Nothing too earth-shattering. Keith Appling and Juwan Howard Jr. return. Pershing will play Romulus, Detroit Country Day, Saginaw Arthur Hill and Pontiac – apparently all in December.

Game 1 – Cal State-Fullerton at UCLA

12:10 a.m. UCLA will have its hands full with CSF. They lost a ton of NBA talent and their team was decimated with injuries through the preseason. This is their first real game together with their starting 5 and major depth. They will stay in it in a classic Ben Howland-coached defensive struggle and thanks to superior talent. But Fullerton should be up -really up – for this shot at the retooling Bruins.

1:09 a.m. DRAGOVICH is going to have to score more than 0 points if UCLA wants to come back.

1:19 a.m. I don’t want to keep hating on UCLA, but these freshmen weren’t nearly as good as advertised last year. Unless they made quantum improvments … not a lot of backcourt depth there either, heck overall depth thanks to injuries.

1:44 a.m. CSF is picked in the middle of the Big West pack by everyone. While they are certainly up for this game, great effort all game on both ends, they really aren’t doing anything exceptional. It might be that much of an early season struggle for UCLA this year.

2:01 a.m. OT. Sounds about right. UCLA was patient and Jeremie Anderson got a very good look. But Streeter is CSF’s best guard and should have nailed those FT.

2:30 a.m. Finally, new game. These teams combined for 6 points in 5 minutes of the first OT. Very nice that St. Mary’s is up 20 after 10 minutes.

GAME 2 – San Diego State Aztecs at St. Mary’s – Steve Fisher baby! 174-140 career at SDSU isn’t bad at all really.

Game 3,4,5 – Didn’t miss much.

Game 6 – Clemson at Liberty – What did Liberty give up to get the Tigers in their building, a 10-for-1?

random thoughts during the games

Evan Turner drops 24 and 17 after his triple double, and then Manny Harris goes out and gets his own (only the second in Michigan history joining Gary Grant). I really enjoy watching Harris play basketball, but I’m biased because I saw him play so much in high school. That team has weapons this year, like the entire conference. Big Ten basketball is going to be a classic battle this year.

It was nice catching up with Mick McCabe and Tom Markowski at the Titans game this weekend. Both those guys do a great job in a tough time for newspapers. McCabe saw the undermanned UDM women – also decimated by injuries – give MSU all it could handle while Markowski watched UDM throttle Western but miss a ton of FTs down the stretch – much less closer than the final here.

Best Manny mixtape out there, with nice H.S. highlights.

Where are they now, Cal State Fullerton: This guy (Josh Akognon) caused quite the stir in Ann Arbor when Tommy Amaker wouldn’t offer. He’s still scoring at a pretty good clip overseas.

Here’s hoping they can make it win No. 7 late Wednesday night.

Evan Turner might be the league’s best player, and he certainly  showed that early with a nice 14-17-10 trip-dub in his first game. Andy Katz says OSU coaches think William Buford, an NBA talent, is ready to break out. David Lighty has been through the Big Ten wars, while Jon Diebler is deadly from range (6-9 from deep on Monday).

Loyola’s Mr. 6-4 do-it-all Jamar Ragland started on the wing for Alcorn State, and his stat line was indicative of a true freshman debut: 22 minutes, 5 points, 2-10 shooting, 4 rebounds, 5 turnovers, and 3 fouls. Better days ahead for Ragland in the SWAC – those who watched him at Five and Pinehurst know he has ability beyond the low-major level.

Murray State played Cal tight, which might show Detroit a thing or two about how to contain the Bears: check Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher hard on the perimeter. Randle dumped in 82 triples last year but attempted just one on Monday night. Christoper was a manageable 2-5. ESPNU’s one minute highlight clip showed both finishing circus drives at the basket, something I think coaches will live with given their shooting proficiency. This is definitely a top-5 backcourt in America. It will be interesting to see how they both respond with every team knowing that.

Isiah Thomas loses his debut … yawn. Hunt-and-jack of all trades Jeremy Allen is on the roster, but will sit this year due to the transfer rule. William Eddie is an assistant coach. So there are plenty of Detroit connections at FIU. Part of me will watch this saga just because Isiah Thomas is the worst executive in the history of sports. Part of me knows he can hustle, having already landed four-star post Dominique Ferguson and three-star point Phil Taylor for 2010. So we’ll see how that low-major stint works out.

