What to expect from Livingston County boys basketball teams in 2023-24
Boys basketball season ended early in Livingston County last season, even though Brighton and Howell had strong records.
No team from the county advanced past districts for the first time since 2012.
Brighton, Hartland and Howell are in the same district with defending champion Fenton, which returns some of its key players, so winning a district won’t be easy.
Four of the county’s seven teams will begin their seasons Tuesday night. All seven will open at home.
Here’s what to expect from Livingston County’s boys basketball teams in 2023-24:
Brighton
► Last season: 18-6 overall, 11-3 KLAA West (second place)
► Top returners: Grant Hetherton, G, Sr.; Mitch Rucinsky, G, Sr.; Lucas Stamper, F, Sr.; Trevor Viau, PG, Sr.
► Outlook: Viau is the only returning starter from a team that graduated three first-team all-county players, including two-time Player of the Year Ashton Tomassi. Brighton will have to replace an average of 38.5 points and 17.9 rebounds from that trio. No other returning Bulldog averaged more than Hetherton’s 2.9 points. With only one proven scorer on the roster, defense will be an even greater emphasis. The Bulldogs are coming off their best record since 2010-11 and will count on reinforcements from a 21-1 junior varsity team.
► Coach Mike Griest: “We’ve had some fantastic senior classes who have set the bar for how to prepare and play. Winning breeds winning. This new group of juniors coming in expect to win. My senior class was successful as freshmen and sophomores. We have a lot of winning going on. Now we have to win championships; that’s the next level we’re trying to get to.”
► First game: Redford Thurston at Brighton, 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4
Charyl Stockwell
► Last season: 13-9 overall, 8-4 MIAC Red (third place)
► Top returners: Drew Goodwin, C-F, Jr.; Parker Olejniczak, G, Sr.; Sam Siebert, C-F, Sr.; David Wilson, G, Sr.
► Outlook: The Sentinels graduated 77.6% of their scoring, most notably Henry Munkres’ 15.7 points per game. Olejniczak was Stockwell’s fourth-leading scorer with a 6.4 average last season. The Sentinels have good size for a smaller school, with Goodwin standing 6-foot-6 and Siebert 6-4. Goodwin averaged 4.4 points and 4.1 rebounds and Siebert averaged 2.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in reserve roles last season. Both players might have been starters if not for Stockwell’s senior-heavy lineup.
► Coach Rick Morgan: “I don’t think we’re as deep as we’ve been in some past years, but we’ve got some guys coming up from the J.V. who will contribute. Our goal is still to win the conference. I think we underachieved a bit last year in terms of winning the conference. I think we’ve got a good shot at it this year.”
► First game: Bath at Charyl Stockwell, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28
Fowlerville
► Last season: 3-18 overall, 1-9 CAAC Red (sixth place)
► Top returners: Griffin Gonzalez, G, Sr.; Brendan Ray, G, Sr.; Wyatt Soli, G-F, Jr.; Dillon Wieas, C, Sr.
► Outlook: Fowlerville looks to bounce back from a down season with a lineup that includes four of its top five scorers from 2022-23. Ray averaged 14.1 points, Soli 7.3, Gonzalez 6.7 and Wieas 5.6. Ray is a three-year starter who is one of the county’s top players. Soli goes into basketball season with confidence after a strong finish as Fowlerville football’s quarterback. The 6-4 Wieas provides the Gladiators with an inside presence whose quickness could provide an edge against other big men.
► Coach Jim Jonas: “We’re leaning on that experience. We didn’t suffer as many losses as many teams we played in terms of returning personnel goes. Hopefully, that works to our advantage, because last year was a long year. We just couldn’t catch a break. It was just one of those years.”
