Redford Union boys basketball lost 13 players, the most roster turnover coach Randall Taylor has seen in 16 years, and returns just three players with varsity experience.
That’s why the Panthers have practically lived in the gym since school ended. They’ve attended camps at Grand Valley and Wayne State, competed in The D Zone Shootout at Livonia Stevenson, scrimmaged at Wayne Memorial and, most recently, played in the DC Elite at Birmingham Groves, a weekly showcase hosted by former No. 1 NBA draft pick and Detroit native Derrick Coleman.
The summer’s focus? Expanding the roles of their returners — seniors Sean Starkey and Jaiden Gaines and junior Malachi Grace — and seeing which JV players can step up and contribute immediately. They want to build chemistry quickly because, well, it’s not every day RU loses 11 players to graduation and another two to transferring.
“That’s been the No. 1 thing, jelling as a new group, trying to get everybody to understand their role,” Taylor said before a July 7 game against Center Line. “Some of our JV guys are starting to understand the difference between the varsity and JV as far as the speed of the game, terminology and realizing they’re not as bigger, stronger or faster up here as they were down there. Once they start understanding that portion, I think we’ll be fine.”
Several roles are up for grabs with nine of their 12 top players gone.
Gavin Bobbitt, arguably one of the best in the Western Wayne Athletic Conference, transferred to Detroit Mumford.
Lost to graduation are leading scorers Devon Foster and Kayden Turner, big men Brian Taylor and Chase Schefke and hustle players Tyler Barnes, Juan Perkins, Julian Liddell II and Michael Porter Jr.
A handful of them played for a Division 2 regional championship as underclassmen and were integral to winning league and city titles. They won 16 games this past winter, despite finishing as the WWAC runner-up and losing to Detroit Old Redford in the district final.
Replacing production like that will be quite the challenge for the up-and-coming Panthers.
“I do think it creates a chip on their shoulder and gives them a healthier level of focus for those three guys (returners),” Taylor said. “Last year’s team, being senior-led, they were focused, but I don’t think they were focused on all of the right things all the time. It was a good group of senior kids, but this group will be more locked in for each other. They’re learning and are more connected, and I’m starting to see some good things out of them.”
Starkey, who transferred in from Farmington before last school year, should be the star. He’ll likely be the leading scorer and become one of the main ballhandlers. At almost 6-foot-6, his size helps him create baskets in the paint and off drives to the hoop, but he also has great range with his shot.
Last season, he showed growth as he adjusted to being at a new school. Now, RU wants him to add to his game.
“Sean is learning a lot, but we’re looking for him to become a better defender because he has all the tools,” Taylor said. “He can shoot it. He has length and athleticism. He has all the tools to be a college basketball player a year from now, but we need him to stay engaged in the game (defensively) all the time. That’s the biggest thing.”
Gaines will be the heart and soul of the program.
He’ll be their scrappiest player in the paint and likely the leading rebounder. He’s also working on his shooting.
But it’s his energy that is most important.
“He’ll be our most vocal, and he’s definitely a leader for us as a multiple-sport kid who also plays football and runs track,” Taylor said. “He’s definitely going to bring a lot of energy.”
Fans saw glimpses of how well Gaines can play in his junior year.
He sank the game-clinching 3-pointer that won RU the end-of-summer tournament at DC Elite.
During the regular season, he worked his way into the starting lineup and then found his groove as the sixth man.
“Like everyone else, his role will be growing,” Taylor added. “His best role for us was coming off the bench, but this year, he’s going to be a starter. We like when Jaiden is around the basketball because he’s a second-chance type of guy (when creating rebounds) and he can be a catch-and-shoot guy.”
Grace is the least experienced of the three returners, but that doesn’t overshadow his potential.
The guard actually started three games before suffering an ankle injury, one he never truly recovered from.
“He was really doing well, but he could never really get back into the flow after rolling his ankle and trying to get back from that,” Taylor said. “But he can shoot the basketball, and, as a lefty, he’s going to play point guard for us, both spots, and be our No. 1 defender on point guards. He’s been playing some good ball for us. His leadership, with him coming in as a junior with his experience, will be major for us, too.”
The bad news? First-year varsity players will round out the roster.
The good news? RU’s JV went 21-0 last season and has lost fewer than 10 games over the past four.
Already showing promise have been Marcel Mason, Khari Barksdale, Dorian Johnson, Eli Long, CJ West, Kamari Spears and twin brothers Jordan and Jaylen Jones.
“All of those kids are going to come in and play, and they’re going to compete for playing time,” Taylor said.
Expect growing pains while the Panthers navigate roster turnover. That was the case the last time they were in this position under Taylor. That was Year 5, and they had just lost eight to graduation. While the team only went .500, they learned to play as a group, figuring out their strengths and weaknesses while establishing roles.
And the season after that rebuilding year? They won the league.
“This is the most turnover I’ve ever had,” Taylor said. “I’ve never lost so many kids at one time, but turnover can be a good thing because we have a good group of kids who are learning and growing. Right now, we have some kids who are unsure about themselves, but I think as we go through the summer, they’ll become more sure of themselves and what we’re doing as a group.”
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: Redford Union boys basketball lost 13 players in 1 offseason
Reporting by Brandon Folsom, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
