huron guard’s AJ Mathew and Dante Williams both played well on day 2, Mathew for Team D and Williams for Pride- McCormick.  Mathew shot the ball well and paced his team with a game high 27 points vs. Americana All-Stars.  Williams raised his stock with a strong performance vs. JJKN Prospects.

The 17-u semis are set with Team Detroit playing OAA Select and Pride-McCormick matched up against Michigan BBC Select at 10:00 a.m. Thursday.

In the quarter finals Flint All-Stars pushed Pride- McCormick to the edge.  Flint All-Stars has a handful of unsigned seniors most notably Joemar Black who threw down four crowd pleasing dunks.  Flint’s Shawn Nunn also gave Pride problems with his speed as the teams were knotted up at 31-31 at the half.  In the second half Matt Costello and Avondale’s Tony Harris picked it up and started knocking down shots as Pride pulled away late for a seven point win.

Michigan Select once again got strong play out of Traye Williams, Austin Shell, and Ethan Blackwell.  All 3 players are very underrated and play with a chip on their shoulder.  They will have their hands full with Pride but don’t expect to see them just bow down.

The 17-u game was almost the same story line as Pride-McCormick jumped out 13-2 and held a 12 point half time lead.  Javontae Hawkins carried Team D early while Brandan Kearney and Percy Gibson took over late and in overtime.  Gibson’s 6 OT points delivered the win.  Gibson outplayed the younger Matt Costello who struggled to get position against a much stronger Gibson.  Hawkins finished with a game high 28 points, including a handful of monstrous dunks.

The top performances of the day came from teammates Kearney and Hawkins.  Kearney just seems to do everything right on the floor.  His basketball I.Q. is remarkable and unmatchable.  He logged a triple-double vs. Pride-McCormick then turned in a game high 23 points in his second game.  Hawkins put together a highlight film with a plethora of 3-pointers and dunks.

Kellen McCormick also raised a few eye brows with his performance in day 1.  He was a match-up problem for anyone who guarded him.  He dragged bigs outside and knocked down 3-pointer after 3-pointer.  He finished with 16 points against Team D, and was the reason his team jumped out to the big lead.

The surprise team of the day was ACB/Bankhoops who knocked off both Dorian’s Pride and Team Detroit.  ACB/Bankhoops started the day hot from beyond the arc and never cooled down.  They showed resilience by trailing by 5 points in the final minute against Team D and still managed to pull off the 1 point win.

Anton Wilson played well on both Pride 16’s and 17’s.  At times I’ve questioned his desire to be more than a spot up shooter but he has proven me wrong.  He ran the floor well and took it to the rack strong continuously.

Wilson’s Carman teammate Denzel Watts also had a strong performance in day 1 of the G.L.C.   He scored 22, 17, and 14 points in 3 pool games starting at the point for the Team D 16’s.  His highlight of the day came when his team was tied with 5 seconds left against Parallel 45, Watts took the ball the length of the court and knocked down a game winning 3-pointer.

Team D 15’s played up in the 16’s and held their own with a 2-1 pool play record.  Monte “Man-Man” Morris and 6-8 Leo Edwards were the reason why.  Morris scored at will and surpassed the 20 point mark each game while his boy Edwards is turning into a “Mr. Do it all”. We know he can block shots and score around the basket but yesterday he was knocking down shots from 14-16 feet out.  The pair is fresh off phenomenal performances at the ESPN Super Soph Camp and are playing with a ton of confidence.

Pierre Bracket had a strong day for Pride-McCormick.  Every time I turned around he was making a play.  He’s active and loves to get his hands dirty.  He can defend the post and he knows how to run the floor.

One of my favorite players in the state, Tommie McCune, started the day strong but sat out the final game with a minor injury.  I’m hoping McCune is rested and ready for day 2.  McCune showed off his 15 foot jump shot through out the first game and continues to improve as a wing.  Team D’s AJ Mathew and James McDougle also missed Team D’s final game vs. ACB/Bankhoops and their presence was missed.  Mathew has been a man on a mission in July and his scoring was missed in the loss.

In July the 6’8” Edwards has a chance to make a national name as he’s scheduled to play at some major events during the NCAA open period.  Edwards is also expected, to not only play with his 15-u team, but to see the floor with the 16-u and 17-u Team Detroit teams.

“My goals and expectations are to give it my all and take advantage of the opportunities I’ve been given.  I just want everyone to know that I’m a hard worker on and off the court.  Chances make Champions and I am out to prove a point,” says a focus minded Edwards.

Before playing in the Great Lakes Championship, LasVegas Fab 48, and Adidas Best of Summer, Edwards will showcase his game at the ESPN Super Soph Camp July 8-11 at Cleveland State.  The camp is scheduled to feature the top 100 players nationally in the 2013 class.

Edwards received the national invite with his strong play by anchoring the middle and helping lead Team Detroit to three championships and two more final four appearances in the first half of the AAU season.

One of the most intriguing things about Edwards is his age.  Edwards is currently 14 years old (that’s right 14!) and won’t see his 15^th birthday until the fall.  It is obvious by watching Edwards play that he has a huge upside but it is sometimes forgotten that he goes up against kids two to four years older than him.  When asked if he’s ever overwhelmed by playing against kids so much older than him he responded “No, that’s how it’s always been and will always be.  In order to be a great player you will have to experience that and challenge yourself against older and bigger players.  That’s the only way for me to get better and to push myself.”

