L’Anse Creuse basketball improving as league play nears

HARRISON TOWNSHIP — L’Anse Creuse boys basketball is finding difficulties navigating this season following a district championship and 19-win season last year.

Graduating seniors Caron Williams, now playing at Grand Valley State University, Chad Jacobs and Donovan Weatherly left a void in just about every category, and sophomore Julius Wilson transferring to Warren De La Salle after a strong freshman year didn’t make things any better.

“I think a lot of people will misjudge what we’ve done because we had a Caron Williams,” L’Anse Creuse coach George Woods said. “I say this all the time as a coach, you always get a guy like Caron Williams every 10 years or six or seven years. He’s going to be difficult to replace, but I think the group as a whole will fix and change some of the things he did for us as an athlete. You can’t take away what he did for this program, and same for Chad (Jacobs) and Donny (Weatherly).”

Now 0-4 on the season with all four losses coming to opponents the Lancers bested last year, it’s unlikely they’ll reach the 20-win mark coach Woods was hoping for as L’Anse Creuse has struggled to find their groove as a cohesive unit on the floor.

But as the on-court chemistry continues to be a work in progress, Woods said he’s been impressed with one key aspect of his team’s play.

“They’re continuing to fight,” Woods said. “They’re playing aggressive and getting on the floor for the ball. I think the energy level is up, so I think that’s going to carry over. I think sometimes when you have a high energy level, you don’t know how to contain it. I think moving forward, as long as we continue to carry the energy and play for each other, we’ll get better.”

There should be no shortage of chemistry on a Lancers team made up of 11 seniors, the majority of whom were contributors last season.

Senior team captains Quincy Dorsey (guard), Myles Burnett (guard), J’siah Cureton (guard) and Jimmy Tamburrini (forward) headline the leadership group for the Lancers, but there’s no shortage of playmakers.

Junior guard Dorian Johnson will be a name to keep an eye on this season along with freshman Jaydn Brown, a 6-foot-6 center/forward.

Brown, the lone freshman on the squad, is already making an impact on the varsity level for the Lancers.

“He’s a shot blocker,” Woods said. “He’s very active around the rim. I’m looking forward to him growing with us in this program.”

The Lancers are anxiously awaiting the return of senior Solomon Parks, a 6-foot-5 guard/forward, who will be back on the court on Dec. 19 against Warren Woods Tower after sitting out the first five games due to transfer guidelines.

Parks is one of two transfers the Lancers received in the offseason with senior guard Yahmarion Cole also joining the team, but they’re far from newcomers to the program.

Parks played his freshman year of basketball at L’Anse Creuse before transferring to Detroit Voyageur Prep while Cole played his freshman and sophomore year at L’Anse Creuse before moving to Oklahoma.

Both scoring threats who can score 18 to 20 points at will, which Cole has shown he can do already this season, Parks and Cole will be the playmakers L’Anse Creuse relies on alongside Burnett and Dorsey in the backcourt.

“It’s pretty awesome because we were with them in middle school, and then they both left like 10th or 9th grade, and now that they’re back it’s like we’re all back together,” Tamburrini said.

L’Anse Creuse’s offense hasn’t been able to show its full potential yet this season, only averaging 49 points per game while allowing almost 64 points per game on the defensive side.

The Lancers are athletic on both sides of the floor with the experience needed to be a successful group, but Woods said the challenge the team is looking to overcome is translating that off-court chemistry onto the court.

“They talk off the court but not so much on the court,” Woods said. “The communication piece is lacking.”

The Lancers are set to begin Macomb Area Conference Gold league play, and it couldn’t come at a better time.

Three of L’Anse Creuse’s first four opponents were in higher leagues than the Lancers, and all four teams combine for a current 15-3 record on the season.

L’Anse Creuse is only a year removed from playing on the regional stage, and their seniors are hungry for another opportunity to play at that level.

Their record may not reflect it at the moment, but L’Anse Creuse is shaping up to be a strong team this season.

“For us, it’s do or die,” Cureton said. “We got 11 seniors, so for most of us, it’s our last year playing. We’re trying to go big or go home, and we don’t want to go home.”