In Monday’s only other game, Syracuse spanked Albany. Here’s thinking the Titans can take two of three of their New York trip if not sweep the whole thing. Don’t know too much about Syracuse yet other than they have tourney-caliber talent, are picked around the middle of the Big East pack, and DaShonte Riley got some garbage time burn (8 minutes, four points). Come to think of it, Boehim’s zone is a perfect fit to ease Riley into the college game. He can sit back and worry more about blocking shots and rebounding than running and chasing smaller, more athletic bigs.

One thing I will be doing along with Detroit games is seeing more games around the state. I want to see firsthand this year how Detroit stacks up against, Saginaw, Flint, Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, Grand Rapids/West Michigan.

Detroit PSL

East

Finney (3-3, 1-2) is now on the outside looking in for the second playoff spot in the division. The absence of Isaiah Sykes has hurt more than expected. The Highlanders beat Saginaw with physical play inside and the 3-ball, but became overly reliant on triples and blew a big lead against Pershing. At least the Highlanders will have him back for some meaningful basketball – state playoff time – where it appears Finney is on track for Round 3 with Warren DeLaSalle. Guards Ed Brown and Ray Reeves Jr. have tried to carry the team in Sykes’ absence.

Pershing (3-0) and Southeastern (2-1) remain the favorites, even after Tuesday’s mistake-filled debacle that posed as a matchup between two top 5 teams in the state and the best in the city (if that was the city’s premier teams at their best – thankfully, it wasn’t – Detroit city hoops has fallen farther than even I could have imagined.

Osborn isn’t technically out of anything after starting 2-1 in the division as well. Davetom Odom was credited with a triple-double (24 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) in Osborn’s win over Denby. Devontae Baldwin and Marco Page were the other standouts in that win.

Southeast

In a tight race, there are four teams, none among the top six in the city, that will battle for two spots. Ben Kelso and Central with Nkwane Young and Douglass have their teams at the top with 2-1 starts.

DeAngelo Hailey of Central is a pure scoring off-guard who is flying under the radar. Douglass has some frontcourt height and toughness with John Gaston and Dennis Hogan.

King and Northwestern both started 1-1 and both are right in the mix.

West

Cody coach Bryant Tipton, along with the rest of the Detroit basketball world, thought that this would be a breakout season for his program.

That still may be true, but the Comets will have to deal with Henry Ford and Renaissance in likely the league’s strongest division and most competitive division race.

One common thread: all three contenders have solid floor generals, each of whom has yet to commit to a college.

Seniors Demetrius Ford (Cody), Delano Collins (Renaissance) and DeMario Prince (Henry Ford) are all among the league’s top players. All three have been four-year mainstays and you’d be hard-pressed to take one over the others.

ESPN.com gave its evaluation of Collins, who is also considered a football prospect and has the best college potential of the three because of his size (Collins is 6-1; Prince is 5-8 while Ford is 5-10) and physicality:

Power type point who has great strength and the ability to bust inside and score even when getting harassed. Delano has good but not exceptional speed and his added weight gives him an effective low center of gravity. Delano likes to defend the entire 94 feet and enjoys bodying up on the opposing point guard. Plays hard the entire time and can also deliver to teammates while moving.

Ford is up at the top of the division (3-0 league start, edging Cody and Renaissance) because the Trojans added strength inside, adding 6-5 Matthew Hunter, a junior transfer from Consortium, to muscle inside with 6-7 senior Karriem Baker, who is considerably bulked up and playing the best basketball of his career.

If college scouts need to go shopping for the late signing period, the won’t be disappointed in the caliber of player in the PSL West.

Southwest

The breakout player of the year in the Detroit PSL has to be Crockett’s 6-foot-7 junior widebody Devon Long, who is scoring and rebounding with a reckless abandon, already posting two 20-20 games.

He has helped the Rockets to a 3-0 start in the division. Western and Chadsey sit in second with a 2-1 record.

Catholic League

U-D Jesuit got the upper hand in the division by winning its opener against Divine Child. DC’s Pat Biondi is a one-man press break and is easily one of the best athletes in the Detroit area. He didn’t look to score much against U-D but his importance handling the basketball can’t be underestimated. You won’t see his name on many basketball rankings because of his baseball commitment, but Biondi is right in the discussion with Ray McCallum, Jr. and Maurice Jones when it comes to ball-handling floor generals. He rarely turns the ball over, even against double and triple team full-court pressure, and makes his teammates better by finding the open man.

U-D played a strong second half and could be the league’s most dangerous team in transition. The key for the Cubs, because not every team will allow it to get out and run (Divine Child didn’t for most of the game), will be to execute consistently in the half court, especially inside, with the league’s best big man and tallest and deepest frontcourt and wings. That should allow the Cubs to play inside-out and free up some open looks for their sharpshooters.

