Division 1 District Semifinals to Watch
Round one of the MHSAA boy’s basketball tournament was extremely exciting. Defending D-1 champion Clarkston was upset by Rochester Adams, Cass Tech and Detroit Martin Luther King provided a double overtime thriller and top teams such as U-D Jesuit, Roseville…
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Continue ReadingRound one of the MHSAA boy’s basketball tournament was extremely exciting. Defending D-1 champion Clarkston was upset by Rochester Adams, Cass Tech and Detroit Martin Luther King provided a double overtime thriller and top teams such as U-D Jesuit, Roseville and Canton started off the tournament with double digit wins. The second round should be just as exciting, with a lot of good matchups all over the state. Here are four of the top games.
U-D Jesuit vs. Detroit Renaissance
It’s really not fair that these two teams have to play in the second round, but it should be an outstanding game. Some of the top talent in the state will be on display in this game, as Daniel Friday (Jesuit), Jalen Thomas (Jesuit), Chandler Turner (Renaissance) and Kylin Grant (Renaissance) all rank in the top 25 of Prep Hoops’ 2019 class in the state of Michigan. Both teams are among the state’s best and the winner will likely make a deep run.
Prediction: U-D Jesuit
Roseville vs. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore
Both of these teams probably surprised a lot of people this season. Roseville has been ranked as one of the top teams in the state for most of the season after picking up some big wins early on, while Lake Shore won the Macomb Area Conference Blue Division and MAC Blue/Gold Tournament championship. It will be interesting to see who Roseville puts on Caleb Bates, because if he gets going, the Shorians are tough to beat. For Roseville, Darien Banks and Martell Turner make up one of the strongest backcourts in the state, and the Panthers will need solid production from both to pull out the win.
Prediction: Roseville
Ypsilanti Lincoln vs. Ypsilanti Community
These two teams have already played twice this season, with Lincoln winning both games. However, Lincoln beat Community by just one point back on Feb. 15, and it’s very tough to beat a team three times in one season, so this game feels like it will be an instant classic. Lincoln has one of the best players in the country in Emoni Bates, and he’s been outstanding all season long, but the Grizzlies have talent as well. Markeith Browning is one of the most underrated players in the state, and he can lead the Grizzlies to a win in this game.
Prediction: Ypsilanti Lincoln
Eastpointe vs. Grosse Pointe South
These two teams are not as highly rated as the others on this list, but the game should still be great to watch. Neither team has much depth in the frontcourt, but Eastpointe does have some talented athletes. South is a guard heavy team that can knock down a ton of threes and build a big lead. Rebounding and guard play should determine the outcome of this game. Eastpointe’s Jesse Judkins is a very solid scorer, while Davion Holloway is deadly from outside. On the other side, Ryan Downey, Daryl Houston and Will Johnson will have to carry the scoring load for the Blue Devils. This game will come down to the wire.
Prediction: Eastpointe