3/2/10

Michigan and Beyond- The High School basketball playoffs start this week across the United States and in Michigan we'll wait until the second week of March. There will be heroic endings, upsets, rivalries, tears, cheers, champions, bragging rights, and everything else that makes this the most exciting time of the year for all those involved in high school basketball.

If you can't wait for playoff action until next week to watch Michigan's playoffs, Wisconsin, Ohio and Illinois start this week.

If you can wait and want to catch some great games and players in Michigan this week, Inside Prep Sports' suggests checking out:

Allen Park Cabrini @ Cesar Chavez Academy (4-12), 5pm

6'8 2010 center Vince Schantz is a load and a player Division 2 programs should take a long look at offering.

Ann Arbor Pioneer (12-6) @ Temperance Bedford, 7pm

Expect Pioneer to win this and gather a share of the SEC Title with A2 Huron…and Temperance Bedford has the state's best freshman, 6'6 power forward Jackson Lamb.

Canton (13-6) @ Walled Lake Central, 7pm

A solid match up of teams, Canton might make some noise through the next week with 5'11 2011 point guard Dietrich Lever II and an up and coming power forward, 6'6 2012 power forward Paul Baumgart. W.L. Central has a couple of seniors, 6'5 power forward Jake Paulson (Oakland-Baseball) and 6'5 power forward Joel Zabrickas who is starting to gain the attention of Division 3 and NAIA coaches.

Chelsea @ Inkster (15-3), 7pm

Inkster is in a three way tie with A2 Huron and A2 Pioneer

Clarkston @ Auburn Hills Avondale, 7pm

Clarkston is Clarkston and Avondale has a solid trio of young guards.

Detroit Country Day (17-1) @ Flint Northern, 7pm

The state's best team and an opportunity for Northern's 6'6 power forward Gerald Williams to grab some headlines.

Detroit Osborn (4-10) @ Birmingham Brother Rice, 7:30pm

Osborn's record isn't reflective of their opportunity to sideswipe teams and Brother Rice has hidden talent beyond Kavante Martin (Bowling Green-Football)

Eaton Rapids @ Lansing Eastern (16-2), 7pm

Expect Alex Gauna (Michigan State) to show up for this one and LaDontae Henton to grab 16.3 rebounds.

Flint Powers (15-3) vs. Fenton

Powers will gear up for the real season this week.

Lansing Sexton (14-4) @ Battle Creek Central, 7pm

Sexton should use this game as a spring board going into the playoffs and this could be B.C. Central's second to last game.

Lincoln Park (17-2) @ Belleville, 7pm

A game that Lincoln Park could win and 6'6 power forward DeAngelo Tillman's litmus test as Mohamed Conde will more than likely guard him.

Madison Height Bishop Foley (7-11) @ University of Liggett, 7pm

Foley made an impressive run to get to the CD Championship and should ride the wave in this game.

Novi (15-4) @ Brighton (17-2), 7pm

Two players with very similar styles, Novi's 6'7 2011 power forward Sam Ozier and Brighton's 6'7 2010 power forward Brian Bollin, and they're both great students. Aquinas and Spring Arbor are big fans of Bollin.

Midland (8-11) @ Saginaw Buena Vista, 7pm

Midland gets a test from one of Class C's best teams.

Plymouth Academy (11-8) @ Michigan Tech Academy, 7pm

Relatively new schools go head to head to make a name for themselves.

University of Detroit-Jesuit (7-9) @ Utica Eisnenhower, 7pm

U of D's guard play should be the difference in this match up.

Wayne Memorial (15-4) @ Grand Blanc (14-5), 7pm

KLAA Consolation Game

Detroit Crockett (11-6) vs. Detroit Consortium @ UM-Dearborn, 7:30pm.

A couple of athletic bigs and Consortium's 6'7 2010 center Curtis Thompson used to be a Rocket.

Ecorse (7-11) @ Highland Park, 7pm

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away…well maybe not a galaxy far away but back when the A&P and Sears were in Highland Park this was a sell out.

Auburn Hills Avondale @ Pontiac, 7pm

Great for rivalry purposes now that Pontiac is now one. Great guard match ups…the 6' and under championship.

