There is much debate in the Tribune sports blog about, all conference selections, and All-Thumb Team, etc. The topic always becomes, who's the best Thumb Basketball player ever?
Let me start with the area, I can't speak of things prior to my being but I'll give it a shot.
1. BRAD REDFORD (Frankenmuth) Kid was lights out, pretty good stats for a freshman on a good Xavier team that made it to the sweet 16.
2. JORDAN BITZER (USA) Loved the killer attitude, Talent with the mental edge. I heard him say "Man's Game" many of times. (His brother doesnt have near the talent but was the best in the thumb that I seen this year by far.)
3. JOSH ASSLIN (Caro) I really didn't see him play all that much, He was big, Went to Michigan. A Big Ten school and played a desent amount.
4. MATT LEPAGE (Lakers) Loved to hate him. But when the quarter, half, or game was coming to an end, everyone in the building new he was going to take the shot and he nailed it more often than not.
5. CRAIG EMMERT (Cass City) Had a hard time with the 5 spot. Very difficult for me to pick Emmert over a Gainforth, Cramer, Brandon Bitzer, McPhail, Ignash, Ulfig, etc.) The difference for me was that he was a STARTER FOR 4 YEARS and was a major contributor all 4 years. Nice College career for a D3 or NAIA school.
Obviously. there are some good names in the past, but it was hard for me to rank just going off of a name. Schinner, Hartel, Haire, Commett, Ignash, Brain somebody from Bad Axe. Seth from lakers (Black Guy when Ulfig played)
Here is my Cass City top 5 in no particular order (to hard to do)
1. Emmert
2. Paul Ulfig
3. Hartel
4. Haire?
5. Commett?
I'm sure I am missing alot of good ones. Glaza comes to mind. Summersett maybe would crack the top 10 if you looked at the senior year only.
Be interested in your Top Basketball Players.
Here we go.
2 comments:
I haven't taken in near as many games as the rest of you guys, so my opinions aren't worth much. I can't think of a player I personally watched that seemed better at hitting the clutch shot than LePage. Bitzer was awfully good too, but I only saw that one game. Never watched Redford play.
The whole thumb area has always been loaded with great basketball talent. don't forget the Brinkman cousins, they used to drop them in from everywhere too. For me the best cass city team was when Emmert was a junior. I think they went to the quarter finals. They were tall and had size and quickness and elegent 3 point shooters. they were down 20 points or so and if they had loosened up earlier in the game they could have beaten that team from the lansing area. The slightly shorter Brinkman boy took control of the team and started breaking down the other teams lead by thowing down 3's at least 5 in a row if not more, but kept it up and came within 5-8 points of winning in the end. the next year Craig E got his arm broke boarding against gainforth from USA after landing on the floor. Otherwise, Cass city would of won that one, as they beat badly earlier that year. USA later lost to a flint or saginaw team. I watched Haire and hartel, Richards and richards, Big Paul Battel, and the rubberband man jesse Groth do some magic also. I live near Grand rapids now, a thumb team would mop any teams in this area that I have seen. I never got to see Asselin play. I remember Ulfig, he was really tall.
Post a Comment