Ottawa-Kent Conference (BLUE) League Preview w/ Predictions

ALLENDALE - Senior Mason Vredeveld brings good size at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, and will see action at center and power forward. Junior Ryan Corner (6-10) is a promising post player to watch. Corner brings good size and athleticism to the court. Coming off a rebuild year they should get better as the year moves on.

CATHOLIC CENTRAL - , Catholic Central is one of the best boys basketball teams in state history, with several different players stepping up and answering the call year in and year out. This year should be no exception. Replacing Jacob Polakovich and Marcus Bingham Jr. (Michigan State) is going to be a challenge. What they lost in size they make up for with skill. In the backcourt, 5-10 senior point guard Austin Braun is an extension of the coaching staff while running the GRCC offense. Darrell Belcher, a 6-2 senior guard, gets to the rim and can really defend and rebound. Devon Boyd is a returning 6-foot combo guard who defends well and can knock down the perimeter shot.

COMSTOCK PARK - The Panthers Chanse Crittendon and Chase Brown should bring their football mentality and athleticism to the team. “It’s going to be an extremely difficult conference,” Head coach Scott Berry said. “You have to be ready to play every single night. If you’re not, you’re going to get beat.” They are a year older and wiser and should compete.

COOPERSVILLE - Losing five starting seniors this year is going to be a challenge. The Broncos have a new senior class poised to make its impact. We look forward to seeing who will rise to the challenge. Historically, Coopersville coach Pete VanKempen draws out the most in his players and gets them to play basketball with a high IQ. So the jury is out on whether they will be in the mix come the end of the year.

SPARTA - The Sparta boys basketball team took a step backward under coach Lance Roark last season because they graduated some fine talent. Seniors point guard Conrad Savage and senior center Randy Tramper look to right the ship for the Spartans. Conrad can create offensive opportunities for all of his teammates with his ability to penetrate and pass and Randy has unique abilities as a center. He can run like a guard, contest shots, and has a knack for finishing around the hoop. Keep and eye out for this team’s potential as they will be better than last year.

SPRING LAKE - The Spring Lake boys basketball program is in the midst of its best stretch to date and the Lakers are looking to continue their success this season. Replacing their core group who graduated this year may put Spring Lake in a rebuilding year. But don't count out Coach Bill Core as he is a terrific coach who has players waiting in the wings to takeover. Lead by D1 Lacrosse commit Noah Verlinde and senior Bayne Willett. This team could posses the moxie it takes to carry on the culture of winning at Spring Lake.

GRAND RAPIDS WEST CATHOLIC - Among the seniors who look to be in the West Catholic rotation include Bo Arndt, Nate Dinkle, Tyler Perez, and Josh Tuttle. The strengths of this team are that they are very coachable and they play very hard and are really focused on getting better. Led by second year head coach Kurt Kambestad, this team is looking to create a legacy for years to come.

PREDICTIONS -