Double Header of the Year at Rockford Leads Biggest Night of the 2024 Season: MSR Friday Preview
By: Nate Dreyer
Photo by Miles Postema
The whole season has been leading to this, it is the biggest night of the 2024 regular season in the O-K Conference and west Michigan, and all of the biggest games – as title races get their deciding results – are live on Michigan Sports Radio.
Two Conference-Deciding Games at Rockford
Rockford and East Kentwood have put together remarkable seasons program-wide in 2024, and Friday will see what will very likely be the defining games in both the girls and boys O-K Red title chase at Rockford.
The boys tip things off first, where Rockford is looking to repeat a 5-point, 61-56 win over the Falcons on the road on January 19. The Rams have now gone on a remarkable 14-game win streak to earn a perfect 11-0 record in the Red, and have picked up the pace as of late with dominant wins back-to-back over Grandville and Hudsonville.
East Kentwood just put together one of their best games of the season Tuesday, rattling off a shocking dismantling of O-K Red 3rd-place Grandville, 83-47. At 8-2 in conference, the Falcons will still have an extra weather make-up game to play against Hudsonville on Monday night, but E.K. is closing strong and will look to make a statement here.
There are key matchups and gameplans to watch all over here, but the play in the backcourt may decide things. The dynamic duo of Jah Hatchett and Darryl Thomkins for Kentwood rarely meet their match, they will on Friday. Rockford’s senior guard Andrew Landis has been scoring just shy of 20 points-per-game over the past three weeks and had 18 in the win over Hudsonville Tuesday. Sophomore Dylan Gross and junior Michael DeKuiper only help add on to that attack as Gross, an elite shooter and DeKuiper and all-around threat will help match the Falcon duo.
Watch things up front too, Christian Humphrey-Rembert is one of the most athletic physical athletes that West Michigan high school basketball has to offer, but Rockford may have an answer to Kentwood’s future D1 star in their multi-sport leader, Drake Irwin. Irwin, who is on his way to be the future QB of the new Calvin University program, has shined in the last two games for the Rams – scoring 15 with incredible defense vs. Cam Regnerus in the win over Grandville on Friday and 17 points vs. Hudsonville on Tuesday.
Coach Clough and coach Thomas will lock horns in a tactical duel as well: Do both teams decide to run and let their deadly offenses do the talking? Will the Rams utilize some half or ¾ court zone looks to slow down the sprinting Falcons? How aggressive will Kentwood get in their full court ‘run-and-jump’ defense? All of those questions will be answered, with live coverage starting at 5:50pm and tip-off following at 6:00!
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The action at Rockford doesn’t stop there, as the girls basketball game of the year, likely in the entire state of Michigan, will decide the toughest girls basketball conference in the state. East Kentwood got the better of Rockford last time around, snapping a 33-game win streak for the 2023 champs. But, East Kentwood would later fall to Miss Basketball frontrunner Gabby Reynolds and West Ottawa, for their lone league loss.
That all sets the scene for Friday, both teams with one loss – The winner takes solo first and has the upper hand to control their own destiny, win out, and win the league.
Both Coach Eric Large for E.K. and Brad Wilson from Rockford will preach defense as a leading element for their teams and they star at doing just that, but in different ways. Coach Wilson and the Rams will break out a multitude of different looks: ranging from half court man-to-man, to half court zones and presses of several different varieties and full court trapping defenses that match what Kentwood does best.
East Kentwood can mix things up as well, but they thrive off chaos, havoc, forcing turnovers, and getting easy buckets out of a full court trapping ‘run-and-jump’ defense that is similar to what their boys squad also can do.
There’s talent all over, but senior PGs that have been doing it at a championship-level since they were freshman will be a highlight. Grace Lyons is the all-time leading scorer and a state champion once already for Rockford, and senior Harmonie Belton is a microwave scorer and aggressive leader on both ends of the floor for Kentwood.
Live video coverage continues with this big one starting right after the boys with an expected 7:30pm tip-off!
Coopersville and Unity for the Blue: Round Two
Two points. That’s the difference in the entire race for the O-K Blue. In the first meeting at Coopersville, Unity Christian held off a furious Coopersville comeback 58-56, and in doing so, the Crusaders took the advantage in the league they have not relented. The ‘Saders now sit at 11-0 in the conference with the Broncos one game back of them at 10-1.
The rematch will give the Broncos a chance for the ultimate revenge, as they can tie things up and snap an 11-game win streak for Coach Soodsma and the Crusaders. If they are going to do it on the road, it will mean traversing and executing on a clash of styles. UC (as always) will look to pressure you on every square inch of the floor with full court pressing and half-court swinging matchup zones that force turnovers and extreme discomfort. Coopersville will slow things down, play a half-court zone of their own and run a methodical dribble-drive offense to look to force discomfort in a completely different way.
Unity Christian was recently bolstered by the return of their star junior forward Jake Chapman to the active lineup. The 6’6” standout suffered cardiac arrest during football season, but has now returned after just four months. He provides one more difficult matchup for the smart and tough Broncos front line, led by Ohio State football OL commit Gabe VanSickle, to deal with.
The Crusaders also have added PG T.J. Fisher back from injury since the first time these two teams played, Eli Spencer for Coopersville will take on that matchup in the back court, as he has been shooting the ball as well as anyone over the past few weeks – including setting the all-time single-game 3-pointer record for Coopersville, with nine vs. Hamilton.
