10 Games to Watch in West Michigan: Week of December 9th; Part I

<p>The high school basketball season is finally here and there are several intriguing matchups in West Michigan this week. Let's dive in and take a look at what should be the 10 best matchups during the first week of the regular season.</p> <p>Tuesday, December 10th:</p> <p><strong><em>East Kentwood @ Forest Hills Northern</em></strong></p> <p>East Kentwood figures to be one of the top teams in the area coming off a quarterfinals appearance a season ago, while Forest Hills Northern will look to build off an impressive 2018-19 campaign, in which the Huskies were 22-0 before losing in triple overtime to Northview. Motivation to get further in the playoffs will be on the mind of both teams all season long, however, there is a lot of work to be done before either squad can begin thinking about March.</p> <p>Players to watch</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/adonis-vashon/"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Adonis Vashon</span></strong></a></p> <p>6’4″ Wing</p> <p>East Kentwood, 2020</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ethan-erickson/"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Ethan Erickson</span></strong></a></p> <p>5’11″/ Guard</p> <p>Forest Hills Northern, 2021</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jamoni-jones/"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Jamoni Jones</span></strong></a></p> <p>6’1″ Guard</p> <p>East Kentwood, 2020</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Trinidad Chambliss</span></strong></p> <p>5’11”/ Guard</p> <p>Forest Hills Northern, 2021</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><em>South Christian @ Godwin Heights</em></strong></p> <p>Tuesday night's matchup between South Christian and Godwin Heights features a rematch in last season's Division II District Semi-final game, which saw South Christian escape with a hard-fought 47-45 win over Godwin Heights. Revenge will be on the minds of the Wolverines, while a win for either team will provide momentum and an instant confidence booster in the first week of the season.</p> <p>Players to watch</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Jahkari Towns</span></strong></p> <p>5'11 Guard</p> <p>Godwin Heights, 2022</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Tyler Buwalda</span></strong></p> <p>6’0″ Guard</p> <p>South Christian, 2020</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Adam Rearick</span></strong></p> <p>6’4″ Wing</p> <p>South Christian, 2020</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><em>Zeeland West @ West Ottawa</em></strong></p> <p>Zeeland West and West Ottawa enter the 2019-20 season hoping to improve upon their seasons from a year ago, which saw both squads go home early in the MHSAA tournament. Zeeland West will hope to continue their trend of coming up with wins on the road as the Dux went an impressive 10-1 in away games a season ago, while West Ottawa will look to get as many non-conference wins before entering a grueling OK Red schedule.</p> <p>Players to watch</p> <p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Eli Steffen</strong></span></p> <p>6’2″ Guard</p> <p>Zeeland West, 2020</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Tanner Weigerink</span></strong></p> <p>6’7″ Forward</p> <p>West Ottawa, 2020</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><em>Grand Rapids Christian @ Zeeland East</em></strong></p> <p>Christian and Zeeland East faced each other in early December a season ago, with Christian coming away with the easy 76-54 victory. The opening game proved to be indicative of the rest of the season as the Eagles went on to win 16 games before falling in a district title game. Meanwhile, Zeeland East struggled to find it's footing and finished the season with a 5-15 record. Both teams return talented pieces, and a win on Tuesday night should provide the winner with warranted momentum out of the gate.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Players to watch</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Cairo Rhodes</span></strong></p> <p>6’1″ Guard</p> <p>Grand Rapids Christian, 2020</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">EJ Victory</span></strong></p> <p>6’0 Guard</p> <p>Grand Rapids Christian, 2020</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Kobe Bufkin</span></strong></p> <p>6’4″ Guard</p> <p>Grand Rapids Christian, 2021</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Trip Riermersma</span></strong></p> <p>6’3″ Guard</p> <p>Zeeland East, 2021</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><em>Byron Center @ Jenison</em></strong></p> <p>Both Byron Center and Jenison will be looking to make significant strides this season as each team finished below .500 a season ago. The Wildcats won handily over the Bulldogs last year 53-37, and the winner of Tuesday's game will earn a quality non-conference win to start their season. </p> <p>Players to watch</p> <p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Ethan Clason</strong></span></p> <p>Guard</p> <p>Jenison, 2020</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Matt Richards</strong></span></p> <p>6’5″ Forward</p> <p>Byron Center, 2020</p>