Ok Red Preview
East Kentwood: The Falcons have a solid starting 5 consisting of, Micah Rosser, Cameron Spicer, Marlon Dorsey, Andrew Madison and Brandon Fuller, all of whom are experienced seniors. The bench, however, is Kentwood’s weak point. The bench is relatively young and inexperienced, which will be a problem on this team. Kentwood likes to push the ball, score in transition, and play up-tempo defense to get opposing teams to turn the ball over.
The Falcons are 7-3 on the season.
Hudsonville: As of right now, Hudsonville is the best team in the OK Red besides West Ottawa. Hudsonville has made it to the regional finals the last two years, so winning is nothing new for these kids. Hudsonville’s team is tall and talented and the Eagles are very strong at the guard position. Hudsonville returns three veteran guards Jared Blum, leading scorer Riley Costen, and sharpshooter Bryce Elliott. All three of these guards can put the ball on the floor, finish at the rim, and shoot the 3 ball. The big men, however, are very unproven for the Eagles this year; Adam Van Laar will be getting the majority of playing time at center, and Jr. Brady Boothe will get some minutes as well because he can stretch the floor and hit 3’s. Hudsonville’s offense is built around Costen’s ability to score, so all eyes will be on him on the offensive end. When Costen touches the ball, his first thought is to score.
The Eagles are 9-2 on the season.
Grandville: The past few years, Grandville and West Ottawa have ended their respective seasons at the bottom of the OK Red. West Ottawa has taken the jump from the bottom, but Grandville is still a few years away from making this jump. Grandville has some young talent in junior third-year varsity players, Jr. Sam Cornett and Jr. Jake Tipton. These two players along with others make the future look bright for the Bulldogs, but Grandville is still one or two years away from being a legit Ok Red contender. Grandville runs a 2-3 zone the majority of the time on defense, so if the opposing team can hit 3’s or get the ball to the high post it will be a long night for Grandville on the defensive end. But if Grandville can limit open 3’s and high post touches, they could compete in games in conference play.
The Bulldogs are 3-8 on the season.
Grand Haven: The Bucs have the most impressive win in the Red so far, upsetting Hudsonville 60-54 at Hudsonville on January 8. Bucs are a very well-rounded and experienced team. They are very solid from point guard to center. Their leader and top scorer is Sr. Guard Drew Hewitt. Hewitt has played minutes on varsity since his sophomore year and finds ways to score and distribute the ball every time down the floor. Along with Hewitt, the Bucs have a strong core of guards, headed by Hewitt, Jr Clay Landsman, and Sr Tyler Weidman. All three of these guards can stretch the floor and constantly hit the 3, making them one of the harder teams to guard in the Red. The Buc’s are very strong at the forward and center position as well. Third-year varsity player, Jr. Ross Koella mans the middle for the Buc’s along with Sr. Jason Long. Both of these big men get boards, have the ability to run the floor, and hit jumpers. This makes the Buc’s one of the most versatile teams in the Red.
The Bucs are 9-3 on the season.
Rockford: The Rams are 4-6, but have 5 quality losses, losing to Godwin Heights, Wayland, Muskegon, Grand Rapids Christian, and West Ottawa. All 5 of these losses are to excellent teams. The Rams play a high-pressure defense, pressing and trapping whenever they can. The Rams will try to force as many turnovers as possible every time out. Rockford is a yet another well-rounded team in the Ok Red. The Ram’s do most of their damage from the paint, led by Senior forward Michael Peterson, a strong lefty who can knock down the jumper and get to the rack. They can also hit the three-point shot as well, with Sr. Nolan Bryant and Jr. Jason Majerle. The key to defeating the Ram’s is beating their pressure and getting easy buckets.
The Rams are 4-6 on the season.