Any team making it through the first full week of league play unscathed can feel a sense of accomplishment. Brother Rice finds out if its 5-1 start is for real on Tuesday at St. Mary’s. The Eaglets then play Friday at preseason favorite DeLaSalle, while Rice hosts U-D.

The level of talent is much higher than in recent years and the competitiveness of these early-season league games should reflect that.

More later, including Top Games …

1. Country Day

2-10. Everyone else.

As CityHoops has said time and time again, the Yellowjackets are just that talented. They were before adding Ray McCallum, and now that they’ve added the consummate floor general, the missing piece in last year’s flame out, they’ve elevated to truly elite status.

True, DCD doesn’t have play with the swagger one would expect from a top-10 nationally team. It sometimes seems like a sense of entitlement, which does not allow them to be truly dominant (this has been well-chronicled online and in the papers: they don’t always play hard).

And being on top, DCD will always get the best shot from seemingly overmatched opposing teams and crowds looking to knock them off their pedestal.

But it goes back to basketball skill and talent. And right now, in Michigan, there’s not a better collection around, and it’s not even close. Not Detroit Pershing, not Southeastern, not Clarkston, not anyone.

And that, friends, should translate into 28 wins (and zero losses) come March.

After two hurdles are down (Chicago DeLaSalle and Kalamazoo Central), the wildcard games that remain are these:

at Bloomington (Ind.) South, Feb. 21
Start the hype. This is the biggest Michigan vs. a national power game since Dion vs. Lebron, circa 2003. Bloomington South is currently ranked No. 11 in USA Today’s Super 25; DCD sits at No. 8. Ray McCallum vs. Jordan Hulls (Indiana) might be the point guard matchup of the year. Since the archaic MHSAA won’t let most outstate games materialize, this is as good as it gets.

vs. Flint Powers, Jan. 27
There are those that say that Shane Moreland, Patrick Lucas-Perry and Flint Powers have the ‘Jackets number, any they wouldn’t be entirely wrong after last year’s 48-35 quarterfinal spanking. But this is a different DCD team, and Powers will have to elevate its play drastically to stay close.

vs. Saginaw Arthur Hill, Feb. 7
Next to a DCD vs. Pershing matchup, which unfortunately can’t happen, this is probably the biggest name-school matchup this season.

at Canton Glen Oak, at Poland Seminary, Jan. 17-18
For the MLK Holiday, DCD travels to Ohio to play high-scoring 6-0 Glen Oak, the alma mater of Kosta Koufus, and 6-1 Poland Seminary. Neither should pose much of a threat.

Any playoff game
Obviously. There will be tremendous pressure in the one-and-done environment to finish off a superlative (perhaps unbeaten) regular season.

What makes Country Day so good? It’s the ability of their players (with college options in parentheses):

Ray McCallum (high-major)
With all apologies to Isaiah Sykes, Lil’ Ray is the best basketball player to play in the state in quite some time. Claims that Ray is the best player Michigan has produced in some time are erroneous because he didn’t prep anywhere NEAR Michigan’s grassroots system. He is a prototypical point guard, leader, floor general, consummate teammate and has been quoted saying one of DCD’s team goals is to finish undefeated.

Donovan Kirk (Miami)
Sometimes lost in the shuffle is this long, lanky, athletic scorer and rebounder who does enough of everything to be a frontcourt glue. He’s be the man on many teams in this state, but is content to pile up points and bounds relatively out of the spotlight.

DaShonte Riley (high-major)
On an average night, Riley will alter about 20 shots and swat around eight. As his timing has improved, that part of his production has become a given. Where the 6-10 Riley remains an enigma is on the offensive end. He still lacks consistency and any type of go-to post moves besides the uncontested two-handed slam dunk. Regardless, Riley has always been a prospect built up on his potential (some venture to say NBA potential), not production. He visited Marquette this weekend and has developed a new college list that includes the Golden Eagles, Cal, LSU, Oregon and Virginia (all have offered).

Jordan Dumars (South Florida)
When he heats up from long range, watch out (see Kalamazoo Central). A spot-up and shoot specialist. When he’s not hot, watch out for those long rebounds.

Bennie Fowler (Michigan State – football)
He has gotten stronger and better each year, and can hold his own on the hardwood despite being a top football prospect.