The girls game starts the night with live coverage beginning at 5:40pm, and the conference-deciding boys game will follow the girls – with tip-off coming at 7:30pm!
Zeeland West Hosts Muskegon – Looking to Steal O-K Green Late
No conference is as competitive at the top than the O-K Green, Muskegon and Reeths-Puffer have traded losses against each other and both sit at 10-1 heading into Friday, but Zeeland West (with a loss to each of those two) is just a game back of the leading mark at 9-2. The twist though, Zeeland West still has a game to play against both the Big Reds and the Rockets in the final 3 games of the season – meaning that Zeeland West is the only team that controls their own destiny with a chance to win at least a share of the conference if they win their last three against Muskegon, Mona Shores, and Reeths-Puffer.
Muskegon defeated West at home at Redmond-Potter Gymnasium 52-35 last time around. But, the Dux have played their best basketball of the season down the stretch, including a win on January 20 over reigning D1 State Champion, Cass Tech (who beat the Big Reds in the 2023 final for the title).
Muskegon’s young team has leaned a lot on their sophomore guard James Martin, a 6’3’’ all-around stud’ for coach Keith Guy. Martin is a terrific athlete attacking off the bounce and can also shoot the ball to score at all levels and can parlay that athleticism into incredible defense against multiple positions. Martin had 17 points in a big win over Zeeland East Tuesday.
Luke Bakker is a four-year starter for the Dux who put together one of the best games of his career on Tuesday night on his senior night for West, scoring 25 points in the win over Holland. If Bakker keeps up that level of play, he’ll add a dynamic burst for the Dux. 6’7’’ senior wings that can do it all will provide the head-to-head matchup of the night here, Merrit Alderink, another 4-year starter for the Dux and Indiana State signee is a powerful scorer at all three levels and can be a serious physical threat. Justin Watson is another terrific athlete with a Cleary University offer that is an incredible shooter from deep at his 6’7’’ size and has the ability to score off the catch-and-shoot and create his own bucket. Watson is battle-tested and was a key component in the state title game for the Big Reds last year – we’ll see how this matchup between two of the west’s best wings goes.
Watch the pace and style again as the grinding Dux for coach Klyn will be looking to slow things down and keep things under control and physical with big bodies all over their lineup, while the Big Reds are comfortable pressing all-over and not allowing the Dux to find any offensive comfort, all while often working methodically on their own offensive end to get the best look.
The GAME NIGHT on Michigan Sports Radio crew is live for the boys game from Zeeland West, with video coverage beginning at 6:30pm and tip-off scheduled for 7:00!
Other Games, All LIVE on MSR
Outside of the big conference-deciding clashes, we have a ton of other great action, here’s a look at some of it:
*Hudsonville and West Ottawa play in a pair of consequential games in the jockeying for O-K Red positioning. The Hudsonville boys now sit in 4th and are looking for a bounce-back after dropping a game to Rockford on Tuesday. The West Ottawa girls will look to see if they can come away still in solo third, as they currently sit a game ahead of Grand Haven and two back from the top tied duo of Rockford and EK.
Boys coverage from Hudsonville starts at 5:50pm with a 6:00 tip, with girls to follow – with scheduled tip at 7:30!
*Catholic Central leads the O-K Gold – that statement remains true for the girls and boys with only three games remaining. The rolling Cougars will roll program-wide into Cedar Springs Friday, as they look to keep the all C.C. top of the leaderboard alive.
The boys tip-off at 6:00 vs. the 4-15 overall RedHawks, with the girls following that against a Cedar Springs side that sits just one game back of the 10-1 Cougars in the loss column, at 8-2.
*Carson Vis and South Christian’s boys have been perfect in conference play outside of their dual losses to GRCC, they look to keep building on that momentum going into the playoffs on Friday, as they take on senior scoring stud Craig Hureskin and Ottawa Hills.
Coverage begins at 5:20pm, with tip-off at 5:30 at Ottawa Hills High School.
*Central Montcalm will be back on the air on MSR with a doubleheader of coverage, as they take on Morley Stanwood. The Hornets and Mohawks girls tip-off first, with coverage beginning at 5:35pm and 6:00 tip-off. CM’s girls are 4-4 in the conference and looking to play spoiler for the 7-1 Stanwood girls, who sit just a game back of the conference lead.
The boys game will follow, with both teams looking up from the bottom half of the conference standings, but looking to build some momentum for a possible playoff run in just two weeks’ time.
*Grand Rapids Christian earned a come-from-behind thrilling win on MSR on Wednesday vs. Northview. Now Jaylan Ouwinga and the Eagles have the solo top spot and control their own destiny for the O-K White title. They are back in action against Joe Soules’ Forest Hills Northern Huskies, as they look to win-out to take the conference crown.
Coverage begins at 5:30pm, with boys tip-off at 6:00. We’ll also have girls coverage, following up the boys game at approx. 7:30pm!
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It’s going to be a packed night, so be sure to tune in!
Check back in this weekend for a recap article going over all of the big results and how they may impact the conference and playoff rankings. The boys brackets lock-in on Sunday and there’s only a week of play left… so it all comes down to this.
Keep up with all the schedules and standings right here on Michigan Sports Radio as well… Your one stop shop for all things high school sports. The playoffs are almost here and things are only going to ramp up!
