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: 3/2/22

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

March 2, 2022

1. HOCKEY All seven goals were scored during the third period as No. 4 Grandville claimed a Division 1 Regional title with a 5-2 win over Grand Rapids Christian – Grand Rapids Press

2. BOYS BASKETBALL Hartland secured its first Kensington Lakes Activities Association Tournament title since 2009 with a 42-39 win over Division 1 No. 11 Canton – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

3. BOYS BASKETBALL Division 2 No. 9 Williamston finished a perfect regular season and Mason Docks and Jay Wallace both went over 1,000 career points during a 59-55 win over Lansing Everett – Lansing State Journal

4. BOYS BASKETBALL Kalamazoo Central closed the regular season with a 51-46 win over Division 1 No. 9 Muskegon – Kalamazoo Gazette

5. BOYS BASKETBALL Waterford Mott finished an outright title run in the Lakes Valley Conference with a 55-45 win over White Lake Lakeland – Oakland Press

6. BOYS BASKETBALL Division 2 No. 11 Standish-Sterling clinched a share of the Tri-Valley Conference 10 title with a 60-20 win over Midland Bullock Creek – Bay City Times

7. BOYS BASKETBALL Grand Rapids Northview clinched the Ottawa-Kent Conference White title outright with a 59-55 win over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central – FOX 17

8. BOYS BASKETBALL Tecumseh downed Chelsea 53-47 to create a shared Southeastern Conference White championship with the Bulldogs and Jackson – Adrian Daily Telegram

9. HOCKEY The Traverse Bay Reps clinched a Division 1 Regional title with a 7-0 win over Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills – Up North Live

10. BOYS BASKETBALL Division 1 No. 13 Grand Blanc earned another notable regular-season win, 80-62 over No. 16 River Rouge – Flint Journal

Also of note …

BOYS BASKETBALL Midland’s Drew Barrie scored his 1,000th career point during a 50-27 win over Bay City John Glenn – Midland Daily News

BOYS BASKETBALL Whitehall edged Shelby 43-39 to finish an outright title run in the West Michigan Conference – MuskegonSports.com

BOYS BASKETBALL Jonesville and Concord both won to create a shared Big 8 Conference title between the two – Jackson Citizen Patriot

FOOTBALL Cadillac coach Cody Mallory is leaving to take over at Spring Lake after leading the Vikings to a Division 4 runner-up finish in 2020 – Cadillac News