Linked Up: 12/19/11

December 20, 2011

We've hit a bit of a slow spot with schools out for break and most contests reserved for holiday showcases and the like.

Here are some suggestions if you have some time for some reading between now and the start of 2012.

High school coaches try to bring basketball back to basics (Detroit News)

For most of the last decade, we've heard about the recessing of basketball fundamentals even among elite high school players. Enter Ben Kelso, Marshall Thomas and a number of other Michigan coaches who have pledged to end that trend. Tom Markowski tells us how the Metro Detroit Basketball Coaches Association aims to do so.

Lantzy retires after more than 4 decades as Ike grid coach (Macomb County Advisor & Source)

Utica-Eisenhower coach Bob Lantzy has been his school's only varsity football coach. He took four teams to MHSAA Finals and this fall became one of only nine state football coaches to win more than 900 games. He has retired after 41 seasons, and Kevin Lozon fills us in on the legacy.

Tabahn Afrik poised for greatness in pool for West Ottawa (Holland Sentinel)

The Holland area has its next big swimming star. Dan D'Addona introduces us to Tabahn Afrik, a freshman at Holland West Ottawa who qualified for the MHSAA Division 1 Finals in two events in his first meet this season.

High school basketball: History of class hoops is just that (South Bend Tribune)

"Hoosiers" made Indiana's former one-class basketball tournament known on a grander scale. But Indiana went to classes (similar to Michigan's) beginning in 1997-98. Al Lesar tells us how some in the state are attempting to revert to one class.

Today in the MHSAA: 1/10/18

January 10, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.

Today's Top 10 

1. Boys Basketball: Grand Ledge handed East Lansing its first loss this season, 59-53, breaking the Trojans 45-game regular-season winning streak – Lansing State Journal

2. Girls Basketball: Coldwater upset previously undefeated Battle Creek Pennfield, one of the top-ranked teams in Class B, 54-45 – Coldwater Daily Reporter

3. Boys Basketball: McBain extended its regular-season winning streak to 52 with a 66-56 win over rival Manton after losing to Manton in last year’s District – Cadillac News

4. Boys Basketball: Reigning champion Buckley handed the first loss this season to Maple City Glen Lake in a matchup of Northwest Conference contenders – Traverse City Record Eagle

5. Boys Swimming & Diving: Grand Haven, an honorable mention in Lower Peninsula Division 1, relied on impressive depth to get past LPD3 No. 4 Spring Lake 105-81 – Grand Haven Tribune

6. Boys Basketball: Olivet handed Perry its first loss this season in a matchup of top teams in the Greater Lansing Activities Conference – Battle Creek Enquirer

7. Girls Basketball: Howell improved to 8-1 with a 48-42 overtime win over rival Hartland – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

8. Boys Basketball: Josh Palo’s free throws during the closing seconds gave Howell a 52-50 win over Hartland – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

9. Girls Basketball: Munising improved to 7-1 with a 56-52 win over Bark River-Harris, ending the Broncos’ eight-game winning streak – Marquette Mining Journal

10. Boys Basketball: Brownstown Woodhaven moved to 6-1 with a buzzer-beating win over Lincoln Park, 58-55 – Detroit News