1. Wayland’s undefeated season comes to an end thx to Holt — Grand Rapids Press
2. Grandville Calvin Christian takes down Montague — Muskegon Chronicle
3. Mason County Central’s clock hasn’t struck 12 yet — Muskegon Chronicle
4. Gull Lake advances past South Haven — Kalamazoo Gazette
5. Kalamazoo Central is good.  They’re still playing — Kalamazoo Gazette
6. Covert outscores Climax-Scotts in regional action — Kalamazoo Gazette
7. Victory just misses Parchment basketball team — Kalamazoo Gazette
8. Muskegon Heights roars past Freeland — Muskegon Chronicle
9. Western Michigan Christian skedaddles past Big Rapids Crossroads — Muskegon Chronicle
10. Grand Haven hits late free throws to rally to next round — Muskegon Chronicle

Keep up with the latest action and analysis by becoming a WMA fan on Facebook, or join the conversation by following WMA on Twitter.  Heck, even start your own topic over at Allstars Among Us.

1. East Grand Rapids upsets GR Union in district semifinals — Grand Rapids Press
2. Allendale moves into district finals, thx to Venturini — Grand Rapids Press
3. Parchment beats schoolcraft (upset?) in districts — Kalamazoo Gazette
4. Otsego sneaks past Comstock in districts — Kalamazoo Gazette
5. South Haven’s Walker went off in overtime to get a win — Kalamazoo Gazette
6. Whoa, Muskegon Heights is baaaack — Muskegon Chronicle
7. Wayland holds off Ottawa Hills to remain undefeated — Grand Rapids Press
8. Holland takes out Hudsonville in district semifinal action — Grand Rapids Press
9. Calvin Christian surges past Covenant Christian — Grand Rapids Press
10. Lowell gymnast rides skills to state finals — Grand Rapids Press

Keep up with the latest action and analysis by becoming a WMA fan on Facebook, or join the conversation by following WMA on Twitter.  Heck, even start your own topic over at Allstars Among Us.

Congrats, slowride!  Well played with the wonky shot picture.

This week’s pic is kind of odd.  It’s a basketball action pic, which would be normal, except it seems like a couple guys got abducted by aliens or something.  M. Night Shyamalan style. Anyway, once again, best caption for this interestingly-interesting (it’s interesting, and in an interesting way) shot wins.

Photo after the jump*

South Haven at Otsego | Craig Powers, Powers Media

Keep up with the latest action and analysis by becoming a WMA fan on Facebook, or join the conversation by following WMA on Twitter.  Heck, even start your own topic over at Allstars Among Us.

Otsego's Carl Nord shoots a layup | Craig Powers, Powers Media

Complete pictures from this game (over 50 pics) can be found here.

They say the gauge of a great player is the effect he has on his teammates.  While the Klein brothers, Derek and Jared, justifiably garner the lion’s share of the publicity for Otsego’s success, the versatility of the Bulldogs is telling.  Their 12-1 record speaks of their consistency, which extends far beyond any good players.  On any given night, Otsego can beat their opponents in a number of different ways.  On Friday night, in a 74-64 victory over rival South Haven, they showed at least four:

South Haven's Michael Walker drives to the hole | Craig Powers, Powers Media

1. Carl Nord — Junior forward Carl Nord is undersized for his position.  He spends the vast majority of his time underneath the basket on both ends, and he stands only 6-1 (as listed in the program).  He rarely handles the ball, and has little in the way of a jumpshot.  All that, and he’s shooting around 80% from the field on the season.

Nord has an ability to move without the ball that is tremendously effective and remarkably smooth, and always seems to end with him standing by himself underneath the basket.  On Friday, Nord found himself in familiar territory on multiple occasions in the first half, scoring 17 of his team-high 23-points to help the Bulldogs keep pace early.

2. Jared Klein — Sophomore point guard Jared Klein is traditionally Otsego’s first option (1-A, maybe).  He struggled on Friday to hit a shot, and while his penetration was effective he was unable to finish at the hoop.  He ended the game with a relatively unimpressive 12-points.  However, not only was he responsible for catalyzing Otsego’s businesslike attitude when they found themselves down seven after the first quarter, his penetration and dish strategy was also frequently responsible for his teammates’ layups.

