Boys 2008

Taking a look at the pre-season top ranked teams participating in the 20th Annual Motor City Roundball Classic.

Team Page (Team info, Schedule, Results, Stats)

Team breakdown: The Wolves graduated their top three scorers, notably all-area big man Keenan Simmons, yet return several experienced players with starting mileage to their names. The cut-to-the-chase question is: how quickly will they adapt to more prominent roles? "We were relying on two freshmen and a sophomore so much, it's almost like they're juniors and a senior now," assistant coach Andrew Eubank said. M.C.'s crazy deep with 14 legitimate varsity players. It will fully employ that depth as it intends to dial up the pace and defensive pressure even further than last year. "We'll be more balanced for sure," Eubank said. "We feel eight, nine guys could lead us in scoring on a given night."— Jim Peters

Star power : ShanQuan Hemphill, Jr., F. Hemphill has been around since he was a freshman and this looks like the 6-foot-3 leaper's opportunity to shine. "He's shown flashes," Eubank said. "We expect him to make a big jump. He's a pretty solid all-around player. He's very athletic. He's grown a little bit."

Newcomer to watch: Dante Combs, So., G/F; Zach Stewart, Sr., G: Combs is a long, athletic shooter whose game took off in the spring and summer. Stewart is a deadly standstill shooter who could bolster a Wolves' perimeter attack that was inconsistent last year. "He's a good system guy," Eubank said.  NWI Times

Taking a look at the pre-season top ranked teams participating in the 20th Annual Motor City Roundball Classic.

Team Page (Team info, Schedule, Results, Stats)

Northwestern won the division last year, finishing 8-0 in the league, and is the heavy favorite to repeat this year. The Chandler-Poole sisters, Icesis and Iresis, will lead the way and probably lead Northwestern to another division title. Icesis will play on the wing and Iresis on the inside to form the best tandem in the division. Northwestern also has nine other players returning from last year's team, so it should have plenty of talent and quite a bit of depth. Mlive

Taking a look at the pre-season top ranked teams participating in the 20th Annual Motor City Roundball Classic.

Team Page (Team info, Schedule, Results, Stats)

2014-15 Outlook: It’s a season of enormous expectations for the Bobcats, who are coming off back-to-back 18-win campaigns and looking for bigger things. After winning a share of their first North East Michigan Conference title a year ago, the program is hungry for its first district crown since 1991. “We need to show we can play with and beat the elite teams, and that’s a big jump to make,” coach Cory Snider said. “It takes more than talent, it takes teamwork, confidence and experience. We were missing the experience piece the last few years. Now the girls understand how to play in big games.” Glenn has a deep and talented roster that should get more formidable as the season progresses. Honorable mention all-state point guard Kalle Martinez is expected to miss the early portion of the season with a knee injury and Division I prospect Cassidy Boensch, a 6-foot-3 transfer from Au Gres, becomes eligible Jan. 15. Jenai LaPorte, who earned honorable mention all-state a year ago, is the two-time Bay County scoring champion after tallying 20.6 per game as a sophomore. Jamie Brisson and Kennedy Clyde are returning starters who are key to Glenn’s ultra-aggressive defensive style. Mlive

Taking a look at the pre-season top ranked teams participating in the 20th Annual Motor City Roundball Classic.

Team Page (Team info, Schedule, Results, Stats)

2014-15 Outlook: For a team coming off a one-win regular season, All Saints is plenty optimistic – but for good reason. The Cougars started two freshmen and three sophomores much of last season, and the lumps they suffered should reap rewards this time around. “Some games we were competitive and some games we were not, but there was a lot of learning,” coach Jaden Clobes said. “So you take the learning and move forward.” Leading scorer Shannon Bates (8.2 ppg) and leading rebounders Kaitlyn Deyarmond (8.2 rpg) and Megan White (7.7 rpg) are back and expected to lead the charge along with the athletic Rachel Anderson and Paige Judd, a team leader who missed the bulk of last season to injury. Sophomore Hannah Ducolon also adds a new dimension in taking the point. Mlive