As the U of D Jesuit Cubs enter the thick of the 2023-2024 basketball season, many are wondering where they stand in the tightly contested competition of Michigan high school basketball. The Cubs are 4-0 going into their first league matchup this Friday, against rival Brother Rice. High-level league and division games are on the clock in the month of December and January, where the Cubs will have a chance to prove themselves as contenders for this year’s state title.
The Cubs are aiming high this season, with Ryan Hatcher (‘24) saying “I want the team to win a state championship, I feel we have a talented group.” However, many more questions are being asked of the Cubs this season. Primarily, their on-court leadership is being questioned with the departure of former Gatorade Player of the Year Sonny Wilson. Wilson was a leader on the court all four of his years at The High. But encouragingly for the Cubs, this past season some young players began to establish themselves as future leaders for the team, such as Leroy Blyden Jr. (‘25) and Xavier Johnson (‘25). Blyden especially has been stepping up and showing incredible poise in clutch situations. In the Cubs’ season-opening thriller against West Bloomfield, Leroy went down with cramps in the second half, only to return late in the fourth quarter and ice the game with two clutch free throws. Xavier Johnson is already an incredible athletic talent with strong finishing ability and defensive prowess. Fellow junior, Sebastian Randolph, is also returning from injury this season and beginning to establish himself as one of the premier big men in high school basketball. U of D basketball’s future is bright with such a strong junior class, but what about the present? Besides the junior class, many experienced, poised seniors act as leaders for the Cubs. Ryan Hatcher is a high-level three-point shooter, both spot-up and catch-and-shoot. Gerard McCoy is a strong 3-and-D forward who can lock down opposing teams’ primary scorers. Both these players have years of experience and provide stability for the team.
Since the 74-70 battle with West Bloomfield, the Cubs have won their last three games comfortably, by a combined 99 points. They are ranked 7th in the state by the Prep and 6th by The D Zone Basketball. U of D are separating themselves from their competition recently and firmly establishing themselves as contenders for the state title. They are treating every matchup with the same level of confidence and poise, with Leroy Blyden claiming their most anticipated matchup is “every game.” The Cubs’ sights are set on highly touted league rivals Brother Rice this Friday, followed by current #1 ranked team in the state Orchard Lake St. Mary’s. If they maintain confidence and their strong level of play under pressure, anything is possible for this young Cubs team.
The 2023-2024 season is going to be an exciting one, where U of D basketball will have the opportunity to further entrench itself as one of the premier programs in the state. With their abundance of talent, there is reason to be excited as a U of D basketball fan.
