HS Sports Tentative Return Dates Set – Thursday Sports Wrap

High School

Barring an extension of the state’s latest Epidemic Order, the Michigan High School Athletic Association fall playoffs will resume next month.

Most notably of local interest, the volleyball quarterfinals will be played December 15th. Calumet is scheduled to face Beaverton at Houghton Lake High School. The finals will be held the following weekend in Battle Creek.

The football tournament will also resume December 15th and 16th, with 11-player regional finals, and eight-player semifinals. The eight-player championships will be held December 21st and 22nd at Midland Community Stadium. The 11-player finals will take place at Ford Field Monday and Tuesday, December 28th and 29th.

Winter sports practices will resume December 9th, but competition will not begin until January 2nd.

NBA

The Detroit Pistons’ rebuild moved into top gear at the NBA Draft last night.

First, the Pistons looked across the Atlantic to find their playmaker of the future. With the seventh pick, they selected French guard Killian Hayes. At age 19, Hayes has already spent a season in the French pro league. He’s considered a good playmaker, but not the best shooter.

Detroit also traded a conditional future first round pick to the Rockets, to get University of Washington center Isaiah Stewart with the 16th pick. He averaged 17 points and nine rebounds per game as a freshman last season. Technically, Stewart was drafted by the Trail Blazers, then immediately traded to the Rockets, and then to Detroit.

Detroit also got veteran forward Trevor Ariza in the deal. Ariza is 35 years old, and is in the final year of a big contract that Houston wanted to dump. Houston also bought a second-round pick in next year’s draft from Detroit for $4.1 million.

Then, the Pistons traded guard Luke Kennard to get forward Saddiq Bey, with the 19th pick. Bey averaged 16 points per game as a freshman for Villanova last season. Kennard goes to the Clippers in a three-team deal. L-A sent Landry Shamet to the Nets, who technically drafted Bey, before trading him to L-A, who sent him to Detroit.

Detroit also gets swingman Rodney McGruder from the Clippers.

And, with no second-round berth of their own, the Pistons picked up the 38th selection from the Jazz, and used it on Vanderbilt point guard Saben Lee. Lee immediately signed a two-way contract with Detroit. The Pistons also received veteran center Tony Bradley in the trade, all in exchange for future considerations.

The Bucks used the 24th pick in the draft to select 19-year-old guard RJ Hampton. He won’t be playing for Milwaukee. The Bucks sent him to New Orleans, to wrap up the deal that brought Jrue Holiday to the Bucks from the Pelicans. New Orleans then traded Hampton’s rights to the Nuggets.

Milwaukee sent two future second-round picks to the Magic, and used Orlando’s 45th pick to get Louisville forward Jordan Nwora.

The Timberwolves opened the draft by taking Georgia guard Anthony Edwards. The Warriors used the second pick on Memphis center James Wiseman. The Hornets took guard LaMelo Ball with the third pick, and the Bulls claimed Florida State forward Patrick Williams with the fourth.

Milwaukee’s trade for Kings’ guard Bogdan Bogdanovic may have fallen apart. Bogdanovich is a restricted free agent, and would have had to sign a new contract with Sacramento for the deal to work. He hasn’t, and there are reports that he may file for free agency when the signing window opens tomorrow.

Finlandia

The Capital Athletic Conference has changed its name. Reflecting its membership that now reaches from the Atlantic Seaboard to California, the league has rebranded itself as the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference.

A number of Finlandia University athletics teams compete in the league.

NFL

The Seahawks host the Cardinals in tonight’s NFL game. Hear the broadcast on 99.3 The Lift.

Please have your picks in The Wolf Pro Football Challenge turned in by noon today at one of our sponsors.

Hunting

Congratulations to some more of our entrants in our Copper Country Deer Hunters Roundup…
• Dennis Anderson of Lake Linden bagged a four-pointer near Bootjack.
• Tami Pekkala of Hancock shot an eight-point buck.
• 11-year-old Kaden Cronenworth of Mohawk bagged an eight-point buck.
• Bernie Fortin of Lake Linden shot a nine-pointer.
• Troy Maki of L’Anse shot a six-pointer in Baraga County.

The next edition of the Deer Hunters Roundup will air Wednesday evening at 7:00 on KBear 102.3. Submit your success, and a photo if you wish, on the Deer Hunters Roundup page at KBear102.com. Remember that prize-winners are selected by random drawing, so don’t think you need to have a trophy buck to qualify.

Email sports news and scores to mornings@up.net.