Amir Williams (high-major)
If Kurt Keener was looking for offensive production along from his center, he would be tempted to sit Riley and start Williams. The blossoming sophomore is coming into his own and will be the state’s most coveted big man prospect over the next two years. There are reports of a Michigan offer, which will be the first of many, many more.

Urbane Bingham (mid-major+), Lee Bailey (mid-major+), Chris Fowler (mid-major+), Kenny Knight
Keener says this team prides itself on its depth, allowing him the luxury of rotating a lot of players. This group, with Williams, completes the “Fab 5″ of DCD sophomores. Bingham, already 6-7, is another young frontcourt pup; Bailey, 5-11, is the point guard prospect of the future. He’ll learn from the best in prepping and practicing with McCallum. Chris Fowler, 6-0, is another talented guard and has probably seen the most playing time of these four. The Jackets are counting on Knight, 6-3, to develop and fill vacancies next year on the wing.

Multiple pundits have noted that the talent level in the league this year is as high as any in recent memory. There’s plenty of battle-tested experience with a number of juniors and seniors that were three- and four-year starters. CityHoops runs down the CHSL’s top 11 players, in alphabetical order:

Eso Akunne, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard
If Akunne walks on at Michigan, head coach John Beilein can be credited with drastically improving the quality of the team’s walk-ons (Eric Puls, Corey Person and Akunne). He’s 6-4, and if you watch him for a full game, you will walk away impressed with his ability to score and defend the basketball.

Pat Biondi, Divine Child
As an underclassmen, Biondi was the buzz of the league because of his unmatched quickness. He is a two-time all-league honoree and for good reason. The crafty 5-11 point guard wants to quarterback his team back to the league finals at Calihan. Rich Maloney is getting two of the league’s best hoops standouts to play baseball, which speaks to their athletic ability.

Dan Fields, U of D Jesuit
Fields is as pure of an athlete as one will find in this league. Handles, strength, quickness, and a jumper – it’s all here with this 6-3 combo guard. He’d surely have a nice basketball career at some next-level college, but instead will become a mainstay at short for Rich Maloney’s budding national baseball power at Michigan.

Jeff Jones, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Another U-D refugee finds a home at OLSM after a non-athletically motivated mid-junior year transfer (whatever). Regardless, he’s playing, he’s plenty experienced, and he remains a solid floor general with above average handles and a high basketball IQ. 

Anthony Manno, Divine Child
Hillsdale signed a good-sized shooter in Manno, 6-3, who is one of the experienced senior leaders (four-year starter) the Falcons will bank on. He can slash, too. 

Alex Marcotulio, Warren DeLaSalle
Widely regarded last year as the state’s best shooter not named Brad Redford, the buzz surrounding Marcotulio has cooled a bit since his verbal to Northwestern (where he signed this fall). Don’t sleep because he can stroke it and has developed into not just a shooter but a scorer. As a 3-year senior starter, he has the Pilots motivated to atone for last year’s early exit in the CHSL tournament, along with the double overtime loss to Finney in the regionals.

Kavonte Martin, Brother Rice
Touted as a wide receiver prospect, Martin, a 6-foot-1 junior, has handles, quickness and a crafty ability to score. He’ll take the next step when he learns to take over games and score consistently from the off-guard spot.

Kevin McCarthy, Warren DeLaSalle
The league’s tallest post presence (6-10) constantly draws double teams and is active on the glass. He’s headed to D-I Lehigh, and the Pilots will expect D-I things on both ends from their senior big man, who has improved every year.

Jordan Morgan, U of D Jesuit
Morgan finally broke through with some production against Cass Tech, dropping 28. Sustaining that will be key during his senior year. The 6-8 forward has Kevin Love-type passing ability and has worked to increase his strength. Coach Beilein might want him to step out and hit the mid-range jumper, but Morgan needs to keep honing his post repertoire and improving his aggressiveness in the paint.

Jamar Ragland, Detroit Loyola
Ragland, a 6-4 wing forward, has done nothing but put up numbers over the past three years. He plays hard all the time and colleges are starting to take notice. He’s ranked as high as the No. 5 wing in his class, and don’t be surprised if he lands at Alcorn State (his lone D-I offer for now), where his father played.  

Dion Sims, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Four years ago, Sims entered the Catholic League as a highly-touted man-child freshman who starred on the U-D varsity. He’s largely the same physical specimen, only now plays for St. Mary’s. He can dominate games from the wing when he slashes to the basket, but loves the 3-ball too. WOTS is he’s sitting on an multitude of high-major football offers and waiting on a similar opportunity for college hoops.

