High school basketball players were not even born when Swami first became a keeper of the scoreboard and before the game had been streamlined.

Back then, the All-Knowing-One had to get accustomed to not having a possession arrow, so a jump ball would occur at the closest circle. It was only years later that he relied on the scorebook to who was to have the ball. Next up, when a foul was called, he would put it up as a common foul, there was no place for player number and the number of fouls he or she had accumulated.

As the years passed, the one-and-one came after the seventh team foul and shooting two shots for the 10th common foul. Recently, the rules were altered to shoot two shots after five team fouls per quarter, team fouls are reset after each quarter. Player fouls have not changed over the years, after five you foul out.

Timeouts were timed with the use of a spring-loaded timer and would end with a little bell going off inside the clock board. Finally, an actual toggle switch being pushed to start and stop pushing it in the opposite direction.

The interesting item here is the tech knowledge has changed, but the players have not. They play to the best of their abilities and have fun doing so, with the final goal of putting the ball in the basket either by a shot or free throw. There has not been a change as to players’ view of the game, which has made it what it should be. Exciting and fun.

ALPENA (4-10) at TRAVERSE CITY WEST (13-2) — 7 p.m. tonight — boys — Alpena continues its upward climb, going against Traverse City West, but it will not be easy. Last Friday, saw the Titans’ 13-game winning streak come to an end. In a battle for first place, the Titans and Cadillac battled back and forth, before the Vikings came out on top with a 60-53 win. West opened the season with a tough loss to Grand Haven before going on the run. Given the performance against Gaylord earlier, the Wildcats faced an insurmountable challenge, but Alpena’s game plan worked to perfection. The Wildcats used defensive pressure, controlling the boards, in addition to breaking the sticky press of Gaylord to close out a 58-50 win.

Oliver Duthler and Eddie Prue corralled rebounds, which turned into points from them on the offensive end with some tough inside play. Conner Cameron might have had an off night in terms of scoring, but he did use his passing as a setup for scores that broke the momentum of the Blue Devils. Cameron did have the ability to drive for layups that did upset the Blue Devils from shutting down his three-point attempts.

Swami has to compliment the Wildcats, regardless of the five that coach Evan Neff put on the floor, everyone was in sync, to rattling Gaylord into over 20 turnovers. Something, Alpena could not overcome in the double-digit loss earlier to Gaylord.

West can shoot the trey as witnessed by Lincoln Lockhart and Caden Stoops, while Mason Zimmerman and Winslow Robinson work in the paint. Cadillac put up a defensive wall, that had the Titans shooting from the outside which proved to be the difference. West did have the sickness of starter Brody Jones, which affected the starting five. The 6-3 forward will be another obstacle the Wildcats will have to overcome.

Swami Sez: Traverse City West 69, Alpena 59.

ALPENA (6-8) at TRAVERSE CITY WEST (4-8) — 7 p.m. Friday — girls — Alpena never knows which team will show up, either a hot shooting and strong down how squad or one that entirely cannot seem to put the ball in the hole, in all aspects of the game. Traverse City West has had about the same luck, playing extremely well against competition on their level, but not being close in others. One thing is for sure, the Titans are in control when playing at home. Surprisingly, their lone road win was at the hands of the Wildcats.

The bulk of the Titan offense comes from their three-guard setup in Grace Bohrer, Raegan LaCross, and Marlie McGregor. Emily Kelsey has provided much-needed offense coming off the bench. Cadillac let the Titans hang with them through three-quarters, before pulling away with the win.

If the Wildcats are to pull out a win on the road, there cannot be any room for turnovers, or leaving points off the board from the free-throw line. Alpena had countless times to pull out the win, but a poor percentage from the line spelled the difference. Having a short bench did not help their defensive efforts.

The Wildcats need to get back to the basics of down low putting the ball in the hands of Kiera Prue and Reaghan Fitzpatrick to establish the inside game. Doing so will let Faith Dragiewicz and Natalie Maychen have free reign from beyond the arc. Maddie Wiedbrauck and Grace Cameron have been coming on in the scoring department. Swami says if the Wildcats effort comes together down the stretch, they will be a force. The All-Knowing-One knows it has to start tonight, in a very winnable game.

Swami Sez: Alpena 55, Traverse City West 50.

TAWAS (8-5) at OSCODA (11-1) — 7:30 p.m. today — girls — Moments after the loss to Oscoda, Tawas circled today’s date as a critical game. Oscoda took a game lead in the North Star League, Big Dipper Division, and has not relinquished it. The Brave’s intent is to even the score, in the race for the championship with a handful of games to be played.

The Braves kept pace with a 51-32 win over Alcona, while the Owls likewise came up with a league win over Rogers City. Oscoda had to battle to come up with a 38-24 win and might have been looking ahead. Oscoda ranked eighth and only had a single-digit lead going into the last quarter. The Hurons took Oscoda out of the normal style of play, with a zone defense. The Owls had to adjust their game, forcing open shots and not a fast break offense. By doing so, the Owls had their lowest point production of the season. Emma Michaud led the way with nine points, Kingsley Backstrom added eight, and Ava Gooch, Luella Whipkey, and Allee Goslee chipped in with six each.

Tawas kept on the heels of Oscoda with the win over Alcona. The Braves used a good third quarter, then closed out the game in the fourth. Brooke Binder was on fire from the outside shooting beyond the arc hitting on five attempts and led the way scoring 21 points, receiving help on the inside from Ellary Warner, Kelsey Look, and Amelia Herbolsheimer.

Swami says both teams are playing exceptionally well at this time, the question is which one, will have night shooting the ball. Also using the free-throw line to their advantage. The All-Knowing-One is up in the air in this game and having a hard time picking a winner.

Swami Sez: Oscoda 64, Tawas 61.

HILLMAN (11-5) at FAIRVIEW (6-7) — 7:30 p.m. Friday — boys — Hillman is battling in both the North Star, in addition to sickness that has gone through the team. The Tigers were able to overcome both to take a close game against AuGres. The Tigers clawed back into the game being behind entering the fourth quarter, before pulling out an eight-point win. Fairview being below 500, the Eagles pushed Hillman to limit in their first encounter, winning by four points. The Tigers have since put together a nice six-game winning streak, which might work in their favor against the Eagles.

Brenden Rouleau has led the Tigers, while Evan Crane can also finish in double figures. Aedan Tucker has been a contributor on the backboards, and Cuyler Schultz hands out the assists, which has made a big difference in the play of Hillman. It seems the Tigers have come together to be a complete team following the loss to the Eagles.

Fairview may not have the firepower that the Tigers do, but it seems they do it by committee. Trenton Weaver, Tanner Major, Kolby Alchin, Hayden Kowalski, James Gilbert, Van Wasnock, Shane Snyder, and Aiden Barajas, all have the ability to make it into the scoring column. Another plus the Eagles have, they have outscored their opponents by 9 points on the season, despite having a losing record.

This could be another nip-and-tuck game, but Swami reads more into the contest, the Tigers have played team basketball, since that loss.

The All-Knowing-One says the Tigers are peaking at the right time in conference play and likewise with Hillman’s overall record.

Swami Sez: Hillman 62, Fairview 48.