AAU basketball is not the only place Edwards has made his presence felt this summer.  He recently took the court at the University of Detroit and University of Michigan elite camps where he stood out as one of the more promising players.  “My experiences at the elite camps were good.  It showed me where I stood and in order for me to continue to stand out I must keep working.  I got to meet the coaching staffs and I had a good time,” stated Edwards.

Edwards has also been a key contributor to Cass Tech this month as the Technicians won the U of D team camp and also had strong showings at the Michigan State and Duquesne team camps. “I’m just trying to help the team win any way I can.  I feel my role on the team is to always bring intensity and to make sure that I play as hard as I can.  I believe I can be a defensive threat and I just try to chip in with as much offense as needed,” claims Edwards.

Working hard doesn’t just apply to the hardwood for the young student-athlete.  He carries the same work ethic into the classroom.  “My grades are good.  I have a 3.7 G.P.A. and to me and my family it’s not about being a basketball player it’s about being a scholar as well as an athlete.  To me school and grades come above basketball,” said Edwards.

Edwards is currently a 6-8 wing/power forward but with his work ethic he will add perimeter skills over the course of his high school career.  He’s already very fast and athletic for his size, giving this 14 year old a huge upside.

Top 3 performances (in order):

1. Javontae Hawkins, Flint Powers, 6-5, 2012- Michigan is making it very clear that Hawkins is their #1 target for the 2012 class and his play Thursday showed why.  He got to the basket at will while still showing off that high percentage jump shot.  He made just as many plays on the defensive end as he did offensively by using his length and athleticism to knock balls loose or go up and challenge shots.  He showed great leadership in the 5-on-5 games when playing with younger guys by directing traffic and vocally leading the way.

2. Denzel Valentine, Lansing Sexton, 6-5, 2012- Valentine made his presence felt by dominating the 3-on-3 games.  With space to work with, he constantly and easily got to the basket.  I keep hearing whispers of Valentine’s lack of speed and athleticism…but I constantly watch him produce and put up big numbers.

3. Matt Costello, Bay City Western, 6-9, 2012- Costello is the true definition of a “Beilein big man, he can really mix it up inside and out and does all the perimeter things that Beilein wants out of his “bigs”.  He used his high-energetic motor to out play the competition all day.

The best of the rest (alphabetical order):

Damon Bozeman, Madison Heights Madison, 6-2, 2012- a year ago he was a forward but it seems as if his transition to a guard is complete.  He shot the ball well (from deep) in both games and camps and was of the few campers who really got after it defensively.

Sharon Dorsey-Walker, Pershing, 6-4, 2012- Got out shined a little by Hawkins and Valentine but played consistently well through out the day.  Mixed it up on the wing and even played a little at the point. Played with a nice edge of confidence.

Leo Edwards, Cass Tech, 6-8, 2013- May have walked away as the most intriguing prospect at the camp. At times it’s unbelievable what this 14 year old is doing against kids three and four years older.  Logged minutes at the wing to show some versatility, and spent time defending all three of the top performers.

Dylan Hickoff, Fenton, 6-4, 2012- His 5-on-5 team lacked a point guard that could handle ball pressure so Dylan took it upon himself to handle the ball.  Competed all day and just battled against everyone he matched-up against.

Ryan Hickoff, Fenton, 6-4, 2012- Opposite of his brother, Ryan was needed to rebound and play inside for his team and he did just that showing toughness.  Was an aggressive scorer through out the day and did a good job showing a soft touch around the basket.

Dre Johnson, Cass Tech, 6-0, 2013- Had a big week and is starting to make a name for himself.  Dre played big as he helped Cass win the U of D team camp and then turned around and showed some skills at Michigan’s elite camp.

E.C. Matthews, Romulus, 6-3, 2013- Big physical player, and smart enough to control the tempo of the game.  This smooth lefty showed he can do a little of everything and has a chance to be real good. 

Kellen McCormick, Notre Dame Prep, 6-7, 2012- He’s a gamer but his unselfishness kept him quiet through out the camp.  He was solid in drills and showed some shooting range in both drills and live games.

Monte Morris, Flint Beecher, 5-11, 2013- “Man-Man” may have led all campers in steals and assist.  “Man-Man” turned into a true playmaker, and did it on both ends.  His teammates loved playing with him as he constantly broke things down and generated open shots for them.

Sean Sheldon, T.C. St. Francis, 6-9, 2012- If he lived in Saginaw, Flint, or Detroit he would be a house hold name.  One of those players who just loves to compete and does anything needed.  He has a blue collar attitude and can score with a variety of moves.

Khaliq Spicer, Dearborn Heights Robichaud, 6-9, 2012- He has improved so much over the last six months.  If he continues at this pace you better watch out.  I love his mentality of trying to throw it down two handed every time he touches the ball.

Dante Williams, AA Huron, 6-6, 2011- I was expecting to see a little more out of Dante but he was still one of the top players on the floor.  He did some nice things around the basket and finished strong after drawing contact.

Anton Wilson, Carman-Ainsworth, 6-4, 2012- He put the ball on the floor and was able to make good things happen.  His greatest attribute is still shooting but now he’s showing some versatility.