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December 13, 2005Big North could come down to the wire againCentral, West should be in the mixEditor's Note: This is the first in a series on league basketball races. Today: The Big North.TRAVERSE CITY - The Big North Conference basketball race went down to the final night last season. It could happen again. "It's going to be a real fight," Traverse City Central coach Jon Constant said. "No one's going to run away with it." Central won the title outright a year ago when Cadillac lost to Petoskey in overtime on the final Friday of the regular season. Central, Traverse City West, Cadillac and Petoskey are considered the front-runners in a league race that tips off Friday. The Trojans, though, will be without Constant for a couple weeks. The veteran coach suffered ligament damage in his right knee last week in a snowblowing mishap. He had surgery last Friday, then experienced complications and was readmitted to the hospital. He was not on the bench Saturday night in a win over Forest Hills Northern. It was the first game he's missed in 27 years of coaching at Central. "It was a weird feeling, sitting in the hospital and wondering what's going on at the gym," he said. Constant was able to watch the video from the game later that night from his hospital bed. And he liked what he saw. "The improvement from game one to game two was excellent," he said. CENTRAL lost to powerful Reed City in its opener, after leading by three at half. The Trojans had match-up problems with Reed City's big and talented front line. Central picked it up defensively - and spread the scoring offensively - in beating Forest Hills Northern. The Trojans (1-1) are led by senior standout guard Robbie Harman, who scored 35 in the opener. Harman is a dangerous shooter from the perimeter and uses his quickness to beat defenders to the basket. "He can control a game," Constant said. Marcus Martin, a 5-11 senior, and Lee Spanski, a 6-3 junior, took some of the scoring pressure off Harman on Saturday. Martin, hitting the open jumper, netted 13 points while Spanski added 10 points and 14 rebounds. Spanski was originally credited with eight rebounds, but Constant said that was adjusted after he watched the tape. "He's been a solid contributor at the both ends of the floor," Constant said. Mason Husby, a 6-2 senior, and Jared Wolf, a 6-3 junior, round out the starting lineup. Among the top reserves are sophomore Sam Martin and senior transfer Brooks Bunbury. Central faces a tall task tonight, traveling to Saginaw. The Trojans lost twice to Saginaw a year ago - at the buzzer in Traverse City and then again in the Class A regional finals. Central's league opener is Friday at Petoskey. WEST is off a 2-0 start despite the fact new coach Brett Graham is without six players. The Titans have been led by 6-6 junior Jason Cockrell, 6-2 senior Adam Root and sophomore guard Casey Townsend. Cockrell's averaging 16.5 points, Townsend 15.5 and Root 10. Root also had 10 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists at Escanaba on Saturday. "He's been the glue," said Graham, who formerly coached at Kalkaska. Townsend's older brother, Jake, joins him in the backcourt. The Titans will be even stronger when 6-3 Ryan Popa returns. "We're making a lot of progress," Graham said. "The kids are getting to know the system and I'm getting to know them. We're getting better every game." Graham said his team showed character in its win at Escanaba. "We gutted that one out," he said. The Titans are athletic and can go with a big or small lineup depending on the situation. Among those battling for playing time are 6-8 Richard Rosenberg, 6-3 Jimmy Fouts, Kace Lovejoy and 6-4 sophomore Darren Keyton. Graham calls the league race a "crap shoot." "Every night you're going to have to tie 'em up and be ready to go," he said. CADILLAC has had quite a run under coach Jeff McDonald. In the last six years, the Vikings have finished first three times and second three times. "We've been right there," he said. Cadillac will be one of the smaller teams in the league, but the Vikings boast one of the top guards in 5-11 senior Matt McDonald. He's a four-year veteran who averaged about 14 points a game last season. He'll play some point and wing. "It will depend on where we need him," said his father. Matt McDonald is one of several players off the football team that won a district championship. Other key returnees for the Vikings include 6-2 senior Chazz Masten, 6-3 senior Luke Anderson, 6-2 senior Kam Selleck, 5-10 junior Kyle McDonald, 6-foot forward Kayl Mattson and 6-foot forward Harrison Whitmer. Kyle Hinkle, a 6-2 junior, will also be a contributor. Jeff McDonald hopes the Vikings will compensate for lack of size with quickness and skill. He would like to see the Vikings be more explosive offensively - they averaged in the low 50s last season - and to do that they'll need to create points off their defense and in transition. PETOSKEY, a spoiler last season, expects to contend with a balanced team. The Northmen, who are off to a 1-1 start, have one of the league's top players in Corbin Donaldson. He averaged 13 a game in the Petoskey Invitational last weekend. Chris Faught, a 6-6 post player, and Chad Ellis, a junior forward, give Petoskey a good inside game. Faught had 11 in the consolation game win over Kalkaska. Ellis, meanwhile, was named to the all-tournament team. Junior guard Matt Murphy is a threat as well. He averaged 12 points in two games. GAYLORD coach Tom Johnson said the Blue Devils' goal is to finish in the upper half of the league. "We're not bad," he said. "We're just not deep." In its opener last Friday, Gaylord shot 50 percent from the field, 90 percent at the foul line, dominated the boards 37-19 and still lost to Grayling. The reason - 36 turnovers. Gaylord's strength is in the frontcourt with 6-7 James Conway and 6-4 Brian Lindsay. Conway averaged 15.6 points and 8.8 rebounds a year ago while Lindsay was at 12.8 points and 6.9 rebounds. "They held their own last season and they've gotten a lot better," Johnson said. Lindsay tossed in 35 points and Conway 18 in the opener. Conway sprained an ankle in the second quarter and might not play in the Cheboygan game tonight. Jeremy Sirois, a 6-5 junior, provides size off the bench. The Blue Devils' backcourt includes 5-10 sophomore Robert Phillips, 5-10 junior Ellis Raatz and 6-2 junior Bernie Kirt. Phillips runs the point. "He's a talented basketball player," Johnson said. "He did not play JV last season, he played at the freshman level, so this is a big jump for him. It might take him a few games to get his feet wet." Raatz was the starting quarterback on Gaylord's football team that shared the league championship with Central. Gaylord also has a freshman on varsity in 5-9 guard Nick Freeman. ALPENA started five seniors most of last season, but coach John Pintar does have sixth-man Eric Puls back. And he's a good one. The 6-8 junior has scored 24 and 31 points in the Wildcats first two games - a win over Bay City Central and a loss to Cheboygan. "He still has a ways to go," Pintar said. "But he's a good player." Brian Puls, a 6-11 senior, provides a defensive presence in the middle. Matt LaCross, a 6-1 high energy forward, sets the tone for the Wildcats. Andy Lamp and Sean McLain start in the backcourt. "We're inexperienced," Pintar said. "When you have a McDonald and a Harman, who have been four-year starters, and a Donaldson who's been a three-year varsity player, that's a big advantage for those teams. We don't have that type of experience."
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