Michigan high school fans might remember high-flying Glenn Bryant from his brief stint at Macomb Dakota before migrating out to Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, and the prep hoops factory Oak Hill Academy.

Well, Bryant, a 6-foot-7 forward, was back in town for the holidays and took an unofficial visit to UDM (he was also in the house for the Pershing/Southeastern showdown). The Titans have a real shot in his recruitment and WOTS is that this might come down to a UDM/Bowling Green battle in the end. 

Oak Hill’s Web site doesn’t hold back in its hype praise of Bryant, calling him “probably one of the best athletes on the team this year” and “an excellent rebounder and shot blocker.”

Playing for the alma mater of ‘Melo, Rajon Rondo, Josh Smith and Jerry Stackhouse, among others, Bryant isn’t lacking for exposure. ESPN.com provides a more recent (last June) objective analysis: 

He has the body of a wing forward but the game of a power forward. His game is based on athleticism at this point. He is explosive but needs skill work. He is a solid rebounder but can be pushed out of position by stronger forwards. He can face up and hit shots out to 17 feet but is more effective closer to the basket. … Glenn is a project but has very good tools to work with. He definitely needs to either get stronger and/or increase his skill base.

He’s a well-videoed young man: there’s a selection of Bryant’s dunk tapes if you’re so inclined to watch. Not quite Doug Anderson but he can definitely rise up.

Oak Hill’s Web site definitely needs some work but in Bryant’s three most recent posted games, he played between 26-31 minutes, and averaged 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks after averaging 12.5 points last year.

Rivals.com pegs Bryant at No. 140 in the Rivals150 for 2009 and ranks him the class’ No. 36 power forward.

Back on the home front, two players that have emerged from the class of 2010 with fast starts are 6’7 Crockett big man Devon Long and 6’7 Clarkston wing Matt Kamieniecki.

Long, a 6’7, 260 pound widebody, has been producing for Crockett to the tune of some 20-20 games. He had 24 points and 22 bounds in a loss to Southfield Lathurp, then followed that up with a 22 and 22 game against Melvindale ABT, where he hit the game-winning put-back in the waning seconds of overtime.

Long has been so impressive that Derrick Nix, a MSU signee and the city’s current top big man, said he was the heir apparent to that title after Nix exits the league. Whether Nix’s evaluation is spot on or not, Long provides some serious muscle in the paint and has a nice mix of current production and brute strength to go with his potential when he tones his body and improves his footwork and mobility on the block.   

UDM was in the house on Tuesday as Long posted 16 points and 15 rebounds in a losing effort, 61-56, to Detroit City.

Another local boy who is warranting a UDM offers as many high-majors sleep on him is Kamieniecki. He has the quickness to play on the wing and the size to rebound and match up against forwards. For comparison’s sake, he’s taller and more athletic than OU’s Drew Maynard and Blake Cushingberry. If I recall correctly he had himself a day at John Beilein’s team camp this summer along with sharpshooing teammate Brandon Pokley. Improved range on the jumper is the buzzword surrounding his start.

Titan coaches and boosters alike aren’t bashful when saying that this team needs scorers. CityHoops is glad to see the pipeline to Chicago remain open with the pursuit of a pair of 2010 standouts from the Windy City.

Chicago Foreman is home to one of 2010′s finest backcourts, and the Titans are interested in 6’0 shooting guard Mike McCall (pictured, No. 11), who had his “coming-out party,” in the words of the Chicago Sun-Times, with 19 points a couple weeks ago against Chicago Fenwick.

McCall’s teammate, Levante Dority (23), is a high-major pure point guard recruit with the country all over him, and McCall might seem to be headed down that same track. He currently sports offers from UNLV and Northern Illinois with a host of schools in pursuit.

Finally, 6’5 forward Dwayne Evans is the other Chicago name to keep in mind. He’s from Nequa Valley High School just outside the city and runs during the summer with the touted Illinois Warriors. From our Illinois source, ChicagoHoops:

Evans, a 6-5 forward, is a long, athletic and highly mobile player on the basketball court. He is an outstanding rebounder and defender who is equally comfortable offensively both inside, and on the perimeter.

Hope that provides some good news to the Titan faithful as they prepare for a shelling on Saturday at Butler. Better days ahead, indeed, although I heard a scary speculative scenario that mirrored this man’s short-lived KU tenure. Just the thought … Ugh. 

Here’s links to our first two comprehensive roundups to keep these names in one place:

Dec. 19 Titan targets 

Dec. 19 More Titan targets (and signees)