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: 2/16/22

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

February 16, 2022

1. GIRLS BASKETBALL Division 1 No. 8 West Bloomfield handed Division 2 power Detroit Edison its first in-state loss in four years, 65-62 – MLive-Detroit

2. BOYS BASKETBALL Oscoda clinched a fourth-straight North Star League Big Dipper title with a 59-45 win over Alcona – Bay City Times

3. GIRLS BASKETBALL Gibraltar Carlson downed Southgate Anderson 55-23 to clinch a share of the Downriver League championship – Monroe News

4. GIRLS BASKETBALL Morrice locked up its second-straight Genesee Area Conference Blue title with a big win over Webberville – Owosso Argus-Press

5. BOYS BASKETBALL Canton clinched the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West title with a 61-24 win over Hartland – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

6. BOYS BASKETBALL Division 1 No. 7 Muskegon earned a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green title with a 61-51 win over Holland – MuskegonSports.com

7. GIRLS BASKETBALL McBain clinched a share of the Highland Conference championship with a big win over Houghton Lake, and Lake City’s loss to Manton – Cadillac News

8. GIRLS BASKETBALL Division 4 No. 10 Gaylord St. Mary clinched a share of the Ski Valley Conference title with a 51-44 win over Central Lake – Petoskey News-Review

9. GIRLS BASKETBALL Division 1 No. 19 Bloomfield Hills Marian edged No. 2 Farmington Hills Mercy 45-44 in overtime to earn a spot in the Detroit Catholic League Bishop championship game – Oakland Press

10. GIRLS BASKETBALL Division 2 No. 13 Houghton improved to 15-2 and sent Division 3 No. 2 Calumet to 14-2 with a 58-49 victory – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Also of note …

FOOTBALL River Rouge coach Corey Parker is leaving to become an assistant at University of Toledo after leading the Panthers to a 113-34 record and 2019 Division 3 title – Southgate News-Herald

BOYS BASKETBALL Dylan Barnowski went over 1,000 career points in Division 4 No. 7 Lake Leelanau St. Mary’s 68-26 win over Leland – Traverse City Record-Eagle

GIRLS BASKETBALL Anna Richards set East Jordan’s season 3-pointers record during a 48-31 win over Kalkaska – Petoskey News-Review