Northern Michigan: Year End Questions

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As someone who traffics in words. I've always found the quirk of the high basketball season to be mildly ironic. Due to being a two semester sport. An “end of the year” column only covers half of the season (less technically) So consider the following questions a group of mid year questions and observations. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Can anyone beat Cadillac and McBain?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a little bit of a trick question. They play each other January 8th so somebody is going to lose. Neither team has been seriously tested up to this point. Cadillac has a much tougher slate in the non conference. As they will play the gauntlet of Dewitt, Whitehall, Wayne Memorial and Dearborn Fordson among others. I would be surprised if they finish the season unscathed. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As for McBain. Outside of the aforementioned Vikings. I don't see a loss on their schedule at this point. We'll see how good the dreaded “To Be Determined” opponent will be in the Northern Michigan Showcase at St Francis. I have a pretty good idea of who it is. I would expect them to to win that one as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both squads are simply so much bigger than anyone they face in the region. McBain might be one of biggest teams in the entire state— regardless of class. Senior 6-9 center [player_tooltip player_id='1811797' first='Evan' last='Haverkamp'] is off to a good start. However he also has plenty of help with juniors [player_tooltip player_id='1819161' first='Ben' last='Rodenbaugh'] and an emergent <strong>Darrious Peña-Perez</strong>. Both dynamic 6-5 wings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Cadillac is equally as deep and balanced. They have moved up a classification to Division I. To make impact at that level you need to bell cow game changing prospect. Can [player_tooltip player_id='1434245' first='Charlie' last='Howell'] be that for the Vikings? I think he can. As stated above. He will have a chance to prove his next level credentials against a difficult schedule. If he shows out against the litany of Division recruits he will face in 2024. College coaches will be forced to take note. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">How will the “Drop Downs” affect Division IV? </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Who are the “drop downs”? Teams that have had success in a larger classification and move down a division due to enrollment. Coming a quarterfinal appearance in Division III and returning most their rotation. St Ignace is the main squad to keep an eye on. They are led by one of the better prospects in the region in senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1587840' first='Jonathan' last='Ingalls'] (pictured) The Saints are sitting at 5-1 with their only loss coming to a good Menominee squad that they won't see this year in the tournament. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another squad to watch out for in Division IV is Glen Lake. The Lakers sit at 4-2 with a victory over one the largest enrollments in the region in Alpena. As that win shows, Glen Lake has uncommon size for Division IV led by 6-6 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2270808' first='Jacob' last='Plamondon']. The Lakers also have a bit of “across the hallway” motivation. Last year the Glen Lake girls squad took home a state championship in their first year in Division IV. Now that the boys squad is there. They have designs on doing the same. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Who is the top player in region moving forward? </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The last four of five years, it has been pretty straightforward identifying the top player in this vast geographic region. The presence of two Division I prospects in <strong>Foster Wonders </strong>(Southern Illinois/Green Bay)<strong> </strong>and <strong>Wyatt Nausadis </strong>(American) sped up and eased the decision process. This year was only slightly more difficult as two seniors have separated from the pack with the aforementioned Howell and Traverse City's [player_tooltip player_id='1111925' first='Anthony' last='Ribel']. After they graduate who will step into the top spot? </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To be honest I have no idea. Could it come from the Upper Peninsula 2025 duo of Iron Mountain's [player_tooltip player_id='1441371' first='Oskar' last='Kangas'] and Kingsford's [player_tooltip player_id='2058663' first='Gavin' last='Grondin']? If I was I betting man at this juncture I would lean towards yes. Kangas (6-6) recently notched his 1,000th career point and continues to improve athletically. Grondin is a powerfully built guard who can play both backcourt positions. He is capable of finishing easily above the rim and already holds an offer from Lake Superior St. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If it doesn't come from that group you will probably be dropping down to some underclassmen. Charlevoix's [player_tooltip player_id='1381451' first='Joe' last='Gaffney'] and Harbor Springs' <strong>Braeden Flynn </strong>continue battle for 2026 supremacy. Both players have been red hot of late. Depending on grassroots performances a freshmen could even work his way into the conversation. [player_tooltip player_id='2276657' first='Clayton' last='Heuker'] isn't getting much time right now on a deep McBain squad. However the 6-4 prospect is already one of the more talented players in the region. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That is just a small sample size of potential candidates. While there might be that one elite talent. If it is a deep bunch. It will be fun to see it materialize in the next year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->