► First game: Charlotte at Fowlerville, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28
RELATED: 2023-24 Livingston County boys basketball schedules
Hartland
► Last season: 7-17 overall, 3-11 KLAA West (7th place)
► Top returners: Cyrus Gray, F, Sr.; Kyle Greig, G, Sr.; Alex Hernandez, G, Jr.; Vance King, G, Sr.; Brady Quinn, PG, Sr.; Parker Sundman, G, Soph.
► Outlook: After a 6-16 regular season, Hartland provided signs of optimism for this winter by winning a district game and playing Fenton tough in the district final. A big reason for that optimism is Sundman, a five-quarter player as a freshman who was the Eagles’ leading scorer in districts. Gray averaged 4.8 points, King 4.2 and Greig 3.4 in their first varsity seasons. Quinn will run the offense in addition to being the Eagles’ toughest defender.
► Coach Kevin Blouin: “There’s a lot of varsity experience on the team with those seniors and even the younger guys who were with us. They just went through battles. They grew a lot, learned a lot. That experience is going to be really big for this team this season.”
► First game: Flushing at Hartland, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28
Howell
► Last season: 15-8 overall, 9-5 KLAA West (thirrd place)
► Top returners: Curtis Dell, F, Sr.; Cooper Eckerle, G, Jr.; Daniel Hampton, G-F, Soph.; Jaylen Hicks, PG, Sr.; Andrew Weber, G, Sr.
► Outlook: Howell returns four players from its regular rotation in Hicks (9.2 points per game), Weber (7.3), Dell (4.7) and Hampton (3.7). Hicks is a first-team all-county selection who will run the offense and provide strong defense. The other three players all shot at least 40% from 3-point range and will have increased roles this season. Howell has a run of 12 straight winning seasons, going 179-92 (.661) over that time.
► Coach Nick Simon: “We can defend. I thought we defended well at times last year. I think we have a plethora of guys who can really defend their position. We’re going to rely on that a lot.”
► First game: Walled Lake Northern at Howell, 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1
RELATED: Who are the top 5 boys basketball players in Livingston County?
Livingston Christian
► Last season: 10-13 overall
► Top returners: Kaleb Butts, F, Sr.; Bradley DeMasellis, G, Jr.; Jacob Martin, C, Sr.; Caleb Nixon, G, Sr.
► Outlook: The Falcons are led by Nixon, who led the county with 87 3-pointers last season and was second with a 15.8 scoring average. Livingston Christian will have a size advantage inside against most small-school opponents with the 6-5 Martin at center. Three players were in the regular rotation as sophomores last season, led by DeMasellis as a returning starter.
► Coach Jeremy Harrison: “It’s going to come down to if we’re able to use our athletic ability, play good defense and get out in transition. In prior years, we were kind of lackluster on the defensive end. My focus as a new coach is, ‘Let’s really work on the defense, let’s get out and run, let’s get some open threes and some layups.’”
► First game: Flint CHASE at Livingston Christian, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5
Pinckney
► Last season: 6-17 overall, 3-7 SEC White (fifth place)
► Top returners: Caden Carlson, G, Sr.; Eli Luoma, G-F, Sr.; Drakon Mayes, C, Sr.
► Outlook: Pinckney has a new head coach in Kyren Kemp, who played for Lansing Sexton’s 2011 and 2012 state Class B championship teams. He inherits a roster led by Carlson, whose 12.7 scoring averaged led Pinckney last season. The 6-5 Mayes (2.9 points, 5.2 rebounds) will give the Pirates a solid inside presence. Sophomore Jace Carlson, Caden’s brother, is expected to make an impact with his outside shooting.
► Coach Kyren Kemp: “We completely changed the style of play, changed the mindset. We’re trying to play more up-tempo basketball. We’ll be a little more exciting how we play. These guys have bought into the process. We’ll be very competitive this year. I think we’ll sneak up on some teams. It’s a complete revamp. It’s not the same Pinckney everybody is used to.”
► First game: Ann Arbor Greenhills at Pinckney, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: What to expect from Livingston County boys basketball teams in 2023-24
