There are plenty of reasons to be happy this time of year. Days are getting longer, daylight savings is coming and spring is just around the corner.

It can’t come soon enough for Swami, but there’s still lots of basketball to be played. Girls district play has already begun and boys districts are set to begin Monday.

Some teams will be crowned district champions, but other teams will get an early start on spring practices. The All-Knowing-One would like to take this opportunity to wish the best to all of the tournament teams. Let’s see how Swami fares in one last basketball week.

ALPENA (10-9) at TRAVERSE CITY CENTRAL (16-3)–Thursday–(Boys)–The Wildcats have been snakebitten as of late with three losses by a combined four points, but this team continues to battle and Swami sees a tough team that doesn’t quit. On Tuesday, the Wildcats were not going to let a game slip away against Bay City Western, completely dominating the Warriors for a 76-41 win. Jack Schmanski and Jordan Schultz worked to perfection down low for 16 and 15 points respectively, while Kelly Stark took care of business from deep with 15.

Traverse City Central has a chance to earn a share of the Big North Conference title with a win. The All-Knowing-One believes the Wildcats can play spoiler, but they’ll see the Trojans against next week in districts.

The Trojans have reeled off 13 straight wins after opening at 3-3. The latest win came against crosstown rival Traverse City West. Carson Briggs led the Trojans back to overcome a 10 point deficit to take the 35-32 win with the aid of Peyton Smith. Briggs finished with 13 points and Smith contributed 10.

Swami believes the Wildcats are due for a bit of luck. The Wildcats must play with the confidence they displayed early in the year and everything will fall into place.

Swami Sez: Alpena 62, Traverse City Central 60.

OSCODA (18-1) at HILLMAN (5-12)–Thursday–(Boys)–Hillman’s five wins have come at the expense of North Star League foes so why not make it six tonight? The Owls come in following a buzzer beater loss to Ogemaw Heights, last Friday, but they rebounded early this week and Swami is sure that Oscoda will make a statement tonight, before heading into tournament play.

Hillman knows what it has to do to beat the Owls, now they just have to do it. The Tigers have taken some lumps this season, but should have their full compliment of players this time to keep things interesting. Swami has to give them credit as they have not backed down from the competition. They continue to play hard and overall improvement can be seen with every game. Hillman can continue that improvement and build momentum for the playoffs with a win tonight.

The cards are truly stacked against Hillman against a team like Oscoda, which will want some momentum going into districts as well.

Swami Sez: Oscoda 68, Hillman 54. 

ATLANTA (6-12) at HALE (15-4)–Thursday–(Boys)–Hale appears to have the Little Dipper Division crown wrapped up in the North Star League, while Atlanta is fighting to stay in fourth; a respectable showing for the Huskies.

The Eagles go as Joseph Kimmerer does as he keeps doing amazing things every time he sees the floor. He has erupted for many 30-plus point games this season, adding to his school record every time he is on the floor. On Tuesday night, Kimmerer had another fine scoring game with 24 points, while Garrett Beebe added 18 points and 13 rebounds, but it was not enough to overcome Ogemaw Heights.

Atlanta has depended on Zach Roux and Aaron Cuzzort, not only for scoring, but rebounding, block and assists. The Huskies have been close in several games, but sometimes they’re missing that extra push to get them over the top. Even with their setbacks, the Huskies’ are capable of beating anyone on any given night.

Will this be the Atlanta’s night? Or will they have to wait until next season? Both of those questions will be answered tonight.

Swami Sez: Hale 58, Atlanta 42.

FAIRVIEW (4-14) at JOHANNESBURG-LEWISTON (9-10)–Thursday–(Boys)–Johannesburg has been plagued the Cardinals has been injuries and illness on the basketball court. Sophomores Preston Marlatt, Matthew Davidson and Joey Chrencik have stepped in place of Sheldon Huff, Carlos Gascho and Gavin Weaver, who have lost playing time during the season. Swami says it might pay off in the districts this year, but he is looking for the Cardinals to make a run over the next two years. Like so many teams, the Cardinals are looking for a momentum builder, especially with the likes of Oscoda and Roscommon coming up districts.

Fairview, on the other hand, is looking for a little ray of sunshine to build on. Grant Lietzke and Isiah Ford have been the only two starters that have been giving the Eagles consistent scoring this year. The Eagles had been riding a six game losing streak, before getting back on the winning track with a tight 60-59 win over Atlanta.

The Eagles are young and learning in every game, whether it’s an NSL game or a non-conference contest. The Eagles are still searching for players that will make a difference. To that end, the All-Knowing-One has not seen any help along those lines just yet. 

Swami Sez: Johannesburg-Lewiston 70, Fairview 50.