Transfer addition, milestone win motivating Crusaders basketball

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — It was a bright moment for a Macomb L’Anse Creuse North boys basketball team with heavy goals.

As second-year coach Kurt Wilson earned his 300th career win Jan. 15 against Macomb Area Conference White rival Utica, the team celebrated his accomplishment immediately following the game.

“It felt awesome,” senior Ricky Sparks said. “He was really excited to get it, and it was awesome because his whole family was there and got to celebrate with him. Right when we won, they all came onto the court, and they had a ‘300’ sign for us to hold up.”

Among the players in the midst of the celebration was junior forward Julius Wilson, who is also coach Wilson’s grandson. He helped his grandfather secure No. 300 with a 23-point performance.

Kurt Wilson came in last season and immediately turned around a program that had been struggling to find any kind of traction in the success department, posting a 16-9 record and finishing third in the MAC Red.

Now it was Julius’ turn to give another Wilson a lasting impact, and he’s done everything and more since transferring from Warren De La Salle Collegiate before the beginning of the season.

Wilson, a 6-foot-2 guard, embodies the defensive mindset coach Wilson emphasizes, but also can facilitate and score at will when needed because of his athletic ability.

“He’s always known the guys,” Kurt Wilson said. “The guys would always come over to my house for team dinners or we’d play in the summer, and he was always around. The transition was good for him. He’s a kid that plays defense. When a kid plays defense and steals the ball, he’s an easy fit.”

On any given night, Wilson can be the top scorer for the Crusaders, but arguably the most impactful part of Wilson’s addition to the lineup was allowing senior guard Brandon Thomas to play freely as a shooting guard.

The dynamic duo of Wilson and Thomas is a relationship coach Wilson felt where they “both needed each other,” and it’s shown with how Thomas’ game has taken off this season.

The Crusaders were in desperate need of a reliable scorer with all-conference players Drew Kozel, who is part of the 1,000 career points club, and Luke Clyne both graduating, and Thomas has answered the call.

“With the addition of Julius (Wilson), that helped us with Brandon (Thomas) tremendously,” Kurt Wilson said. “We were able to move Brandon to the two-guard and Julius to the one-guard. He’s (Thomas) a born scorer. He shoots the ball well and he moves well off the ball.”

Currently averaging 59 points per game, L’Anse Creuse North, currently ranked No. 52 in the state, holds a 9-3 record with a 2-1 MAC White league record after falling to Warren Fitzgerald 44-41 Jan. 9.

Fitzgerald, ranked No. 19 in the state, are likely to be the toughest challengers for the Crusaders for the league title.

“We came out really slow against them,” Sparks said. “We had one point at the end of the first quarter and five points at halftime. I took a few shots, Julius took a few, and Brandon took a few. They just weren’t falling. I know we’ll come out faster. We weren’t used to playing at their speed and they kind of punched us in the face.”

The Crusaders have followed every loss up with a win streak, so there’s at least a positive side to a league loss.

It’s a game that Wilson said he felt would really show where his guys stacked against one of the better teams in the state, and it’s not the first time this season L’Anse Creuse North has done so.

How about opening the season against the reigning Division 2 state champions?

Were the Crusaders ready for Warren Lincoln, who are currently ranked No. 12 in the state, so early in the season? Probably not, but it’s all about the experience and knowledge they gained from playing the best in order to be the best.

“We would love to play Lincoln now,” Kurt Wilson said.

Especially with how other players have really come into their own as the season has progressed with Sparks, senior Aaron Koch, senior Greg Houston, senior Tyler Palmer, and junior Nehvir Njoku all stepping up.

Sparks has solidified himself as the No. 3 scoring option for the Crusaders behind Thomas and Wilson, and Sparks said he took that role seriously coming into the season.

“After the season last year, I put my head down and got a trainer. I knew I needed to step up for the team. I was our sixth-man last year that would come in and play good defense and pass the ball well, so right after the season last year I got myself a trainer and was in the gym at 6 a.m. three to four times a week at the end of the school year. In the summer, I was in the gym every day.”

The Crusaders have eight remaining league games with two tough out-of-league matchups against River Rouge and Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice.

Coming off a trip to regionals, L’Anse Creuse North hopes to send its senior veterans off on a high note with a deep run in the state tournament.

“We think we can beat anyone,” Sparks said. “If you’re hot in February or March, you can beat anyone. We really want to get that state (title) and go as far as we can in the playoffs.”