Boys Basketball

Feature

Foster Wonders: The UP's most intriguing recruit

1/8/2019 | Feature | By Bryce Derouin

There are numerous anecdotes that go into Foster Wonders being the most interesting UP recruit in recent history. There’s the one about him scrimmaging against the Michigan Tech men as an eighth-grader, pitting him against college athletes before he played his first high school game — and holding his own, at that. There’s the full scholarship offer he received from...

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Iron Mountain's Marcus Johnson doesn't care what you think

Features

Iron Mountain's Marcus Johnson doesn't care what you think

11/26/2018 | By Eden Laase

Feature

Iron Mountain's role players make Mountaineers elite

11/25/2018 | By Eden Laase

Feature

Top 25 boys countdown

Features

Top 25 boys countdown

11/25/2018 | By Bryce Derouin

Iron Mountain's Marcus Johnson doesn't care what you think

11/26/2018 | Feature | By Eden Laase |

We all feel emotional pain differently. Some get over the feeling quickly, some take a slow and steady approach, and others allow that pain to make a home inside them; motivating, influencing and dictating everything they do. When Marcus Johnson...

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Iron Mountain's role players make Mountaineers elite

11/25/2018 | Feature | By Eden Laase |

After 29 years of coaching at Iron Mountain, and 19 as a head coach, Bucky Johnson can be considered an authority on Mountaineers basketball. He’s seen good teams, bad teams, great teams and everything in between, but he’s never seen...

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Top 25 boys countdown

11/25/2018 | Feature | By Bryce Derouin |

For the first time, a preseason player rankings poll was conducted to rate the top 25 boys and girls basketball players in the UP. Six coaches and Bryce Derouin of Upbeat ranked the boys on a 25-point scale. A first-place...

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Column

The Way-Too-Early rankings: Division 1-3 Boys

7/30/2019 | Column | By Bryce Derouin |

After last season’s dramatic and controversial ending in the Division 3 state final, it’s not an exaggeration to say Iron Mountain will have the state’s attention in 2019-20. There will be those interested in how the Mountaineers bounce back on their revenge tour after having what many feel was a state title robbed from them, and others who will track...

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How Ishpeming's Darius Yohe overcame adversity to attend William Woods

7/18/2019 | Feature | By Eden Laase |

It’s a hot Wednesday afternoon in the beginning of July. The temperature reads 84, but it feels hotter. In the Carney-Nadeau gym, a collection of teams hone their skills for the upcoming season. Summer team camps don’t draw much of a crowd, and other than the players awaiting their upcoming games, you won’t need more than 10 fingers to count...

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Feature

Frank Bonacorsi named new Calumet boys basketball coach

7/16/2019 | Feature | By Bryce Derouin |

As a 2006 Calumet graduate, Frank Bonacorsi can recall a growing interest in basketball throughout the accomplished hockey town during his high school career. He can also remember witnessing that passion manifest itself to on-court success. In 2012, Bonacorsi was in the stands when his alma mater cut down the nets in Hancock to celebrate the school’s first district title...

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Feature

Esky, Westwood using summer camps to mesh new rosters

7/11/2019 | Feature | By Eden Laase |

If you wander into a high school gym at any point in the summer and happen upon a team camp game, be warned: This will probably be the worst basketball you see all year. You’ll see turnovers, messed up offensive sets, missed layups, miscommunications on defense and a plethora of other miscues. Summer basketball is messy and chaotic, but it...

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Column

The Way-Too-Early rankings: Division 4 boys

6/27/2019 | Column | By Bryce Derouin |

As far back as I can remember visiting ESPN.com and other sports websites, I always found myself intrigued by the novelty of a “Way-Too-Early Top 25 Rankings” story for college football or basketball. It would be the morning after the national title game, and sure enough, a staff writer would have a story up ranking the top 25 teams for...

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Gladstone's Reece Castor is preparing for his next step at NMU

6/18/2019 | Feature | By Bryce Derouin |

There was a slightly different version of Reece Castor at Saturday’s UP All-Star Game. Sure, there were still the signature bounce passes through traffic that evaded defenders’ arms before dropping into his teammates’ hands in stride. He could still get to the rim whenever he decided to assert himself, thanks to his slick handle and explosive changes of direction. Those...

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