3. Derek Klein — Senior forward Derek Klein is an interesting breed.  He’s 6-5, clogs the middle of the lane in the 2-3 zone, rebounds like a man among boys and yet might as well be a 2-guard.  His shooting range extends past 20-feet, and even towering over his opponents he can handle the ball in traffic.  As Otsego’s other first option (1-B, maybe), the elder Klein scored 21-points on Friday and dished out a handful of assists.

4. The Crew — Down nine points early in the second quarter, Otsego rallied on a 25-4 run to pull ahead by 12, a run in which five different Bulldogs scored.  Junior guard Nolan Potter took the ball coast to coast and slashed to the hoop, finishing with 11-points, while senior forward Jeremy Metz was active around the hoop.  In a hotly contested game of runs, Otsego’s crew was the glue that kept the Bulldogs moving steadily in the right direction.

Keep up with the latest action and analysis by becoming a WMA fan on Facebook, or join the conversation by following WMA on Twitter.  Heck, even start your own topic over at Allstars Among Us.

We also live tweet updates from the game (which you can get sent to your phone), to make sure that the hardcore fans can keep up with the latest action and analysis, even if they can’t make it to the game.

Today is the Friday night, West Michigan Allstar Game of the Week, in which we will see a South Haven team riding an eight-game winning streak travel to Otsego to take on the 11-1 Bulldogs in what should be a dramatic showdown of the top-tier teams in Southwest Michigan.

SOUTH HAVEN RAMS (9-3) @ OTSEGO BULLDOGS (11-1)

In South Haven at Otsego, you’re looking at a matchup of two of the top teams in Southwest Michigan, bar none.  Neither Class-B team has any trouble scoring, so no matter who ends out on top we should see an entertaining matchup.

South Haven

After losing two of their first three contests, South Haven has found their groove to the tune of eight consecutive victories.  They’re riding a wave of momentum into their headline matchup with the Bulldogs, which should take them far.  Lead by the one-two combination of Michael Walker and Isaiah Magett, who combined to put up 42 of the Rams’ total 59-points in this week’s narrow victory over Coloma, South Haven is entering tonight’s game with a chance to prove something.

And after giving up a lead to lose to Otsego in their previous matchup, they certainly have something to prove.

Otsego

Apart from a significant defeat to a very talented Richmond Gull Lake team, Otsego has been rolling all year.  And not only have the Bulldogs been winning, but as often as not they’ve been blowing their opposition out by 20-points.  Lead by what is far and away the most dynamic Klein combination in the state – Jared Klein and Derek Klein – the Bulldogs have been putting up 70+ points on a regular basis, and will look to run, jump and shoot their way to a high-scoring victory over South Haven.

Everything’s puppies and sunshine in Otsego.  They’ll do everything they can to keep it that way.

Overall prognosis

The last matchup between these two teams saw Jared Klein lift Otsego to a comeback victory over South Haven.  In the rematch between the Class-B powerhouses this season (at least until a potential tournament matchup?), Otsego, playing at home, has to be considered the favorite to make the season series 2-0.

Prediction: It’s a tight game until late, when Otsego pulls ahead to win at home, 72-65.

Keep up with the latest action and analysis by becoming a WMA fan on Facebook, or join the conversation and receive live in-game updates by following WMA on Twitter.  Heck, even start your own topic over at Allstars Among Us.

Wayland's Wes Hudson will have the reigns this year

Continuing our previous discussion of available West Michigan basketball talent (started with available big guys), Stephen Bell over at the High School Basketball Bulletin recently put together a little blurb about the forwards, wings, combo guards and point guards.

By now you know the drill.  Bell will begin with his analysis, and I’ll respond.  Feel free to interject in the comments.

Forwards

All you need to know about 6-6 Western Michigan Christian senior Evan Bruinsma is he’ll be playing for his third state title. He’s a do-it-all forward perfect for the Warriors’ 1-3-1. He can physically dominate Class D with his Brent Barry physique.