Carlson (16-2) @ Ithaca ( ),7pm

Ranked goes on the road vs. unranked sleeper. Ithaca has Division 2 prospect Creed Stapleton who could be the game changer or perhaps its Carlson's head coach Warren Wood who has it figured out.

Detroit Country Day (17-1) @ Romulus (17-1), 7pm

Country Day is #1 in Class B and Romulus is #1 Class A…enough said

Detroit Douglass @ Detroit Loyola, 7pm

This is a pick 'em game. X and O's coaches with talented seniors on either side of the ball and a couple talented sophomore guards in the mix.

Detroit Osborn (4-10) @ Orchard Lake St. Mary's, 7:30pm

O.L.S.M.'s 6'2 2011 guard can go off on any given night and Osborn's young crew is on the verge of learning how to close out games. Would've really liked to see this game three years ago.

Flint Powers (15-3) vs. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, 7pm

Should be a great game and might be a preview of a game later this month.

Jackson (10-9) @ Jackson Lumen Christi, 7pm

Lumen Chrsti's 6'7 2011 power forward Dan Chilcotte is starting to come into his own.

Holt (14-4) @ Lansing Sexton (14-4), 7pm

Great game for both teams before the tournament.

Inkster (15-3) @ Ypsilanti Lincoln (15-3)

A great game for Division 2, Division 3, NAIA, and Juco coaches

Lansing Eastern (16-2) @ St. Johns, 7pm

Sorry St. John's

Kalamazoo Central (17-2) @ Battle Creek Lakeview

Kzoo Central gets a warm up before their district game on Monday vs. Benton Harbor @ Portage Central

Madison Heights Bishop Foley (7-11) @ Roseville, 7pm

Get a coin on this one…no Brandon Gouch for Roseville otherwise he goes for 35 and Roseville rolls.

Saline @ Ann Arbor Pioneer (12-6), 7pm

Saline is decent but I don't expect Pioneer to lose this one with the SEC title on the line.

Detroit Crockett (11-6) @ Detroit Cooley, 4pm

Combine these teams and you have something special and one of the PSL's best teams. Cleveland State is hoping their commit, 6'6 2010 center/power forward Devon Long, will look like Cooley's 6'6 2011 center/power forward Jarrell McKinley in a year.

Detroit Southestern @ University of Detroit-Jesuit (7-9)

I think the coaches from Michigan State would like to clone themselves so they could be in attendance for this one. Southeastern's 6'8 2011 power forward Percy Gibson has a great chance to have a statement game. The match ups in this game are high powered!!!

Melvindale ABT (17-2) @ Taylor Kennedy, 7pm

ABT will get a test but should win this one. D3s and NAIAs should check out Kennedy's 6'4 2010 guard Ryan White.

Rochester Adams (14-4) @ Birmingham Seaholm (17

20 years ago and I would have never thought about going to this game…let alone thik they would be over .500. Two of the OAA's best teams battle it out in the 21^st century. How are their baseball teams?

Operation Friendship @ Detroit Cass Tech

Detroit Cody (14-4) vs. Detroit Loyola, 1pm

PSL Runner-Up vs. CHSL's CD Champion

Detroit Pershing (17-2) vs. Warren De La Salle (16-3), 3pm

PSL Champion vs. CHSL Champion

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Inside Prep Sports' recently caught up with Cleveland Central Catholic's 6'8 2011 wing Anton 'Silk' Grady, a Division III Champion from last year. This season is quite different from last year's 23-3 team as they have lost six seniors and are currently carry a 9-11 record. They open their playoffs on Monday night against Fairview and are expected to win.

Grady is a do all player and the attention he is receiving if reflective of his abilities.

"All the Big Ten, Atlantic 10, and MAC schools are interested. I have offers from Michigan State, Minnesota, Penn State, Dayton, Cincinnati, St. Bonaventure, St. Joes, Cleveland State, Detroit, and Akron offered."

It seemed like the he could've kept going on with his impressive list of schools and while mentioning Florida has shown interest.

He's averaging 15 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks per game this season.

When asked about what he's working on the versatile 6'8 junior responded simply, "My guard skills."

Expect big things from Anton over the next five months, as he will surely gather the attention of college coaches, scouts, and audiences.

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