Lamphere basketball finds a way in record-setting season

MADISON HEIGHTS — There were a lot of expectations surrounding Madison Heights Lamphere boys basketball going into this season and its veteran core of nine seniors.

Losing only one senior last season and showing flashes of success during their 9-11 campaign in 2022, Lamphere (9-9) was ready to prove what the team could do. But to quote Mike Tyson, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” and Lamphere took a slew of haymakers.

Starting the year 3-8 after a brutal gauntlet of opponents including St. Clair Shores Lakeview, Center Line, Troy Athens and Royal Oak, there was a lot of soul searching that needed to be done in the locker room, specifically with the senior core.

“Me and Semaj (Ramsey) came together with some of the young players on the team and we all talked with our coach and AD, and we had a meeting during class,” senior forward/center RJ Chapman said. “It brought us all together which made us even better, honestly, and as a team at practice we all collectively decided it was time to step up and become a better team.”

Now sitting at 9-9 overall and with the best Macomb Area Conference Bronze record in school history (7-3), it’s safe to say the message was not only received but resonated with the rest of the locker room.

Allowing only 55 points per game in their last seven matchups, as opposed to the 60 points per game they averaged in their first 11 matchups, Lamphere’s defense has powered the team’s successful transformation in the second half of the season.

“It’s really been a tale of two seasons; we were all miserable the first two weeks of the season,” Lamphere coach Isaiah Novak said.

What’s changed with the defense? Well, let’s say they learned by being on the opposite end of it.

In a Jan. 6 matchup with division rival Center Line, the opposing defense threw something at Lamp-here that they weren’t prepared for.

“I think Center Line’s press was really good,” senior guard Dayvid Al Sabbagh said. “When we first played them, that got us, and we started practicing that in practice, and just picked it up from them. Now, we’re forcing turnovers on other teams, getting easy steals, and getting points.”

Since their game against Center Line, the Rams have held teams under their defensive average of 55 points in seven of their last 10 games.

Chapman has been a key defensive anchor for Lamphere alongside senior Dom Bolis and senior Aidan Robinette.

Along with an improved defense, there has been a more confident and trustworthy offense, which has provided a balanced attack that Novak said is good enough to hang with any team.

“The two things we talk about are playing hard on defense and moving the ball well for 32 minutes on offense, and I think when we can do that for 32 minutes, we can beat anyone,” Novak said.

Leading the offense is senior forward Semaj Ramsey, who is closing in on becoming the first Lamphere player to score 1,000 points in his career.

While his offensive ability has shined throughout the season, averaging 14 points per game, Ramsey’s unselfish mentality has been a glowing feature for him this season.

“It was just my coach telling me to be more of a basketball player,” Ramsey said. “Being an all-around player benefited me more, and honestly, it makes me feel good when I get my teammates buckets.”

A counterpart to Ramsey on the offensive end has been Warren De La Salle Collegiate transfer and junior forward Colbin Monroe. Mirroring Ramsey’s stats in points per game, Monroe has become another reliable scoring option for Lamphere.

In addition to its added talent, it’s not the Lamphere team other teams saw at the start of the year.

As opposed to their isolation style of play to start the year, the Rams’ trust has become their most productive weapon on the offensive end.

“The biggest thing is the ball is moving on offense, and they’re trusting each other,” Novak said. “The big thing is they trust the next person who gets the ball, but also all four guys on the court trust that they’re going to touch the ball and not chuck it up.”

Most importantly, Lamphere’s leadership is back and better than ever. As Ramsey, Chapman, Al Sabbagh, Bolis, Robinette, and senior Blake Holt continue to serve as the veteran group, three seniors have really stood out for Lamphere in the motivation department.

Every March Madness has its guys on the sidelines going absolutely nuts over every basket and defensive stop, and seniors Franco Shabo, Steven Yousif, and Cody Scott have assumed those roles for Lamphere this year.

“You could argue that the three best leaders are guys who don’t even touch the court,” Novak said. “Whether it’s filling up the water for the guys, making sure they have water in the huddle, starting the defense chants, they bring the energy. They bring the energy and push those guys each practice to be better.”

Earning the best MAC Bronze league record in school history and searching for its first district title since the 1980s, the job is not finished for Lamphere.

Following the team’s motto this season of “Do things right, good things will happen,” Lamphere now stands as a cohesive unit entering the MAC Bronze/Silver Tournament on Feb. 16.

At the end of the day, Lamphere has its eyes on one goal, and it isn’t the league record, it’s hanging banners.

“Coach Novak literally talks about that every time we come into practice,” Al Sabbagh said. “He yells at us when we’re doing anything wrong that he doesn’t like. This is my last year. I’m trying to put a banner up that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”