Bruinsma ran with the underperforming Storm in the summer, playing predominantly behind future Toledo Rocket Chris Anderson of Reeths Puffer, but when he was given an opportunity he took full advantage.  Bell has it right with the “do-it-all” label, as Bruinsma is a force on both ends of the floor.  However, dominating in class-D or not, he’s not going to a major school at the next level without filling out his Brent Barry physique.

6-6 Sparta senior Jacob Plite is a prototypical inside/outside forward — a strong first step and can finish with either hand. His combination of a frame for college ball, skills, fundamentals have GLIAC and some East Coast D1s interested.

Plite is one guy whose stock has been soaring for a while now.  He’s not uber-athletic, but he’s got the basketball savvy, and the size, to make noise in Division-1.  Plite also is the incredibly useful type of player that can defend every position on the floor, a result of his tweener-ness (which is a good thing).

Wings

Fittingly for a Durrell Summers lookalike, 6-6 Benton Harbor senior Terrell Clinton first made his name at the Izzo Shootout, in the summer before his junior season. There was no repeat performance, because of a knee injury. When he does play, the combination of Clinton’s size with guard ball-handling ability continues to intrigue.

6-6 Zeeland West senior Austin Semple looked good for the West Michigan Lakers in the off-season, as well as at the University of Detroit’s prospects camp. He’s no “semple” cover for a high school player. He’s long and rangy with a great first step and an unorthdox but money three-pointer. He’ll get you on the break or from the halfcourt.

Terrible, name-based puns aside, Semple is legit.  His build is similar to Plite, but he’s got more of a wing mentality whereas Plite can really do it all.  In any event, Zeeland West looks like the new Zeeland East this year with Semple dominating the wings and Big Country (Shane Tiemeyer) clogging up the middle.  Semple’s got Division-2 talent, with a Division-1 ceiling, so it’s really up to him how far he goes.  His game reminds me of Manu in a lanky, smooth sort of way.

Combo guards

Like his former backcourt mate, now at Providence, Duke Mondy, 6-0 Grand Rapids Catholic Central senor Sultan Muhammad is often more impressive on the AAU circuit than in the high school season. He plays bigger than his height thanks to his wingspan. Dangerous scorer knifing into the lane and creating his own shot.

The “bigger than his height” thing is really the crux of the Muhammad argument.  He’s a guard on the AAU circuit, but because of the team makeup at Catholic Central he often found himself down low — which wasn’t a bad thing considering his Barkley-esque rebounding ability.  The shortest dude around that will grab double digit boards on a nightly basis.  This year will be crucial for Muhammad; with Mondy gone, CC is finally his team.

Explosive, tough and athletic, just in a point guard’s body, is 5-11 South Haven senior Michael Walker. He’s terrific finding his jumper off the dribble, and can make plays around the rim. Camp Darryl had a lot of offensive punch with the guard rotation of Walker, Loy-Norrix’ Jeff Hoskins (Indiana Wesleyan) and DeWitt’s Andrew Lerg.

Point guards

6-0 Wayland Union senior Wes Hudson was point guard who helped the West Michigan Lakers hum to three tournament titles. Great on the break and runs a sober ship in the halfcourt. He’s added a lot of upperbody strength, which will help him do more scoring for Wayland with Alex Lyle having matriculated to Northwood.

I’m a huge fan of Hudson’s game.  As the son of a coach, he has an understanding of the game that pays dividends constantly from his point guard position.  He’s efficient running an offense, and finds open teammates naturally.  He’s accustomed to playing with assertive scorers, both at Wayland and on the Lakers, so his ongoing success will ride on his ability to raise the level of his non-scorer teammates’ play.  (He’s also got NBA 3-point range, which doesn’t hurt.)

The Grand Rapids Storm were a much better team with a healthy  A.J. McEwen running the show. The 5-11 East Grand Rapids senior teams with future CMU power forward Colin Voss to make the Pioneers a top five team in Class B. Playing with a talented big man and offensive focal point like Voss, McEwen is ahead of the curve working with big men on entry passes and the two-man game.

