Roseville hoops overcomes injuries to find success

ROSEVILLE — Injuries are a part of the game, but some teams catch the injury bug more than others, and it’s a heavy obstacle to overcome.

It presented both positive and negative factors for Roseville boys basketball coach Gregory Boler and the squad.

“It hurt us a lot because we never had our starting five for 10 games straight, and even five games straight,” Boler said.

From a continuity and performance perspective, it was a heavy downside for Roseville.

In their district semifinals matchup with Grosse Pointe South, Roseville was without junior standout guard Jalen Mosley, senior guard Brian Hunter and senior forward Amare Snowden.

It was a tough pill to swallow losing Mosley and Hunter, both first team all-conference selections in the Macomb Area Conference-Red, and Snowden, an all-conference honorable mention, for the South matchup, but Roseville’s young core came ready to play.

“They didn’t want to lose,” Boler said. “I let the underclassmen speak before the game, because I normally let the seniors speak, and they made a promise to them like, ‘I’m gonna bust my butt for you; I’m not going to let this be your last game.’ I think they went out and tried to do what they told the seniors they’d do.”

While junior forward Anthony Scott and senior guard Terrence Partridge, both all-conference honorable mentions, served as the veteran leaders, injuries opened the door for sophomore guard Todario Payne, freshman guard/forward Jadarius Payne and sophomore Michael Chude to make an impact early.

It was a back-and-forth game throughout the entirety of the contest, with Roseville’s defense rising to the occasion, but turnovers ultimately ended up being the downfall of Roseville’s season as South earned a 49-45 win.

It was Roseville’s closest game against South this year, after going 0-2 during the regular season and losing by 10 or more in both games.

While the loss had a sour taste for the departing seniors and Boler, there was a wave of excitement for what’s to come for Roseville basketball.

“I was upset that we lost because I really like these seniors, but I got really excited the next day thinking about the future,” Boler said. “We got some really good kids in Roseville, and it’s about keeping them in Roseville.”

It all starts with Mosley — not just because he’s the primary ball-handler and a first team all-conference selection, but because he will be the undisputed leader of the team next season.

Mosley showed his dominance this season, tallying 24 points in Roseville’s first round 57-54 win in the state tournament over a strong St. Clair Shores Lakeview team.

Learning from Partridge, Snowden and Hunter, Mosley will be a strong senior leader alongside Scott in 2024.

“I’m ready for it,” Mosley said. “I’m going to lead by example, and I think I can be a coach on the floor next year.”

A coach on the floor this year, Snowden was exactly what Roseville’s frontcourt needed to strengthen the defense.

Snowden, a University of Wisconsin football commit, entered later in the season after Wisconsin gave the green light to play and made an immediate impact alongside Scott.

A leader on the gridiron, Snowden was able to man the court like a defensive back in coverage.

“Amare was just vocal; he came into basketball like he had been there all year,” Boler said. “When we locked down defensively towards the end of the season, it was because of his leadership.”

Partridge was battling a knee issue all season but continued to showcase his veteran leadership both on and off the floor.

A team captain for Roseville, Partridge will be missed in the backcourt.

“Even when he was hurt, he was on the bench cheering the guys on,” Boler said. “At practice, he was teaching the guys plays and the defensive concepts. Terrence was a bright light this year.”

Roseville continues to improve each season and will look to be a force in the MAC-Red behind a core of seniors and young talent.

A major improvement for Roseville has been keeping the talent at the school, and that continues to be a primary focus for Boler.

“When they come to talk to us, they’re excited about looking at the trophy case and seeing what years, and it’s current years, you can see some district trophies,” Boler said. “They’re excited about that, and they think, ‘Hey, maybe we can help get them over the hump.’”