With all their talent, when the competition got to it’s toughest point during the 2008 playoffs, it was McEwen who picked up the scoring slack for the Pioneers.  If you consider Voss a high school equivalent of Superman (not inaccurate), then McEwen is the shifty Jameer Nelson knifing the lane and bombing from outside.  Make no mistake, as good as Voss is, the Pioneers go as far as McEwen takes them this year (which is likely pretty far).

And there’s one more that Bell missed: Jairen Hunt, of Godwin Heights.  Hunt is among the top pass-first point guards in West Michigan, with the potential for more if he starts looking to score in addition to distribute.  Hunt absolutely deserves mention on this list of top performers, but the thing standing between Hunt and a scholarship is an assertive scoring drive.

So those are my opinions.  What do you think?  Let me know in the comments.

Keep up with the latest action and analysis by becoming a WMAS fan on Facebook, or join the conversation by following WMAS on Twitter.  Heck, even start your own topic over at Allstars Among Us.

1. Complete round-1 football playoff scores — MIHSFH
2. The Venerable One picks round-2 games — Who’s the Bos?
3. Scott DeCamp picks some more — Kalamazoo Gazette
4. Bakita and Bos break down round-2 — Press Box Podcast
5. Boys water polo rankings are here — Mlive.com
6. Grand Haven w-polo wins first regional ever — Advance Newspapers
7. Hudsonville volleyball drops Rockford — Advance Newspapers
8. Unity Christian/Plainwell a battle for the ages — Kalamazoo Gazette
9. GR area high school sports rankings — Grand Rapids Press
10. South Haven soccer makes the state finals — Kalamazoo Gazette

Keep up with the latest football action and analysis by becoming a WMAS fan on Facebook, or join the conversation by following WMAS on Twitter.  Heck, even start your own topic over at Allstars Among Us.  The opportunities to connect with rabid high school sports fans are endless!

1. Updated football playoff brackets — Mlive.com
2. Muskegon teams must be road warriors — Muskegon Chronicle
3. Plainwell’s Farris is killing it this year — Kalamaz00 Gazette
4. Seen this picture before, oh about 15 times — Rockford Independent
5. K Hackett boys & Schoolcraft girls are good runners — Kalamazoo Gazette
6. Pershing the only Michigan school in top-25 preseason basketball — PrepNation.com
7. Plainwell serves their way past Comstock in districts — Kalamazoo Gazette
8. Rockford drops Lowell in districts (volleyball) — Grand Rapids Press
9. South Haven’s Gruber doesn’t like offensive people — Kalamazoo Gazette
10. There’s something in the water at Holland high — Grand Rapids Press

Got a tip/link/question for West Michigan Allstar?  Email westmiallstar@gmail.com, facebook us, or join the conversation by following us on Twitter.

It adds at least an extra 2 inches

A look around the wide world of high school sports and the web that covers it.  Well, not the whole world, mostly just the distance between Lake Michigan and somewhere-in-the-vicinity-of-Lansing, give or take about 50-miles.  In an order wholly indecipherable to the naked eye.  So look closely:

1. FH Eastern snags soccer district over Spring Lake — Advance Newspapers
2. One of the premier Muskegon matchups is moved to Grand Haven — Muskegon Chronicle
3. Predictions for football matchups in divisions 1-3 — Prepseer
4. Kentwood soccer survives “District of Death” — Advance Newspapers
5. The question on everybody’s minds this year — MichiganPreps.com
6. North Musky soccer falls in regionals — Muskegon Chronicle
7. South Haven jolts No.1 GR S Christian in boys soccer — Kalamazoo Gazette
8. GR W Catholic returns the favor, defeating K Hackett — Kalamazoo Gazette
9. FHE/Unity Christian advance to soccer regional — Grand Rapids Press
10. Widescale celebration tonight; the ‘Stons’ are back in action — Detroit Pistons Basketball

Got a tip/link/question for West Michigan Allstar?  Email westmiallstar@gmail.com, facebook us, or follow us on Twitter.